American Wind Energy Association taps Iowa state legislator to lead policy in Midwest and Plains

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently announced that it hired Jeff Danielson as its new Central Region Director.

Danielson will lead AWEA’s state policy advocacy efforts across the Midwestern and Plains states.

Before joining AWEA, Danielson served as an Iowa State Senator for 15 years, worked as a professional firefighter with the City of Cedar Falls, and worked as an adjunct professor of public policy at the University of Northern Iowa. Previously, Danielson served in the U.S. Navy for six years.

“I’m proud to announce an exciting new chapter in my career, even as two wonderful chapters of public service come to a close,” Danielson said. “Above all, I’d like to thank the citizens of Cedar Valley for allowing me to serve them for so many years in the State Senate and the Cedar Falls Fire Department.”

AWEA defines the “Central Region” generally as states West of Ohio and East of the Rocky Mountains. The area has been called the American “Wind Belt” because it is home to the largest share of U.S. installed wind capacity.

Wind farms generated 37 percent of the electricity produced in Iowa in 2017, the largest share of any state. Wind power employs approximately 8,000 Iowa workers, and the state’s wind industry represents more than $14.2 billion in private investment. Wind energy provides land lease payments totaling $20-25 million each year for Iowa farmers.