MidAmerican Energy Co. provided its Iowa customers with 51.4% of their energy from renewable sources last year, the Iowa Utilities Board verified in an order filed recently.
The number reflects the amount of renewable generation – as a percent of total retail energy delivered – that MidAmerican provided to its customers in Iowa in 2018. The renewable energy percentage rose slightly from 2017, and MidAmerican expects it to continue to increase. Meanwhile, the company says it will not seek rate increases as it completes additional projects.
“Providing 100 percent renewable energy annually to our customers is part of MidAmerican Energy’s vision to be the best. We’re on track to do that in the next several years while still keeping rates low,” says Adam Wright, MidAmerican Energy’s president and CEO. “Access to clean energy, combined with low rates and high reliability, helps drive Iowa’s economy.”
MidAmerican Energy’s GreenAdvantage program, available at no charge, quantifies the amount of renewable energy that electric customers can claim. The program enables businesses, especially those that emphasize clean energy, to claim the verified percentage of energy they receive to help them meet corporate sustainability goals.
Last year, MidAmerican Energy announced its latest wind energy project, called Wind XII, which is now underway. The company expects to complete the project late next year. According to MidAmerican, Wind XII will help move the company closer to being the first investor-owned electric utility in the nation to generate renewable energy equal to 100% of its customers’ usage on an annual basis.
“We continue to work hard every day to add clean wind energy because our customers want it,” Wright adds. “And we’re building it at no net cost to them while providing substantial and lasting economic benefits to Iowa communities.”
Through 2018, MidAmerican had invested approximately $9.9 billion in wind projects in Iowa.
