Construction on a windmill farm in Tazewell county known as the “Rail Splitter II” could begin as early as 2023. Rail Splitter II Wind Farm will be located  north of the town of Lincoln. The wind farm is near the townships of Boynton, Hopedale, Hittle, and Little Mackinaw. The company behind the project, EDP Renewables North America, claims that the wind farm will bring numerous benefits to area residents and mention financial, environmental, and even national security concerns. 

On their website dedicated to the Rail Splitter II project, EDP Renewables makes their case to local residents. Their first point is their claim that the windmill project, with an installed capacity of 100 Megawatts, will be able to generate enough energy to power 34,000 homes in central Illinois. EDP also lauds the economic benefits their project will bring to the area between payments to landowners, local spending, and annual community investment. “Rail Splitter II represents a capital investment of approximately $140 million and will disperse over a million in cumulative payments to local governments through the life of the project” their website boasts. The parent company goes on to say that the project will “create near a hundred full-time equivalent jobs during construction and several permanent jobs” and that $1.38 million will be spent within 50 miles of the wind farm during the life of the project.

Environmentally, EDP says that their project will save more than 177 million gallons of water each year, while also displacing carbon emissions from fossil fuel power plants. They also note that fossil fuel emissions are a contributing factor to global climate change. On matters of national security, the company says their project would “contribute to Illinois’ energy security and help diversify energy supply.”
The Rail Splitter II project is expected to consist of 20 to 28 windmills, the make and model of which will be finalized in 2023. However, there is opposition to the wind farm project via a group called “United Citizens of Tazewell County” who have made their presence known via yard signs that are popping up in the area.