Iowa enjoys inspirational progress within wind energy industry

By Sioux City Journal

---

The first of 260 Storm Lake Wind Power Facility turbines was erected in September 1999 in the Buena Vista County community of Alta, population 1,847. It was an unlikely, yet auspicious moment, signaling the beginning of a change in the state of Iowa and the power industry.

Some 12 years later, Iowa has become one of the nation's leaders in wind energy. In fact, the state's 2,800 wind turbines can pump out 4,375 megawatts - second in the nation only to Texas' 10,000 megawatts.

And while we appreciate and support the push to diversity our nation's energy base with wind power, the megawatts aren't the only thing electric about this burgeoning industry. Wind energy now supports more than 3,000 jobs in Iowa, a combined payroll of some $70 million.

If that doesn't blow you away, consider this: It's likely only the beginning.

As schools like Sioux City's Western Iowa Tech Community College and Estherville's Iowa Lakes Community College expand to offer degrees and training for the industry, even more young Iowans will have a new reason to stay at home: Jobs. And high-paying jobs at that.

Why Iowa? Good question. In an eight-part series, the Journal and Lee Enterprises' other Iowa news outlets examined how the industry got started and where it's going. The short answer to “Why Iowa?” is simple: We got it. And we got it early.

The project in Storm Lake began the same year as a similar effort in

Lake Benton, Minn. Both communities were early adopters, taking advantage of potent wind resources.

But Iowa didn't stop at being first. We wanted to be the best. With land available, key investments were made early. Farmers began to see having a wind turbine “as just having a different kind of crop,” according to Elizabeth Salerno, a key executive with the American Wind

Energy Association. Iowa also became a leader in attracting companies that manufacture parts for turbines and other wind energy machinery.

According to the AWEA, in fact, Iowa has seen more than $5 billion in capital investment in the last 10 to 15 years, from the development of wind farms to the opening of new manufacturing facilities. Currently, some 200 Iowa companies are involved in the wind industry in some fashion, located in 56 of Iowa's 99 counties.

The push to add jobs continues. While job growth has slowed in other areas, we're still seeing employment growth in component manufacturing. In fact, Sioux City has been working to land a prominent wind manufacturing company for its Southbridge Industrial Park.

Wind energy isn't a panacea. If Iowa wants to grow its economy, it must focus on attracting a diverse set of businesses, but the progress we've made with wind energy is nothing short of inspiring.

If these are the winds of change, we're happy to enjoy the breeze.