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
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August 31st, 2009 at 1:20 pm
[...] 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. [...]
September 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
[...] 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 [...]
September 21st, 2009 at 9:34 am
[...] 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. [...]
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
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.
October 3rd, 2009 at 5:47 am
[...] Articles: 1) Which States Use the Most Renewable Energy… And How They Made it Happen 1) International Wind Power Business Acquisition — Confidence in the US 2) Renewable Energy on [...]
October 18th, 2009 at 3:05 am
[...] 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 [...]
December 6th, 2009 at 11:30 am
[...] Timely Stick: Ruling CO2 a Public Danger Before Copenhagen Climate Decision : CleanTechnica on Which States Use the Most Renewable Energy… And How They Made it HappenNanofarming Offers a Kinder, Gentler Way to Get Biofuel from Algae : CleanTechnica on Biodiesel [...]
December 31st, 2009 at 9:10 am
[...] entirely by renewable energy functions when the proportion of electric vehicles increases. Iowa is 15% wind powered and Fox Island off of Maine is 100% wind powered. That would be a good site for the [...]