Primghar, Iowa — There are a lot of first places for MidAmerican Energy’s wind power in O’Brien County.
Of all the ways to produce power, the greatest amount of MidAmerican’s electricity generating capacity is now in the form of wind power. MidAmerican ranks number one in the nation in ownership of wind-powered generation capacity among rate-regulated utilities. MidAmerican’s Highland Wind Farm near Primghar, which is now approaching completion is the company’s largest wind farm to date. The Highland wind farm is part of MidAmerican’s “Wind 8” project, which is the largest wind project they have ever done, and it was the largest economic development project in Iowa history at the time it was announced.
Ruth Comer, spokesperson for MidAmerican Energy tells us more about the wind farm construction that is now wrapping up, and a new one, also in O’Brien County, which just getting underway.
She says that soon, they’ll have more wind generation capacity than coal, natural gas, or nuclear generation capacity.
She says O’Brien County has some of the best wind resources of any part of Iowa, and Iowa is a good wind state as well.
She says while there are always opponents to anything, they find a lot of support for wind projects in Iowa. She says they’re good for customers as they bring lower and more stable prices. They bring economic development in terms of jobs and property tax base, and she says wind-generated power is good for the environment.
