PAXTON — The Pioneer Trail Wind Farm, under construction east and north of Paxton, has already brought economic benefits to Ford and Iroquois counties — months before its 94 turbines start generating energy and millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Ford County recently received checks totaling $385,000 from Chicago-based E.On Climate & Renewables for construction permits issued for 77 turbines to be located in Button and Patton townships. Iroquois County also received a check, for $85,000, for 17 turbines in Loda and Pigeon Grove townships.

And the sum in Ford County is in addition to $240,000 in engineering fees that were collected by Ford County's highway department through a road-use agreement with E.On Climate & Renewables.

Ford County Board Chairman Rick Bowen called the one-time revenue influx "definitely a nice addition to the financial status of Ford County." However, Bowen said, "what's most exciting to me is the progress that's being made east of town."

Both Bowen and Paxton Mayor Bill Ingold said the most noticeable economic benefit of the wind farm, so far, is the 200-plus workers building it.

Workers from White Construction — a contractor based in Clinton, Ind., that just completed E.On's 150-megawatt Settlers Trail Wind Farm near Sheldon — have been frequenting Paxton convenience stores and restaurants this summer, Ingold said. The workers have been preparing roads and turbine foundations in anticipation of installing the 400-foot-tall towers near Paxton.

"I've heard from a couple of people uptown — restaurants, bars, convenience stores — who are all seeing increased activity," Ingold said. "I know (some workers are also) out looking for places to live (in the area). I've heard of a few houses they've rented."

Yet the best benefit of all is still to come, Ingold said. Once the 150-megawatt wind farm is built and in operation, the counties, townships and school district in the wind farm's footprint can expect to see an influx of $1.8 million per year in property tax revenue, including $1.2 million going to the Paxton-Buckley-Loda school district.

There will also be thousands of dollars in annual payments to landowners who have allowed 11,930 acres of farmland to be leased for the wind farm's operation.

E.On officials said Monday that they are excited the wind farm, announced in May 2008, is coming to fruition. Completion of the wind farm is targeted for spring 2012, although E.On officials have said they would like to see it done prior to the end of this year — which they said remains a possibility.

"It's really rewarding for us any time we can come into a local community, especially a place where we've been for a couple of years, and watch a project go from idea to reality," said Patrick Woodson, chief development officer for E.On. "It's been really great working with this area, and we've been really happy with how they've treated us. We're excited to be a permanent fixture in this community."

The delivery of components for the wind turbines — which span 400 feet from the ground to the tip of the blade — started Monday, said Woodson, as semitrailers delivered the first blade, rotor and shaft to a "laydown yard" on U.S. 45 south of Loda. The laydown yard is where components are being delivered and stored before being transported to the individual turbine sites.

How soon the first turbine is installed depends on the weather and "how quickly we can keep the construction on pace," Woodson said. "In the next couple of weeks, we could see progress."

Workers have spent the past couple of months upgrading township roads to a condition necessary to handle the heavy equipment, Woodson said. Access roads have also been built off of those township roads, linking the roads with the turbine sites.

Recently foundations for the turbine were poured, as well.

"We've got a number of foundations that are under way, several of them complete," Woodson said.

The project is being done in phases to "minimize the disruption to the local area," Woodson added.