wind energy

Biden administration to speed up environmental permits for infrastructure project approvals

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Eleanor Hildebrandt | May 16, 2022

The Biden-Harris administration vowed to speed up the construction of bridges, roads, and wind farms last week. Officials said they are looking to make permit approval easier without jeopardizing the necessary environmental standards for such projects.

The administration announced the goal during a press call on May 10. The new permitting plan officials are proposing would consolidate decision making to reduce the number of federal permits necessary to break ground. White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Brenda Mallory also said the new system would establish stronger timelines and tracking for projects while engaging in “meaningful outreach and communication” with states, tribes and local governments before a project begins. Mallory said a goal of the adaption is to use existing agencies’ resources to prioritize permit reviews and approvals.

Samantha Silverberg, White House deputy infrastructure implementation coordinator, said the switch will encourage states, tribes, cities, and private companies to work on new infrastructure projects using the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law which passed in 2021. Permitting delays tend to deter projects in various communities across the U.S.

The administration said alterations in permitting from the federal government will not sacrifice any environmental standards. Jason Miller, the deputy director for management for the Office of Management and Budget, said the plan can and will speed up permitting without costing the environment.

“This plan explicitly rejects the tired view that there’s an inherent tradeoff between permitting efficiency — doing permitting in a timely and predictable manner — with permitting effectively, ensuring the best outcomes for the community and the environment,” he said.

MidAmerican Energy proposes $3.9 billion renewable energy project

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Via Flickr.

Eleanor Hildebrandt | January 21, 2022

MidAmerican Energy unveiled a $3.9 billion renewable energy project this week, announcing plans to explore new technologies to decrease the company’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The energy company filed the proposed project with the Iowa Utilities Board on Wednesday. The “Wind Prime” plan would add 50 megawatts of solar generation and 2,042 megawatts of wind generation in Iowa. The plan would push forward renewable energy goals for the company. According to the Corridor Business Journal, MidAmerican Energy has invested nearly $14 billion in renewable energy projects across the state.

President and CEO of MidAmerican Kelcey Brown said in a press release that the company is working toward delivering 100 percent renewable energy to its customers.

“We are also preparing to meet an important milestone of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,” Brown said. “The ‘Wind PRIME’ project will position us and our customers for a sustainable future, while ensuring we continue to deliver affordable and reliable energy.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds supported the plan in the company’s press release. She said MidAmerican is a part of why Iowa is a renewable energy leader. The plan includes funding to examine new clean energy technologies in Iowa alongside wind and solar energy generation. “Wind PRIME” will strive to reduce carbon emissions. MidAmerican hopes the $3.9 billion project will allow the company to hit net zero for its greenhouse gas emissions. If the Iowa Utilities Board votes in favor of the project, the company plans to complete construction on its projects in under three years.

The Majority of Iowa’s Energy Now Comes from Wind

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Josie Taylor | April 12, 2021

The proportion of Iowa’s energy that comes from wind is at almost 60%, the highest in the United States. 

Iowa added around 540 wind turbines this past year, despite the global pandemic, bringing the total number of wind turbines in the state to almost 5,900, according to the American Clean Power Association.

Some parts of Iowa have already made it far above 60%. In the Des Moines metro area, wind supplies more than 80% of its energy, which is 19% higher than in 2019, according to Mid American Energy. 

Although wind is Iowa’s main energy source, solar energy is expected to increase dramatically in Iowa’s future. Seven large solar projects already under development in the state, and they will add roughly 1,740 megawatts to the grid once completed.

President Biden has set a goal for the nation to reach 100% sustainable energy use by 2050 through wind and solar energy. For Iowa, this is a very attainable goal. Sustainable energy has been on the rise in Iowa for the past decade. Coal supplied 71% of Iowa’s energy in 2010, and it now supplies only 22%. 

Iowa continues to lead the nation in sustainable energy production, and the increase in sustainability isn’t projected to stop any time soon. 

Iowa GOP Lawmakers Push to Block Eminent Domain for Wind Farms

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Via Flickr

Nicole Welle | August 3, 2020

Three GOP members of a legislative rules review committee are looking to block the Iowa Utilities Board’s move to allow developers to condemn property for wind and solar farms.

Sens. Waylon Brown, Zach Whiting and Mark Costello announced their opposition Friday. They believe that the rules giving the Iowa Utilities Board jurisdiction over the siting of renewable energy facilities and the state the ability to overrule local zoning to allow developers to condemn private property for approved projects are administrative overreach, according to an Iowa Capital Dispatch article.

Some wind companies raised concerns over changing policy that has enabled an economic surge in the past. They also worry that some projects already underway could be stalled. Midamerican Energy, however, testified that the rule should include eminent domain if the state is going to govern siting.

The controversial rule has split environmentalists. Some believe it will help to push renewable energy development forward, but others worry that it could increase development time and cost. If the committee approves a session delay, the Iowa legislature will have the chance to consider the rule before it takes effect.

The Iowa Utilities Board Approves the Cardinal Hickory Creek Transmission Line for Renewable Energy

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Nicole Welle | June 1, 2020

The Iowa Utilities Board issued an order approving the Iowa portion of the Cardinal Hickory Creek transmission line last week.

This line will increase the amount of renewable energy able to access the power grid in the Midwest. The line will stretch approximately 102 miles from Dane County, Wisconsin to Dubuque County, Iowa and cross the Mississippi River. The Iowa side of the line is about 14 miles long, according to an ATC news release.

These improvements to the power grid will increase service reliability, enable the expansion of wind energy in the Midwest and provide economic benefits to the state of Iowa. It will also allow over 5,000 megawatts of renewable energy to enter the grid, and the subsequent expansion of wind energy in the state will increase land lease payments to farmers and revenue to local governments, according to an Iowa Environmental Council news release.

The line’s Mississippi River crossing raised some concerns over impacts on fish and other wildlife. However, the necessary regulatory approvals have been obtained from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and those in charge of the project kept environmental impacts in mind when choosing the location of the crossing.

Construction of the line will begin in the spring of 2021, and it is set to go into service in 2023.

Wind Energy Outpaces Coal in Iowa’s Energy Usage

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Maxwell Bernstein | April 24, 2020

Wind energy is now the largest single source of electricity in Iowa, according to a press release from the American Wind Energy Association. Iowa generated at least 10,000 megawatts of wind energy, which accounted for at least 40% of Iowa’s total electricity in 2019. 

In 2018, coal was the primary fuel for Iowa’s electric grid and accounted for 45% of energy production in the state but was declining according to The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The 2018 report showed that Iowa had the second highest share of wind turbines for any state, where 4,700 wind turbines produced 34% of the state’s total electricity.

Coal produced 33% of total U.S energy related CO2 emissions in 2018 according to an EIA report. Wind energy does not produce emissions but does have issues related to noise production according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. These noise issues do not affect health and can be mitigated by technological advances and community planning. 

The rising use of wind and solar energy in our power grid reduces cost, reduces heat trapping emissions that contribute to Earth’s warming climate and improves public health, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

The Iowa Environmental Council Strives for 100% Renewable Energy in Iowa by 2050

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Nicole Welle | April 23rd, 2020

The Iowa Environmental Council released Tuesday a report called “Iowa’s Road to 100% Renewable“. The report lays out the steps necessary for Iowa to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, a goal that many other states across the U.S. have already set for themselves in recent years.

The IEC concluded that, by 2050, Iowa will need to generate 30,000 to 61,000 MW of wind and 5,000 to 46,000 MW of solar energy to fully transition to renewable sources. The state currently generates 10,000 MW of wind and 110 MW of solar energy.

That sets a wide range, but the IEC analysis incorporated 12 studies on renewable energy growth with a variety of unknown variables. Electrification of fossil fuel sectors, like transportation, may increase exponentially by 2050, resulting in a higher demand for electricity. This, along with the current rate of general increase in electric demand, could alter the amount of renewable energy Iowa requires. The report also considers studies that incorporate the possible use of nuclear power and carbon capture and storage as additional renewable energy options.

Iowa is currently one of the country’s leading producers of wind energy. According to an article posted by T&DWorld, Iowa generated 41.9% of its electricity using wind in 2019. However, continued growth of wind energy necessary for the plan’s success will require increasing support from Iowa’s government and residents.

Some support has waned in recent years. Renewable energy tax credits have reached their capacity, according to The Iowa Utilities Board, and some Iowans have become wary of the number of wind turbines dotting the countryside across the state. Public concern over the land and resources required to expand wind energy production is a hurdle that must be faced before the goals outlined in “Iowa’s Road to 100% Renewable” can be reached.

Governor Reynolds declares Iowa Wind Week on Fairgrounds

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Tyler Chalfant | August 13th, 2019

Governor Kim Reynolds proclaimed the week of August 11 – 17 to be Wind Week in Iowa, in recognition of the growing role wind energy plays in the state’s economy. The ceremony was held on the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Monday, and the governor commemorated the event by signing a 150-foot-long wind turbine blade.

This is the third year the American Wind Energy Association has hosted a nationwide American Wind Week, after wind power became the country’s largest source of renewable energy capacity. Last year, 14 other governors across the country joined Governor Reynolds in signing proclamations of the event. 

With over 5,000 turbines, Iowa ranks second in the nation, behind Texas, in wind capacity, at 8.3 gigawatts. Wind turbines are expected to account for 40% of the energy produced in the state by next year. With ten different factories across the state, 9000 Iowans are already employed in the production of wind turbines.  


According to Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham, the amount of renewable energy produced in Iowa is also a major draw for consumers and businesses in the state. “It’s one of the many reasons sustainability-minded businesses like Facebook and Apple and Google have chosen Iowa,” said Durham.

Bloomberg visits Iowa for politics, protests and the planet

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Michael Bloomberg in 2008 (Flickr). 

Julia Poska| December 6th, 2018

On a tour to premiere a new film on climate change, multi-billionaire and presidential hopeful Michael Bloomberg made three stops this week: New York, London, and Iowa.

The film, titled “Paris to Pittsburg,” is a response to President Trump’s plans to pull out of the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement. It features the efforts of individuals who have taken it upon themselves to fight climate change in the absence of government urgency. Iowans Dan and Faith Lutat of the Iowa Lakes Community College are featured as faces of the college’s wind turbine and energy technology program.

Bloomberg chose to visit Des Moines Tuesday in part to recognize the state’s efforts in renewable energy. He wrote in a Des Moines Register Guest column, “Iowans understand what too many leaders in Washington don’t: Fighting climate change is good for our health and our economy. ” According to him, if every state installed as much wind power as Iowa, the offset carbon emissions would almost bring the U.S. to its Paris Agreement goals for 2025.

He also visited the swing-state to test the waters for a potential run for presidency in 2020. Throughout the day he visited different parts of the state to talk renewable energy and gun control. Well aware of Bloomberg’s political motive, Left-wing protestors joined the screening audience to question the environmentalist’s stance on social issues such as stop-and-frisk  policing and his own billionaire status.

Bloomberg Philanthropies produced the film in partnership with award-winning company Radical Media, and National Geographic will officially broadcast it Dec. 12.

Wind energy continues to be a competitive and growing industry

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Wind turbines are an increasingly common site along rural Iowa roads. (Samir Luther/flickr)

Jenna Ladd | September 12, 2017

The recently released 2016 Wind Technologies Market Report found wind energy to be a competitively priced and growing part of the U.S. energy picture.

According to the annual U.S. Department of Energy report, wind energy is expected to continue being a cheaper option for consumers than other energy sources. Without figuring in federal tax credits and state-run programs, wind energy costs an average of 5 cents per kilowatt hour whereas a highly efficient natural gas power plant charges consumers an average of 5.4 cents per kilowatt hour.

The authors also found that wind turbines erected in 2016 are taller and more powerful than in years past, allowing them to generate more energy. In the last five years alone, the generating capacity of individual wind turbines has increased by 11 percent.

About 8,203 megawatts of new wind energy was added to the U.S. energy portfolio in 2016, which made up 27 percent of energy infrastructure additions last year. Twelve states now produce more than 10 percent of their energy with wind while Iowa and South Dakota remain the only states that generate upwards of 30 percent of their energy with turbines. Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa have the highest wind-capacity nationwide.

The entire U.S. Department of Energy Wind Technologies Report can be read here.