Gov. Chet Culver, D-Iowa, has signed two bills designed to expand Iowa's wind energy industry. Senate File 456 utilizes unused tax credits to promote small wind energy projects across the state. House File 817 provides economic incentives for wind component manufacturers who are looking at building or expanding in Iowa.
‘Today's a great day in Iowa in the realm of renewable energy,’ says Culver. ‘At this very moment homes and businesses statewide are being powered through, clean energy produced by the wind. Iowa is proving that an energy-independent future is within our reach.’
Iowa currently ranks second in wind energy production, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Iowa has 1,999 wind turbines that produce nearly 2,800 MW of electricity each year.
The state also is home to five major wind energy component manufacturers – Acciona, Clipper, Siemens, TPI and Trinity towers – with 2,300 green-collar wind energy jobs created in recent years.
SOURCE: Office of Gov. Chet Culver
