MidAmerican Energy is seeking approval from the Iowa Utilities Commission to build two new electric producing projects.
MidAmerican spokesman Geoff Greenwood says one is a solar energy project across six sites in Iowa with the goal of producing up to 800 megawatts of power. “We are looking for the ability to serve customers during times when they really need energy, and these are times, largely during summer months, particularly when it’s a hot, hot day outside in the middle of summer, we need extra generation,” Greenwood says.
They have sites in Mills, Sac, and Johnson counties for the solar project, but have not yet identified the other three sites. They are also not revealing the proposed cost of the solar project. The other project is two natural gas-fired combustion turbines in Adair County at a cost of $650 million that will generate 465 megawatts of power “We’ve been able to meet our customer demands, and we’re looking at that every day. Not only what do we have to offer, but what does the future look like? Well, the future looks like there is going to be more and more demand for electricity here in Iowa, and we’re trying to meet that demand as it grows,” he says.
Greenwood says the growth in demand is from both residential and business use. “You know, we’re seeing more growth here in Iowa, which is a good problem to have. Yes, we’re seeing data centers as well. But really in America, we’re seeing more electrification. So we’re seeing more and more future energy demand, electricity demand, that is,” Greenwood says.
Greenwood says the new turbines would be a short-term supplemental power source. “This is not going to be a daily energy source. This turbine project is really designed to be used about ten percent of the year, only during those peak times when our customers really need that energy the most,” Greenwood says. Greenwood says both projects are part of the company’s long-term plan to provide enough electricity to customers.
He says the cost to build the projects will be decided in the process with the Iowa Utilities Commission. “There won’t be any immediate impact to a customer bills, but it would be included as part of a future rate case. Should we get to that point,” he says. MidAmerican is asking for approval of the solar project by August and if approved Greenwood say they would start construction next year and have them operating in 2027.
MidAmerican Energy Company, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, serves 829,000 electric customers in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota.