Iowa may soon play host to the world’s largest wind farm, after Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) on Friday signed a measure that removes regulatory hurdles to clear the way for the project. MidAmerican Energy Co. expects to start construction in September of a 200-turbine facility in northern Iowa that would pump out 310 megawatts of electricity. Vilsack touts Iowa’s prospects for becoming “a national leader in wind-energy production,” and he hopes this project will open doors for wind-turbine manufacturing in the state. In other alternative-energy news, the U.S. Interior Department today plans to launch an initiative to spur geothermal-energy development in the West, particularly in California, Nevada, and Oregon.
