Alliant Energy announces major Iowa wind investment
Alliant Energy's Iowa energy company – Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) – is pursuing another major wind investment.
That investment will help power up to 430,000 homes in the Midwestern state, when combined with the company’s current wind expansions.
The energy company announced that they are seeking approval from the Iowa Utilities Board to add up to 500MW of wind energy in Iowa. A decision from the board is expected in early 2018.
A similar expansion was approved in 2016, and the combined projects represent a $1.8bn investment and add up to 1,000MW of new wind energy in Iowa.
"The customers and communities we serve will benefit from this cost effective clean energy," said Doug Kopp, President of IPL. "Our wind projects will help keep energy costs stable over the long-term for customers."
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The wind energy expansion, if approved and once completed, would mean that more than one-third of the energy Alliant Energy supplies to the state will be from wind energy by 2020.
"Iowa has seen tremendous benefits from the expansion of the wind energy industry in our state. We appreciate Alliant Energy continuing to invest in wind and other renewable energy sources to power our state," said Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.
Alliant Energy's wind expansion projects are expected to create hundreds of construction and other jobs while generating tens of millions of dollars in additional property taxes and payments to landowners.
"More wind expansion projects also mean more jobs for Iowa workers and a boost for rural areas of the state where farmers lease their land for wind turbines," Governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds said in a statement following the announcement.
"Local communities benefit too, getting significant property tax revenue to help build schools, repair bridges and hold the line on property taxes for businesses and families."