Wind Turbines Going Up for Chickasaw County Wind Energy Center

The first wind turbines have begun to go up as part of the Chickasaw County Wind Energy Center.

The project, to install 66 wind turbines across northern sections of Chickasaw County, is now owned by MidAmerican Energy, which purchased the wind energy farm from Chicago-based Invenergy, although the company will still be involved with construction. 

A handful of large cranes were set in place in early July to facilitate the erection of the wind turbines themselves. Isaac Lamppa with Invenergy says a turbine can be built in one day, if conditions are favorable.

While a single wind turbine can be erected in a day, it will take some time before all 66 turbines can be installed and become operational, according to MidAmerican Development Project Director Jared Noack.

Noack adds that the timeline for construction has not changed with the new ownership and the wind farm is expected to go online before the end of the year.

MidAmerican is Iowa’s largest public utility and the state’s largest owner of wind turbines, including 50 wind turbines in Floyd County on 16 acres south of Charles City.