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Media Contact: NextEra Energy Resources, LLC |
Central Iowa Power Cooperative |
Audubon, Iowa - State and local leaders and landowners joined executives from NextEra Energy Resources, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), and Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) to break ground on Iowa’s newest renewable energy project – the Heartland Divide Wind Energy Center. The project is expected to create hundreds of construction jobs and bring millions of dollars in economic benefits to the region.
“We look forward to delivering wind-generated clean energy to consumer-members within our electric cooperative member system,” said CIPCO CEO Bill Cherrier. “The Heartland Divide Wind Energy Center helps CIPCO provide our members with the balanced energy portfolio we know they want. Among electric cooperatives, CIPCO and our members are proud of our 60 percent carbon-free, emission-free portfolio. We’re also thrilled about the economic impact a project of this scale has to members’ local communities.”
CIPCO will purchase 100 percent of the energy produced by the Heartland Divide Wind Energy Center, or 103.5 megawatts, representing CIPCO’s largest wind energy project to date.
The Heartland Divide Wind Energy Center will provide an economic boost for Audubon and Guthrie Counties, creating approximately 200 jobs during the construction phase this year, and up to five full-time jobs to support the project once it becomes operational in December 2018.
The project is expected to provide more than $40 million in property taxes to Audubon and Guthrie Counties over its first 30 years of operation, and more than $16 million in payments to local landowners.
“This project represents more a than $155 million investment in Iowa,” said Mike O’Sullivan, senior vice president of development for NextEra Energy Resources, the world’s largest generator of renewable energy projects from the wind and the sun. “The Heartland Divide wind project is expected to deliver millions of dollars in additional revenue to landowners and local communities as it generates clean renewable energy for CIPCO.”
An affiliate of NextEra Energy Resources will build, own and operate the project. The energy will serve customers of CIPCO through a 20-year power purchase agreement.
The Heartland Divide Wind Energy Center will feature 43 GE wind turbines designed to pivot to capture the prevailing wind and convert it to clean, renewable electricity.
"We are excited to see the Heartland Divide Wind Energy Center being built in Audubon County," said Rick Thompson, Audubon County Supervisor. "This project has already created a great deal of enthusiasm and positive economic activity in our community. The extra tax revenue it generates will go a long way to help our county enhance our schools, roads and essential services."
Wind energy represents a clean, renewable source of energy that creates no greenhouse gases or other air pollutants, uses no water resources to generate electricity and creates no waste by-products.
About NextEra Energy Resources
NextEra Energy Resources, LLC (together with its affiliated entities, "NextEra Energy Resources"), is a clean energy leader and is one of the largest wholesale generators of electric power in the U.S., with more than 19,000 megawatts of net generating capacity, primarily in 32 states and Canada as of year-end 2017. NextEra Energy Resources, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest operator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. The business operates clean, emissions-free nuclear power generation facilities in New Hampshire, Iowa and Wisconsin as part of the NextEra Energy nuclear fleet, which is one of the largest in the United States. NextEra Energy Resources, LLC is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE). For more information, visit www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.
