Discover What the Lincoln-Land Project Is About

“The unparalleled access to the most robust gas transmission systems in MISO ZONE-4 makes the Lincoln Land Energy Center among the most competitive Natural Gas Combined Cycle projects yet conceived. The $1.4 Billion investment will reinvigorate the trade labor and tax base for many years to come.” John Kinnamon, VP Development, EmberClear

EmberClear is developing Lincoln Land, a 1,190 MW natural gas-fueled combined-cycle facility (NGCC) located near Pawnee in Sangamon County, Illinois, approximately 20 miles south of the state capital of Springfield. Kindle Energy (a Blackstone Company) is a committed partner with EmberClear to finance, construct, and build the Lincoln Land Clean Energy Center.

The increase in variable generation such as wind and solar has introduced greater uncertainty in MISO. Over the last 10-plus years, surplus reserve margins in MISO have been exhausted through load growth and unit retirements. Regions only averted a capacity shortfall in 2023 because some planned generation retirements were postponed and some additional capacity was made available to MISO. Retiring coal and limited development of baseload power are foreseen to lead to supply constraints, rendering Lincoln Land, the only gas-fueled project, a crucial baseload resource in MISO Zone-4.

The project will be constructed one-half mile south of the Village of Pawnee on a 160-acre tract of land zoned for industrial use and located immediately adjacent to the newly constructed Illinois Rivers transmission substation. Ameren Transmission Co. has invested more than $1.5 billion in the development of a 345 kV electric transmission line known as the Illinois Rivers project to bolster needed improvements to the power grid and to ensure long-term reliability. The project location is next to the new Austin substation and minimizes aerial transmission and viewshed concerns.

The project will purchase water from the City of Springfield. The discharge from the plant will be sent to a nearby sewage treatment facility owned and operated by the Village of Pawnee.

The unparalleled access to natural gas transmission makes this project uniquely positioned to produce among the lowest cost power in the Midwest. The Panhandle Eastern and Rockies Express transmission pipelines are located approximately 4 miles to the north and will be accessed along Sangamon County Highway 28.

Lincoln Land has solicited and received organized labor support with its project construction company to use the uniquely qualified labor and trades community in Central Illinois.

The project site is in industrial and enterprise zones. The air permit to construct was granted by IEPA in 2023. MISO Interconnection Agreement was executed in 2023.

The projected construction start is anticipated to be in Q4 2024, with projected commercial operations in 2027. The project is expected to bring a $1.4 billion direct investment to Central Illinois and create approximately 400 – 700 construction jobs over three-year period and eventually up to 35 permanent jobs. Altogether, the project is expected to infuse several billions in economic development to Sangamon County during decades of operating period.

By utilizing top of the line turbine technology, Lincoln Land Energy Center will incorporate the ability to use 30 % hydrogen and up to 100% within the lifespan of this project. This means the facility can transition from a baseload unit using natural gas to a peaker facility using a combination of hydrogen and natural gas in the future.