MidAmerican plans 2GW-plus wind and solar project in the US

MidAmerican Energy has announced plans for a 2GW wind farm in the US as part of proposals for a $3.9 billion renewable energy project that will encompass wind, solar and “other clean energy technologies”.

The Wind Prime renewable energy project is planned to consist of up to 2,042MW of wind power capacity (2042MW Wind PRIME Wind PRIME (2042MW) OnshoreIowa, USA, North America Click to see full details) and up to 50MW of solar capacity, according to the company’s filing with the Iowa Utilities Board.

As part of its proposal, the firm said it will also conduct feasibility studies on other clean generation technologies, including carbon capture, energy storage and small modular nuclear reactors to help reach its transition to net-zero emissions.

If approved, the company plans to complete construction of the project in late 2024.

It is unclear whether US utility MidAmerican plans to develop Wind Prime in one stage or multiple stages or precisely where the project will be built.

Decarbonisation plans

MidAmerican serves approximately 1.5 million electric and gas customers across the US Midwest, including Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota. It said it had invested $14bn in renewable energy projects across Iowa since 2004.

It is not yet clear whether the company plans to finance and develop the wind farm alone or seek co-investors.

If the proposals are approved, the company estimated it would increase its delivery of renewable energy to its Iowa customers from 88%, currently, to 100%

It also said that completion of the project, “in conjunction with existing non-carbon resources”, would reduce CO2 emissions by 14 million metric tonnes, to 75% of 2005 levels.

Local benefits

The company estimated that the Wind Prime project would create more than a thousand full-time jobs during the construction phase and 125 more for ongoing operations and maintenance (O&M).

It said the project would also pay an average of $24m per year in local property taxes for its turbines and solar facilities and a further $21m, annually, to landowners for the right to build on their land.