Hickory Wind project in La Salle County to use union labor

The Hickory Wind project and the Illinois Valley Building Trades have announced a letter of intent committing the wind energy project to use union labor.

The letter of intent sets a standard the project will include apprenticeship opportunities and pay prevailing wage, the wind turbine company said. It also signals the project will comply with clean energy legislation passed in Illinois in 2021 and will follow the labor standards outlined in the federal Inflation Reduction Act passed earlier this year, the company said.

An economic impact study found the project will create 135 new jobs in La Salle County and 406 new jobs across Illinois during construction.

“Our commitment with Hickory Wind has always been to build the project using the expertise that local labor unions have gained making La Salle County a state leader in wind energy,” said Senior Project Manager Denis Onwualu. “With this LOI we solidify that commitment.”

“One of the keys to making Illinois a leader in renewable energy has been opening up clean jobs to unrivaled expertise offered by our locals,” added Floyd Jones, President of the Illinois Valley Building and Construction Trades Council. “We thank Hickory Wind for recognizing the value of highly trained, skilled workers on the job and for proactively engaging us to advance this LOI.”