Iowa electric provider announces plans for solar farm

An electric provider in Iowa has announced plans to build a solar farm.

The Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) plans on building the facility near Coggon, which is in Linn County, according to local CBS affiliate KCCI in Des Moines.

The solar farm is expected to begin operating in 2022 and will create 350 construction jobs at its peak, according to KCCI. It’s expected to add 100 more megawatts of power to CIPCO members.

Bill Cherrier, CEO of CIPCO, told the news outlet that across the United States, operators are making additions in solar and wind power.

“We’re seeing wind and solar being some of the largest additions in capacity for utilities across the United States right now, so CIPCO is not going this alone,” he said. “We see a lot of the other utilities in Iowa going in the same direction.”

He added that CIPCO is investigating “heavily” into renewables because, “We believe it’s great for the environment, but we’re doing it on a cost-effective basis.”

The deal comes after CIPCO began constructing a solar power farm south of Wapello. The 100-megawatt farm has over 300,000 panels and covers 800 acres in Louisa County, according to The Associated Press.

The Wapello facility began delivering power to the Iowa grid last month, AP reported.