DES MOINES – MidAmerican Energy reached a new milestone – delivering 100% renewable energy to serve its Iowa customers’ electricity usage last year, the company claims. In 2022, MidAmerican’s wind fleet generated more than 27,000 gigawatt-hours over the 12-month period, exceeding the total annual usage of the company’s Iowa customers.
The achievement was possible thanks to a record-setting wind resource in 2022 and MidAmerican’s decades-long commitment to investing in renewable energy on behalf of its customers. MidAmerican’s first wind farm became operational in 2004. Today, the wind fleet is comprised of more than 3,400 wind turbines at more than three-dozen wind farms across Iowa.
“It’s incredible to see the enormous amount of electricity that we’re now able to generate using renewable resources like wind and solar,” Mike Fehr, MidAmerican senior vice president of renewable generation and compliance, said. “Not only was it an extraordinary year for Iowa wind speeds, which continually exceeded predictions, but with high natural gas prices in 2022, it couldn’t have come at a better time for our customers.”
In addition to generating clean energy, wind is a zero-cost fuel that keeps MidAmerican’s current and future rates low. Earlier this year, MidAmerican customers realized lower electric costs thanks to wind generation in 2022. Overall, MidAmerican’s Iowa customers have the fifth lowest rates in the country among investor-owned utilities, and rates that are 39% below the national average.
MidAmerican has a diversified portfolio of resources, including wind, solar and thermal assets, which is the key to providing the reliability, affordability and sustainability that customers expect. Renewable resources allow MidAmerican to use thermal resources less and only when they are needed during periods of lower renewable generation production. A balanced portfolio means customers won’t pay higher prices when any one fuel cost goes up.
“Reaching the milestone of 100% renewable energy to serve our Iowa customers is just the beginning,” Fehr continued. “We continue to invest in new renewable assets to deliver our energy needs, including Wind PRIME, and we look to new carbon-free assets that will further diversify our fleet.”
