HOLSTEIN, Iowa (KTIV) – MidAmerican Energy held a meeting Wednesday afternoon with residents in Ida County, to talk about the expansion of MidAmerican’s wind turbine project.
The company wants to add 8 to 16 more wind turbines to the over 200 turbines already built in Ida County during previous projects.
The company is looking for landowners interested in having turbines placed on their property.
Kelsy Ballard, MidAmerican’s director of project development, said the company wants to add more turbines to meet the growing need for energy in Iowa.
“It’s a relatively small project where there are already turbines and infrastructure,” said Ballard.” We’re really able to make the most out of the infrastructure that we have in the county, the relationships that we have in the county and bring forward a small project that is an incremental addition, but has some really good benefits to landowners and to the Community and those added tax benefits.”
Many of the people at the meeting oppose more wind turbines. They claim they pose a danger and are a nuisance.
Janet Volkert, a resident of Ida County, said the turbines aren’t worth it.
“We don’t want them,” said Volkert. “We see the bad sides of it, and we don’t believe what MidAmerican says. We’ve seen that many times.”
MidAmerican said it takes the concerns of the community members seriously, and the company hopes it can gain community support for the project.
The public meeting was the first step required by the Ida County wind ordinance.
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