BIG SKY WIND LLC
OperatingWind power plant
- Capacity
- 240 MW
- Primary fuel
- Wind
- County
- Bureau County
- Operator
- EDISON MISSION ENERGY
- Status
- Operating
- Commissioned
- 2011
- EIA plant ID
- 57135
- Generators
- 1
- Technology
- Onshore Wind Turbine
- Net generation (2024)
- 731 GWh
- Capacity factor (2024, EIA nameplate)
- 35%
- Data vintage
- EIA-860 2024 final; EIA-923 2022-2024 final
- Coordinates
- 41.5989, -89.4572
BIG SKY WIND LLC, a 240 MW Wind power plant in Bureau County, Illinois. Operated by EDISON MISSION ENERGY, commissioned 2011.
How BIG SKY WIND LLC compares
With 240 MW of capacity, BIG SKY WIND LLC ranks 38th among the 158 operating power plants Bywatts maps in Illinois and 2nd of the 27 operating Wind plants in the state. It accounts for about 6.8% of Illinois's operating Wind capacity and 0.6% of all operating capacity in the state. Nationally it is the 29th-largest of the 708 operating Wind plants in the database. Commissioned in 2011, it is newer than 90% of the 150 operating Illinois plants with a recorded commissioning year. It shares Bureau County with 4 other operating plants, including PROVIDENCE HEIGHTS WIND LLC and CRESCENT RIDGE.
EIA-860 lists 1 generator at the site with 239 MW of nameplate capacity, all onshore wind turbine technology. Net generation was 731 GWh in 2024 (a 35% capacity factor), up 58% from 2022.
Grid neighborhood
The nearest named substation is NELSON (345 kV), about 13.7 miles away; the closest transmission line found within 10 miles is a 138 kV line, under 0.1 miles away. Another 12 operating power plants totaling 1,208 MW sit within 25 miles; the largest is LEE ENERGY FACILITY (814 MW, Natural Gas).
Computed by Bywatts from HIFLD power plant, substation and transmission line records and EIA-860/923 survey data; distances are straight-line. Sources and methodology
Weather peril exposure
BIG SKY WIND LLC is a 240 MW wind power plant in Bureau County, IL, operated by EDISON MISSION ENERGY, commissioned in 2011. Bureau County carries high modeled catastrophe exposure in the FEMA National Risk Index, scoring 3.6 of 5 at the 64th national percentile. Tornado is the leading peril, rated Relatively Moderate by FEMA at the 78th percentile.
The Bywatts loss layer is calibrated to solar PV hardware, so it is not applied to a wind plant. The ratings below are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings for this location.
Bureau County hazard ratings
| Peril | FEMA rating | National percentile | Peril score | Events per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 78th | 4.1 of 5 | 0.84 |
| Strong wind | Relatively Moderate | 74th | 4.0 of 5 | 5.9 |
| Hail | Relatively Moderate | 70th | 3.8 of 5 | 3.9 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 65th | 3.6 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Ice storm | Relatively Moderate | 47th | 2.9 of 5 | 0.63 |
| Lightning | Relatively Low | 31st | 2.2 of 5 | 43.1 |
| Heat wave | Relatively Low | 26th | 2.1 of 5 | 6.5 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Low | 23rd | 1.9 of 5 | 14.8 |
| Riverine flooding | Relatively Low | 18th | 1.7 of 5 | 0.86 |
| Hurricane | Very Low | 8th | 1.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 7th | 1.3 of 5 | <0.01 |
Perils not assessed in Bureau County
These perils carry no usable National Risk Index figure for this county, so they are excluded from the scoring rather than scored zero. A zero would claim the peril was assessed and found benign.
| Peril | Why it is not scored |
|---|---|
| Coastal flooding | FEMA rating is "Not Applicable" for this county |
Model hail, wind and flood exposure for Bureau County in the weather risk calculator
Ratings are the FEMA National Risk Index county hazard ratings; the peril score is a Bywatts transform of the FEMA national percentile. Full data sources and the solar vulnerability methodology are in the weather risk calculator.
Modeled estimate for screening and negotiation. Built from FEMA National Risk Index county hazard data and a solar vulnerability layer documented above. Not a quote, a binder, or actuarial advice, and not a substitute for a carrier's own model. Hazard data: FEMA National Risk Index December 2025, synced 2026-07-24. Resolution is county level, not site level.