Benzinga | Jan 11, 2022 09:07AM EST

Infrastructure, Energy Alternatives Secures $75M Award To Support Illinois Wind

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. (NASDAQ:IEA, &quot, IEA&quot, or the &quot, Company&quot, ))))) a leading infrastructure company with renewable energy and specialty civil expertise, today announced that White Construction, a wholly-owned subsidiary of IEA, has secured a $75 million award with Invenergy, a leading privately-held global developer, owner, and operator of sustainable energy solutions.



Under the terms of the contract award, IEA will provide construction services for the Sapphire Sky Wind Project, a planned 250-megawatt (MW) utility-scale wind farm in McLean County, Illinois. As outlined within the scope of work, IEA will self-perform the engineering and construction of 64 wind turbines and nearly 20 miles of private-land access roads. The project commenced during the fourth quarter 2021, with targeted completion by the fourth quarter 2022. The development is expected to create nearly 300 new jobs for the state of Illinois during the period of construction.

Illinois ranks fifth in the United States in wind-powered electricity generating capacity, with more than 6,000 MW currently online. Wind is estimated to provide more than 90% of the state's renewable energy generation, with approximately 1,100 MW of wind power capacity either under construction or in advanced development.

"Invenergy is a valued, long-term partner of IEA, a company whose commitment to building sustainable energy solutions of scale closely aligns with our vision and values," stated JP Roehm, CEO of IEA. "We are proud to partner with them on this important project, one that further positions Illinois as a leading producer of domestic wind energy, while providing significant socio-economic benefits to the citizens of McLean County."

"We're pleased to work with the IEA team again and be in construction on our largest renewable energy project in Illinois," said Bryan Schueler, Senior Executive Vice President and Construction Business Leader. "Working with trusted partners like IEA is essential to accelerating the clean energy transition in Illinois and beyond."

To date, IEA has constructed more than 20 gigawatts of renewable energy projects across North America. IEA was ranked #2 for wind construction amongst Engineering News-Record's 2021 Top 400 Contractors. For more information on IEA's ENR rankings please visit enr.com.