Wind Power Will Blow Past Iowa’s Emissions Targets

Some states complain that the new clean-air standards are too onerous and expensive to meet.  Other states run right past those goals and set much loftier milestones.  Think about the cities and states we profiled recently who said "the heck with it;  we are going for 100% renewables within a few decades".

Here's another good example of true leaders in investment, innovation and dedication to change.  Sure, Iowa has good wind resources, and a lot of land to host turbines.  But, all states, all communities, all nations have resources and can invest heavily in reducing fossil fuel consumption.  What are they waiting for?

A new study has found wind power alone will put the U.S. state of Iowa on track to blow past carbon reduction targets set by the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) sweeping Clean Power Plan.

The nationwide edict establishes state-specific goals that would cut 2005 carbon levels from America’s power plants by 30 per cent by  2030.

According to a report released by the Iowa Wind Energy Association (IWEA), wind power in the state is expanding rapidly, and is easily the lowest cost option for meeting the state’s modest 16 per cent carbon reduction goal by 2030.

With an installed capacity of 5,600 MW of wind – accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the MW of wind – accounting for nearly 30 per cent of the Hawkeye State’s total electricity generation – Iowa is expected reach the halfway mark of its 2030 target by the end of next year.

The IWEA puts Iowa’s total untapped wind capacity at a staggering 570,000 MW and says the state needs to add just 74 MW of new wind to meet its EPA obligations. More than 6000 people are employed in Iowa’s $10 billion wind energy sector, and new wind totaling 635 MW/year came online over the years 2008 to 2015, the highest percentage of electricity by wind in the USA.

The study found this vast wind resource has the potential to transform the Iowan economy into a clean energy powerhouse and exporter of wind sourced electricity to neighbouring states to comply with their Clean Power Plan targets.

Property values for land hosting wind turbines soared through 2013 to $2.6 billion and landowners receive more than $16 million each year in lease payments from developers.

Key findings included Iowa meeting a more stringent greenhouse reduction target of 30 per cent instead of 16 per cent by adding just 210 MW/year of wind out to 2030.

Neighbouring Midwestern states – Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin – could meet 25 per cent of their EPA goals with wind exported from Iowa alone by building 17,000 MW (around 1100 MW per year) of capacity by 2030. This would offer a CO2 reduction of 30,000,000 tons by 2030, nearly 40 per cent of emissions from Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin combined.

Iowa’s Wind Potential For Addressing 111(d) Goals can be viewed in full here (PDF).

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