Which States Use the Most Renewable Energy… And How They Made it Happen
Which state makes 15 percent of its electricity entirely from wind power?
Iowa. In 2006, according to the Iowa Utilities Board, wind power provided 5 percent of the state’s electricity. Now, just three years later, Iowa produces between 15 and 17 percent of its own electricity from wind power.
MidAmerican Energy, Iowa’s biggest utility, pays farmers $3,500 a year (plus 2% increase annually) to rent locations for 102 wind turbines. To scout the best locations, they paid $5 an acre to survey likely farmland, and will pay $10 an acre per year to keep those options open for future additional wind turbines.
Photo: Sonia Fridman
[...] The concept has been proven. The Alabama Electric Cooperative in Alabama now has 20 years of experience with a 100 megawatt CAES system. A major new project is being backed by the DOE in Iowa, which gets 15% of its electricity from wind. [...]
[...] more highly regulated under the bill than now. Business as usual would end. Like utilities in the Renewable Portfolio Standards states do now, they would have to buy more renewable energy like solar and wind. They would not be able to [...]
[...] Iowa leads the US in the percentage of wind power on the grid. The local utility companies pay area farmers royalties of $3,000–5,000 per year so huge wind turbines can share their vast farmland acreage and feed the power to the grid. The arrangement has been so successful that 15% of Iowa’s power now comes from wind. [...]
These Iowa turbines are really cool. I drive by them about 6 times a year and its pretty awe inspiring. They are right next to the interstate between Omaha and Des Moines and are freaking HUGE! They are out there away from the cities and don’t bother anyone but they look surreal at dusk.
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[...] the Navy uses 17% renewable energy (about like Iowa and even better than California), but they plan on achieving a faster reduction and a much tougher goal that that [...]