Renewable energy is a hot topic, which is why MidAmerican Energy’s $3.6 billion investment plan to help fund what would become the nation’s largest wind energy facility is a big deal.
The proposed 2000-megawatt Wind XI project would surpass California’s 1,548- megawatt Alta Wind Energy Center as the largest in the country and would be a huge step in the right direction for the company’s 100 percent renewable energy goal, according to The Huffington Post.
The Iowa wind farm would use 1,000 turbines and would be the largest economic development project in the state's history. When completed, Wind XI would put Iowa on the path to becoming the first state in the country to generate more than 40 percent of its energy needs from wind power. It is currently the only state to have crossed the 30 percent mark.
The project would also add more jobs to a state that already supports over 7,000 wind power jobs. Across the country, wind power currently supports 88,000 jobs; a record and a 20 percent increase over 2015 figures.
The company is still waiting for the Iowa Utilities Board to give its approval to move forward with the project. If that occurs this fall, Wind XI could be completed as early as 2017 or 2018.
