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An Illinois renewables portfolio standard (RPS), which Invenergy's Carter Brown says his company needed to help push through up to 400 MW of wind power in the state, failed to pass muster in the Illinois legislature. Brown says Invenergy has two projects in the early stages of development and that an RPS, along with a federal production tax credit extension, may have made it possible to complete the two projects in 2004. The failure to pass an RPS, however, does not mean a full stop for wind development in Illinois. Last month Navitas Energy energised its 51.4 MW Mendota Hills project using Gamesa 850 kW turbines, the state's first large scale wind farm. Illinois Wind Energy plans to build its 48 MW Crescent Ridge project this year using NEG Micon 1.5 MW turbines. Most recently, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity issued a request for proposals to fund wind projects in at least 2 MW increments that can begin construction in the second quarter of 2004. The proposals were due in December. The failed RPS legislation would have required utilities to generate 5% of their power from renewables by 2010 and 15% by 2020.