MidAmerican Energy plans 1050 MW of wind power

• 10 years ago (2013-05-09)
• Junior Isles

Renewables 752

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MidAmerican Energy Co. plans to erect 656 wind turbines, generating up to 1050 MW, in Iowa by the end of 2015 in a $1.9 billion project. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has said it will be the largest economic development based investment in the state’s history.

MidAmerican’s project is scheduled to start late 2013, with an eye to completion in 2015, and will create 460 construction jobs over a two-year period and an estimated 48 permanent jobs in Iowa.

The expansion aims to be built at no net cost to MidAmerican customers and will help stabilise long-term energy rates by providing a rate reduction totalling $10 million per year by 2017, commencing with a $3.3 million reduction in 2015, according to CEO of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., Greg Abel.

The project hopes to allow 39 per cent of MidAmerican’s Iowa retail generation output customers to be supplied with electricity entirely via wind. The expansion will also reduce the company’s carbon footprint by 10 per cent.

Since 2004, MidAmerican has installed 1267 wind turbines in Iowa, a total investment of about $4 billion.

MidAmerican Energy, Iowa’s largest energy company, will own and operate about 3335 MW of wind generation capacity in Iowa by the end of 2015, if the project goes through.