The Wind Boom In Iowa Gets Bigger

Iowa reaches new high mark for wind energy; Alliant, MidAmerican Energy expanding major projects

Erin Murphy, October 28, 2016 (Des Moines Gazette)

“…Wind energy provided 35.8 percent of the electricity generated in Iowa in the year spanning August 2015 to July 2016…That’s the highest percentage ever for Iowa, which has the highest [percent of wind energy in its electricity mix] in the nation [and Kansas and South Dakota are next at just more than 25 percent. In 1983, Iowa approved] the first state renewable energy requirement, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, authored the federal tax credit for wind energy production…Iowa is second in the country to Texas in [total] wind energy production, with installed capacity of more than 6,000 megawatts, which is enough electricity to power the equivalent of more than 1.6 million average U.S. homes…Texas’ capacity is more than 18,000 megawatts…Nearly $12 billion in capital investment on wind energy projects has been made in Iowa and the industry supports roughly 7,000 jobs, according to the [most recent market report from the American Wind Energy Association]…” click here for more

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