20% of Iowa's Electricity Generated by Wind Power

The state of Iowa has been steadily increasing its wind power capacity over the last several years. A press release from this year says that up to 20 percent of Iowa’s electricity is produced by wind. The document is from the Iowa Policy Project.

The organization’s director, David Osterberg said of the trend, “In the last two years, Iowa added 2,500 megawatts of wind turbine capacity, and now has wind capacity nearly six times the size of Iowa’s lone nuclear plant.” Electricity prices in Iowa are also below the national average even though they have been investing in renewable technology, says the press release. About five percent of Iowa’s electricity was generated by wind power in 2006.

The state is not finished with its wind power growth. There is much more wind potential to be harvested according to research from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory showing, “roughly three-quarters of Iowa has high enough wind at 80 meters above the ground to produce wind energy.”

An American Wind Energy Association report on Iowa stated at the end of 2009 the state had 3,670 megawatts of wind power. The total wind power potential is vast, a research study concluded over 4,000 percent of Iowa’s current electricity use could generated. It also said between 5,000 and 10,000 jobs are directly and indirectly related to wind energy production there.

Seventy-five percent of Iowa’s electricity is generated by coal-fired power plants. The state also has one nuclear power plant.

Image Credit: Andrea Pkryzwinski

Read more: Community, Conscious Consumer, Life, solar-power

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Chad A.

6:12AM PST on Feb 20, 2012

I always feel a thrill passing by the huge wind farms in Iowa.

send a green star

Douglas S.

9:39AM PST on Jan 16, 2012

Good start

Richard E C.

9:45PM PST on Jan 21, 2011

Sounds wonderful!

Robert E.

4:57PM PST on Nov 28, 2010

The oil co's make billions each qtr.Gasoline is way too hi due
to the hi price of manipulated oil prices.The supreme ct has
given them pwr to control our elections insuring their continued
rip off of the avg american.They can give unlimited funds to
sponsor trash talk ads.Its using our money to tell us who to
vote for.

Penelope P.

5:20AM PDT on Oct 24, 2010

goodie

Ruth R.

11:06PM PDT on Sep 20, 2010

go solar go, the way to go Iowa, may you keep on going with solar, especially as much as possible made in the U.S.A.

Lupe G.

12:15PM PDT on Aug 17, 2010

It will be interesting to see how this business moves along; how many other things we'll learn as it grows.

Kim S.

12:38AM PDT on Aug 14, 2010

I want to see more of this...more wind and solar power. I'd also like to see a positive effect on my utility bill -- or not. What's really important is sustainability and freeing ourselves from the bonds of oil.

Past Member .

10:44PM PDT on Aug 13, 2010

this is the perfect example of change and hope....within ten years iowa can be completly renewable energy...independence....alas!

Crystal B.

1:28PM PDT on Aug 11, 2010

I wish more states could make this claim. We don't have to be so dependant on fossil fuels.