In early 2024, it looked conceivable that a MidAmerican Energy wind farm in Woodbury County could become a reality.
But now, that project has been killed by MidAmerican Energy, a county official reported on Tuesday.
At the end of the Woodbury County Board of Supervisors meeting, Chairman Dan Bittinger announced MidAmerican and also NextEra Energy will not proceed with projects for wind renewable energy.
Over the months the wind farm was being pitched, Siouxland Public Media News spoke with supporters and opponents of the project in Woodbury County.
Some people were concerned that wind turbines would be located near acreages, so after a series of hearings, the setback distance was increased to 2,500 feet from private property.
MidAmerican touts wind energy as a useful renewable energy. As of 2024, the firm had 3,400 wind turbines across 34 Iowa counties, which is “enough to power more than 2.4 million average households,” according to its website.
MidAmerican says it decides whether to continue projects after considering several factors including acceptance of the community and increases in costs.
The 170-megawatt wind farm was estimated to include up to around 60 wind turbines in rural Woodbury County.
