Iowa's Wind Power Boom
Iowa is tops in the nation when it comes to satisfying electric demand with renewable and it is poised so get greener, said Mike Fehr MidAmerican Energy senior vice president of renewable generation and compliance.
MidAmerican serves customers in Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska in addition to Iowa. In Iowa, 84 percent of electric needs are met with renewables, primarily wind. Fehr talked with the Grid Talk podcast, smartgrid.gov/gridtalk.
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In two decades, coal generation as a percent of load was cut from 70 percent to 24 percent by the utility.
“I think it’s going to be really exciting to see all of these different technologies that are really pretty early, kind of in their infancy, competing to fill in that gap that’s created when you get too reliant on just renewables,” he said.
“Which of those technologies are stepping up and really being able to be the economic solution to ensure reliability in a grid that has more and more intermittent generation?” he said.
Transmission will also have to evolve.
“I think the transmission grid itself is going to have to become more robust so I think we’ll really see large investments in transmission,” he said. “If it’s windy in one part of the energy market and not very windy in another part of the market, you can get a more stable level of production within the market even from just the intermittent generation.”?
Director Operations at People, Energy & Polic
3 年Odd, that Marty doesn't mention Liberty utility, which has been so agressive in renewables. 100 % a few months ago? D
Mentor, Masters of Arts in Jewish Professional Studies Program at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
3 年Interesting, it seems as we drove through Illinois that there are more wind fields there over the last few years as well.