Sprawling solar farm near Iowa City might be online in 2028

MidAmerican Energy has tentative plans to complete a solar energy project south of Iowa City that has faced significant delays.

The Solar Triangle project might span at least 900 acres and would produce about 150 megawatts, which would make it one of the largest solar farms in Iowa.

MidAmerican obtained an unspecified number of property agreements from the project's initial developer, Megawatt Photovoltaic Development Inc., in 2022. At the time, it was unclear whether MidAmerican would continue the effort as it awaited an evaluation by a Midwestern high-voltage grid operator.

But in recent regulatory filings, the company indicates the project is one of about six solar farms it seeks to build in the coming years that will generate up to 800 megawatts of electricity, with the potential to power about 144,000 typical homes.

"MidAmerican is in the early stages of development, which includes seeking land rights, conducting required transmission interconnection studies and proceeding with the permitting process at the county level," Geoff Greenwood, a spokesperson for the company, said of the Solar Triangle project.

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Megawatt is still involved in the project’s development, said Sean Kennedy, the company’s president.

“This is enough power for approximately 90 percent of the households in Iowa City or 44 percent of the households in Johnson County,” he told The Gazette.

If all goes to plan, construction might begin near Iowa City in 2027, and the site could be operational in 2028, Greenwood said.

The company seeks preapproval this year from the Iowa Utilities Commission for proposed electric rates and regulations for the solar projects, to ensure it can recoup the costs of constructing them.

MidAmerican identified the counties that might host two other solar sites — Mills and Sac counties — but is keeping others confidential for now "in anticipation of future negotiations," Greenwood said.

Much of the company's electric service areas lie in the western half of the state, but it serves customers in Davenport, Iowa City and Waterloo. Alliant Energy, which serves Cedar Rapids, has a heavier presence in Eastern Iowa.

MidAmerican also seeks to build a natural gas power plant in Adair County to be operated sparingly during periods of peak demand. The company estimates it would operate for a little more than a month each year.

The company anticipates accelerated electrical demand growth in the near future and is proposing the solar and natural gas projects to meet that need. It has identified nuclear power as a longer-term solution.

The increased demand is partly a result of massive data centers that are being built in Iowa. Two are planned for Cedar Rapids, and NextEra Energy is seeking to restart its shuttered nuclear power plant near Palo, which has the theoretical capacity to produce about 615 megawatts of electricity.

Comments: (319) 368-8541; jared.strong@thegazette.com