MidAmerican Wind Energy

100.5-Megawatt Project Planned Near Walnut

For more information, contact:
Ann Thelen, Director of Media Relations, at 515-281-2785
Mark Reinders, Communications Manager, at 712-277-7866

DES MOINES, Iowa – (June 16, 2008) – Boosted by support for renewable energy from Iowa Gov. Chet Culver and other state officials, MidAmerican Energy Company is moving forward on development of another wind project in Iowa.

The company today announced plans for bringing 73 more units into service by the end of 2008. Advancement of the project follows approval from the Iowa Utilities Board.

Sixty-seven of the turbines are slated for placement in the northeast section of Pottawattamie County near Walnut. The remaining units will be added to the existing Pomeroy Wind Project in Pocahontas County.

With the new turbines, MidAmerican will have 800 wind turbines, totaling 1,231.8 megawatts of generation capacity, on-line at the end of the year. That addition will help maintain the company’s national ranking as the leading owner of wind generation capacity among regulated utilities.

“This expansion of wind generation by MidAmerican Energy is great news for Iowa,” said Gov. Culver. “Iowa is first in the nation in percentage of wind energy generated, and our leadership in the wind energy industry continues to grow. Iowa is positioned well to become the renewable energy capital of the nation, and Iowans should be proud to see companies like MidAmerican continue to step forward on a voluntary basis to help the state maintain its leadership role in renewable energy production.”

MidAmerican began building wind projects in 2004 and is expanding its wind generation capacity without impacting customers’ electric rates. The price of electricity per kilowatt-hour – the electric rate – for MidAmerican customers is lower today than it was in 1995, and the company has committed to keep electric rates stable for its customers in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota.

“MidAmerican is pleased to add new generation that uses noncarbon fuel sources,” said Bill Fehrman, president of MidAmerican Energy. “Gov. Culver and his administration have set high renewable energy goals for the state, and MidAmerican is excited to more than double its renewable energy capacity during his first two years in office.”

The expansion will feature General Electric 1.5-megawatt wind turbines. At the end of the year when 800 wind turbines are in service, MidAmerican’s fleet of wind-powered generation will produce approximately 1,231 megawatts of electricity, which is enough electricity to power approximately 425,000 U.S. homes.

In addition to the investment MidAmerican is making in noncarbon electric generation, the company also is investing approximately $400 million between 2004 and 2009 on environmental upgrades to reduce emissions at its power plants. When that work is completed, there will be a 44 percent reduction in emissions of nitrogen oxides, a 38 percent reduction in emissions of sulfur dioxide and a 35 percent reduction of mercury emissions from MidAmerican’s coal-fueled power plants.

Fehrman also noted the wind expansion project will provide a large economic impact for the area during the seven-month construction period and beyond. “There are numerous economic benefits on projects like these, including the capital investment by MidAmerican, construction jobs, long-term maintenance jobs, annual lease payments to farmers and long-term property tax revenues,” Fehrman said.

“Global climate change is a complex issue, and there are many factors over which the company has no control; however, we will continue to take responsible actions that help us do our part to move toward a lower carbon economy.”