A ceremony in northwest Iowa celebrated the raising of the first wind turbines in a 107 turbine wind farm near Shaller. MidAmerican Energy vice president Jack Alexander talked about the project. He says this “Intrepid” wind project will be located in Sac and Buena Vista counties, the other site is located in Wright and Hamilton county. MidAmerican president Greg Abel says the project will generate enough electricity to power 85-thousand homes. He says the project will result in significant long-term payments to more than one hundred landowners in the area, create 250 construction jobs and 20 permanent jobs. Abel says there are other benefits as well. He says situated in the fields of corn and soybeans, wind energy is clearly becoming a new cash crop for farmers. Abel says once the project is complete, wind, water and biomass will be the source of more than eight percent of MidAmerican’s electric generating capacity.
