Alliant Energy announced today the company has entered into negotiations purchase the Eclipse wind farm under development in western Iowa’s Audubon and Guthrie counties near Adair. Alliant spokesman Scott Drzycimski says they’re negotiating to buy the farm from Clipper Windpower that will use
Clipper’s Liberty-series wind turbines. Drzycimski says the turbines are made in Cedar Rapids, so they’ll be using an Iowa product to produce renewable energy. Drzycimski says once everything is approved the turbines would be built in 2009 and begin operating late in the year. Drzycimski says Alliant is buying the project from Clipper and Clipper will install the turbines and operate them through the warranty period before Alliant takes over operation of the plant.
Drzycimski says this has the potential to become Iowa’s largest megawatt wind energy project. Drzycimski says they’ll start with the capacity for 100 megawatts of energy with the potential to expand to 200 megawatts. He says right now they’re just waiting in line for the wind turbines to be built, as there’s a waiting list for them. Drzycimski says this will give Alliant six percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Alliant Energy has approximately 538-thousand electric customers in Iowa.