Talk:Wind power in Iowa

2011 End of year installed capacity projection

The 'nearly 4400 MW' was based on completion before end of 2011 of several projects that were scheduled by then, even though the completion of some projects has not yet been confirmed. Here's the math:

3708 - End of Q3, included completion of 29.9 MW Mid American's Pomeroy project
 444 - Rolling Hills w.f., Massena
 120 - Laurel w.f., Laurel
  79 - Gamesa's Pomeroy project
  41 - Elk w.f (RPM Access) in eastern IA. (completion announced)
----
4392 Total

Some smaller, sub 5 MW project may have also been completed, as these aren't generally newsworthy. --Aflafla1 (talk) 19:02, 14 January 2012 (UTC)

Update

AWEA 2011 Quarter 4 report came out several days ago listing Iowa having 4322 MW installed capacity at the end of year. Sources say Mid American's projects (R.H.,Laurel,Pomeroy) were all on line by end of 2011. AWEA's report lists a handful of single turbine installations in Iowa. So apparently Gamesa Energy's project wasn't online by the end of year. But having driven by it in late December, I know that the towers and turbines are all up and it looked like construction was complete; there were no cranes or equipment sitting around. So I'd expect it will be online soon, if it's not already. 4322+79 = 4401 MW. --Aflafla1 (talk) 17:56, 29 January 2012 (UTC)

2012 Installation projection

Mid American Energy has purchased 3 projects from developers totaling about 405 MW. They're also adding 1 (count it, one) turbine to the Rolling Hills project. That brings their project total to: 593(2011) + 405 + 2 = 1000 MW, which is the amount they were authorized to construct by Iowa PUC (see article). Alliant also plans to build 100 MW farm this year. RPM Access, has several sub-100 MW projects going on, so expect about 600 MW of additions in 2012. Good to see Clipper Windpower getting back into the game after some rough times. 4401+600 = 5000 MW --Aflafla1 (talk) 17:56, 29 January 2012 (UTC)

Articles indicate the Lundgren project south of Fort Dodge will also be built this year. This is a 250 MW enXco project, I believe. Adding that, it comes to 5250 MW at end of 2012. --Aflafla1 (talk) 07:43, 12 February 2012 (UTC)

The new Rippey wind farm SE of Grand Junction appears to be online as of the end of September. This is a 50 MW project developed by RPM Access. Construction of the wind farm near Gladbrook is underway. Also northwest of Grand Junction is a completed 5 tower project. I think those are the 100 M towers. The Lundgren project is not being built this year. --Aflafla1 (talk) 23:20, 25 September 2012 (UTC)

End of year 2012 Capacity reported by AWEA and 2013 projections

This author is in doubt of the capacity numbers reported by the AWEA for the end of year 2012. As mentioned above, I've accounted for about 600 MW of capacity additions in Iowa for 2012, while the AWEA reported 1100 MW. Where the other 500MW came from, I don't know. I've not heard or read of any other major additions than the ones mentioned above. Also, as of this date, the reported wind generation is more in line with having had about a 10-15% increase in capacity, not the 25% increase as reported by the AWEA. Me thinks that the capacity increase that AWEA reported for the 4th quarter 2012 was in reality the increase for the entire 2012 calendar year, meaning AWEA double counted the additions of the first three quarters.

Er wait a minute 5137-4400 = 737, not 1100. Additionally found Franklin Cnty wind farm of 99 MW, + one 4.5 MW farm. Still this falls a bit short of what AWEA says.

How much you wanna bet AWEA doesn't report state's total capacity numbers at end of 2013?

For 2013, no significant additions to Iowa's capacity are expected. Some of the capacity of Mid American's 5 new projects I expect to be online by end of 2014 (Wellsburg, Vienna expansion). But the Highland project in O'Brien county I expect will be completed in 2015. Reason being - lack of transmission capacity until the Brookings - Hampton segment of CapX2020 in Minnesota is completed, or the local demand (in Sioux City area) goes up with completion of a Fertilizer plant expansion. --Aflafla1 (talk) 02:41, 18 November 2013 (UTC)