February 29, 2012
Iowa

Tama County’s first wind farm on the way

By John Speer - Editor , Toledo Chronicle, Tama News-Herald, www.tamatoledonews.com 28 February 2012

Tama County’s large-scale wind energy farm is moving forward. The Tama County Board of Adjustment approved plans for the Vienna Wind Energy Project on Friday, Feb. 24, according to Bill Christensen, county zoning administrator.

He said the Board of Adjustment approved conditional use permits for ITC?and MidAmerican Energy for substations, towers and turbines all to be located in Spring Creek Township, west of Gladbrook.

Christensen said 20 wind turbines are planned for Tama County and 35 in Marshall County as part of the Vienna Project. He said soil stability can result in some change or shift of locations for the turbines so the exact number in each county could vary.

The ITC?portion of the substation will be located at 1911 Abbott Ave. and the MidAmerican substation will be at 1007 190th St. Towers for each will also be built at these locations.

Last month, MidAmerican Energy, Des Moines, said it had reached agreement with RPM?Access to acquire the103.5-megawatt Vienna wind project. It is one of three Iowa wind energy projects MidAmerican will have underway.

RPM?Access says on its website its “is in the business is the development and selling of large scale, utility grade, wind generation projects in the Midwest.”

According to a company news release, MidAmerican Energy began installing wind turbines in 2004 and is No. 1 in the nation in ownership of wind-powered capacity among rate-regulated utilities.

It was also announced last week Siemens Energy, headquartered in Orlando, Fla., has been contracted to provide what are described as SWT-2.3-108 wind turbines for the Vienna project.

Siemens has manufacturing plants at Ft. Madison and Hutchison, Kan. Siemens said the nacelles and blades for all three Iowa projects this yar will be built at these company plants.

443.9-megawatt Rolling Hills wind project, located in Adair, Adams and Cass counties.

29.9-megawatt Pomeroy wind expansion project, located in Pocahontas and Calhoun counties.

Traer Municipal Utilities installed a 1,5000kw turbine in October, 2011, to provide about 30 percent of its needs launching commercial wind power in the county. There have a few installations for private use mainly in agriculture.