By DOUG SCHMITZ

Iowa Correspondent

WAPELLO, Iowa — A major Iowa energy provider is partnering with an Idaho private developer to operate the state’s – and one of the Midwest’s – largest proposed solar projects, set to operate on an estimated 800 acres of land-leased farmland in Louisa County, south of Wapello.

“The reason it’s the first of its kind is because it’s being developed by a private development corporation, not a utility,” said Angela Shipley, executive director of Louisa Development Group at the Iowa State University Louisa County extension office. “The proposed project is considered a solar farm, with panels being placed into the ground.”

Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), which serves, with its members, more than 300,000 Iowans in 58 counties, will purchase 100 percent of the energy and capacity output for 25 years from Wapello Solar, a 100-megawatt solar facility.

“The initial decision to choose (the estimated 800-acre site) was based on the partnership with Central Iowa Power Cooperative,” Shipley said.

In addition, the project, named Wapello Solar, will be served by Eastern Iowa Light and Power, a member cooperative of CIPCO, which has offices in Cedar Rapids, Creston, Des Moines, and Wilton.

Bill Cherrier, CIPCO CEO and executive vice president, said energy from Wapello Solar will be produced during daily and seasonal peak demand times. “This is an innovative way for us to offer reliability and efficiency to CIPCO’s energy portfolio,” he added.

Boise, Idaho-based Clenera LLC will develop and operate Wapello Solar, which will retain all associated renewable energy credits.

“Together with our suppliers and technology partners, we’ve dramatically reduced costs and now see interest in projects extending to places that before now did not expect to see competitive prices from solar projects,” said Jason Ellsworth, Clenera co-founder and CEO.

“These projects are quiet neighbors that provide consistent, stable power at a fixed low rate, allowing organizations like CIPCO to better serve their members.”

Shipley said the estimated 800 acres do not belong to any one farmer, since several landowners are involved in the project. “Some of these landowners are Louisa County farmers, and some live outside of the county. Very early on, a meeting was held for landowners in the potential site radius to explain the proposed project.”

While she didn’t know the exact acreage since the proposed project is still in the final planning stage, she said no formal permitting has been officially filed with Louisa County.

“No land has or will be sold for the solar project, as far as I’m aware,” she said. “This would be a land lease arrangement. All land continues to be owned by the original landowner and is being farmed and/or consistent with past use, to my best knowledge.”

Shipley said since the estimated 800 acres have been designated for the solar project (although the exact number has not been finalized), some farmland will be taken out production.

“It’s not all farmland,” she said. “The location is quite sandy. Some farmland is currently being used, but the extent (of land to be used for the project) has not yet been determined. No land is firmly leased yet.”

She doesn’t know at this point whether the farmland will be a net loss for landowners. Moreover, since the proposed project has not yet been finalized, the estimated cost has also not been determined.

This is the second major generation project announced in the past several months by CIPCO, as the cooperative recently announced a 60-MW project to repower the Summit Lake Generating Station in Creston, Iowa. The project includes demolition of its 70-year-old steam plant and installation of efficient natural gas-fired reciprocating engines by late 2022.

These announcements come on the heels of actions this summer by NextEra Energy Resources and Alliant Energy, which petitioned the Iowa Utilities Board to close the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) in Palo in 2020, 14 years before the plant’s operating license would expire.

CIPCO is 20 percent owner of the DAEC, and receives 20 percent of its generating capacity from there.

The completion date for Wapello Solar is slated for December 2020.