Two MidAmerican Energy wind farms begin operation in Iowa

MidAmerican Energy Company announced this week that it completed and entered into service two new wind farms in Iowa that have a total capacity of 338 megawatts (MW).

The Beaver Creek wind farm in Boone and Greene counties and Prairie wind farm in Mahaska County are part of the company’s Wind XI project. Beaver Creek has a capacity of 170 MW, and the Prairie wind farm has a capacity of 168 MW. The two new wind farms contain a total of 169 wind turbines. MidAmerican expects that the two new farms are projected will contribute a total of $62.4 million in property tax payments over the next 20 years.

The Iowa Utilities Board approved the farms in 2016, and construction began in the spring of 2017. The Beaver Creek wind farm entered service in the fall of 2017. The Prairie wind farm began generating electricity in the fall of 2017, with the final four megawatts put into service in January of 2018.

“We’re committed to providing reliable service and outstanding value to our customers, and wind energy accomplishes both,” Mike Fehr, vice president of resource development at MidAmerican Energy, said. “Wind energy is good for our customers, and it’s an abundant, renewable resource that also energizes the economy.”

With the new additions, MidAmerican Energy now owns and operates more than 2,000 wind turbines. The company expects that 90 percent of its customers’ annual retail electricity usage will come from renewables by 2020, as part of the company’s 100 percent renewable energy vision.