March 19, 2024

Mid-American Energy announces wind power commitment

Company to spend $3.6 billion on turbine operation

DES MOINES — A major announcement Thursday by one of Iowa’s largest energy companies could have an impact on Jasper County industries.

Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy Company announced its plans to spend $3.6 billion on a wind turbine operation that would generate enough energy to power about 800,000 Iowa homes — an effort officials called the largest economic development project in state history.

Bill Fehrman, the utility’s CEO and president, announced the company’s 11th wind project at an event on the Iowa State Fair Grounds attended by Gov. Terry Branstad and other state officials. Branstad thanked company leaders for their unprecedented investment, calling the project a “major milestone” in Iowa’s rapidly-growing wind energy industry.

The announcement was the latest effort by Branstad to promote wind energy. Earlier this year, he pointed out Iowa, which also has wind-industry equipment manufacturing plants such as TPI Composites, Inc. and Trinity Structural Towers of Newton, is getting more than 31 percent of its energy from wind — more than any other state in the country.

“Once the project is complete, the state will be on track as the very first state in the nation to generate more than 40 percent of our energy from wind power,” Fehrman said.

The utility will create wind energy that equals 85 percent of its annual customer sales in Iowa with the completion of the project, according to Fehrman. MidAmerican is the state’s largest utility.

“Our company has a very bold dream and that dream is to someday deliver 100 percent renewable energy to our customers,” he said.

Company officials didn’t release where the roughly 1,000 turbines would be built, but said the utility will finalize locations while the Iowa Utilities Board considers the project. Fehrman said he hopes to have the project approved by mid-September, which would put MidAmerican on track to adding 2,000 megawatts of wind energy in the state by 2020.

The power company already has wind farms operating or being built in 23 out of Iowa’s 99 counties since the company’s first turbines were installed in 2004, Fehrman said.

State Rep. Dan Kelley (D-Newton)  serves on the House Environmental Protection Committee. He pointed out hundreds of the estimated 7,000 Iowa jobs in the wind energy industry are at Newton's two manufacturing facilities.

“This new investment in wind energy will keep Iowa a world leader in renewable energy, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, keep our environment clean, and create good jobs for Iowans,” Kelley said.

State Sen. Chaz Allen (D-Newton) also said he supports wind energy job creation.

The latest project proposal will employ 1,100 construction workers along with about 95 permanent workers, Fehrman said. The company is not asking for state aid to help fund the project, and Fehrman said it won’t come at the cost of customers, either, relying instead on existing federal tax credits.

Clean energy advocates applauded the company’s efforts following the announcement.

“MidAmerican made clean energy history today,” said Bruce Nilles, the senior director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, “Iowa’s and MidAmerican’s rapid transition from dirty coal to affordable wind offers a game changing new model for how utilities will reach 100 percent renewable energy more quickly than anyone would have predicted.”

TPI Composites Inc. personnel could not be reached for comment by presstime.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121
ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com