Overall, wind energy supplied 62% of Iowa’s electricity generation in 2022
August 30, 2023
Excerpt was written by Brittney J. Miller. Published by The Gazette.
More than half the energy Alliant Energy provided to Iowa customers in 2022 came from renewable energy — largely wind generation — the company reported Wednesday, mirroring a statewide and nationwide boom for wind energy production.
Alliant increased its wind energy production by 25 percent from 2021 levels, which boosted its overall percentage of renewable energy served to retail customers to about 53 percent in the state.
Alliant, which operates in Iowa and Wisconsin, is the third-largest owner-operator of regulated wind in the United States. The company currently is operating more than 1,300 megawatts of wind energy in Iowa.
“We are proud of our progress in delivering low-cost, clean energy to our customers while keeping customer affordability top of mind,” said Mayuri Farlinger, Alliant Energy’s vice president of customer and community engagement, in a statement. “Our extensive wind fleet and renewable energy portfolio allows us to continue delivering on our purpose to serve our customers using reliable, clean energy sources.”
Wind energy from all providers comprised 62 percent of Iowa’s electricity generation in 2022 — the highest in the nation, according to recently released U.S. Department of Energy annual wind market reports. This grew from 55 percent in 2021.
Iowa leads all states with its in-state wind energy sales, with nearly 82 percent of the state’s sold electricity coming from wind.
Last year, wind power represented 22 percent of new energy capacity in the United States, second only to solar. The sector grew with more than 8,500 megawatts of new generation installed, representing $12 billion in investment.
Brittney J. Miller is the Energy & Environment Reporter for The Gazette and a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.