| Over 3,500 workers were employed at Prairie State Energy Campus at the peak of construction. Shown here are photos of the majority of the workforce leaving at shift change at the end of the day. |
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Prairie State Energy Campus - Economic Progress & Impact
Prairie State Energy Campus (PSEC or the Campus) is proud to be a significant economic driver for the Southwestern Illinois area economy. PSEC represents a major undertaking of power generation and coal mining in the United States. The Campus is making a significant, positive, economic impact on the southwestern Illinois and State of Illinois economies and will continue to do so over many years to come. Here are just a few examples of our commitment to economic progress:
During Construction:
- At a cost approximately $4 billion, the Campus is the largest power plant construction project in the United States and the second largest capital project in Illinois in the past 10 years.
- Over 3,000 working professionals are currently employed at the Campus. Many of these working professionals, who represent our number one resource, are Illinois residents.
- The Campus has also used the services of many local suppliers since the inception of the project, using the products and services of over 150 local suppliers and vendors, making PSEC one of the largest contributors to their counties’ tax base.
- Construction wages will approach $1 billion.
- Wages at the Campus are 30 percent higher than the Illinois average and 40 percent higher than the southwestern Illinois regional average.
- Construction of PSEC will stimulate approximately $2.9 billion in economic activity in the southwestern Illinois region alone during the construction period, and $3.7 billion statewide.
- PSEC is a major contributor to a public-private cooperative effort on the Fayetteville Bridge Run Around during construction of PSEC – $350,000 or 70% (whichever is less) of the total cost of the bridge run around. The run around will help save time and fuel, save lives by allowing for faster emergency services response, while also allowing for timely completion of the PSEC construction.
After Construction:
- PSEC will contribute more than $785 million annually in economic activity in the Illinois economy – totaling $23.6 billion over 30 years. This includes more than $734 million annually in economic activity in the region – totaling $22 billion over 30 years.
- PSEC will stimulate an extra $80 million of earnings and income annually into the Illinois economy, including $64 million in the southwestern Illinois region.
- PSEC will help revitalize the economy of local communities by creating approximately 500 permanent, high-paying, skilled jobs once construction is complete. PSEC also will stimulate the creation of another 860 jobs in Illinois with annual earnings of another $40 million.
- The Campus is the largest contributor to the Washington County tax base.
- PSEC will generate electricity to serve 2.5 million families in nine states. This low cost, environmentally friendly supply of energy will strengthen and further position the economies of southwestern Illinois, the State of Illinois and our member communities for future growth.
Sources include actual construction data and a study titled, The Resurgence of Coal and Power in the Illinois Basin: An Economic Impact Study of the Prairie State Energy Campus, by Andrew M. Isserman, Professor of Regional Economics, Policy and Planning, University of Illinois
