By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
Under the radar, something happened last week that could send shockwaves through the renewables’ industry – in a good way.
MidAmerican Energy, a division of Berkshire Hathaway Energy (Warren Buffet’s joint), filed an application with the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to establish ratemaking principles for a 591 MW. By itself, the application is unremarkable, but as usual, it’s the details that make this deal stand out.
If approved, the wind farm would allow MidAmerican to become the first utility in the country to be powered 100% by renewables in just three years. by 2021 to be exact. That’s potentially a huge development and one that could signal that the renewables revolution has finally arrived.
That it could happen in Iowa first would only be slightly surprising. After all, the state has been slowly but steadily growing a huge wind industry despite, if you’ll pardon the pun, strong political headwinds. And its politicians – even national ones like Senator Chuck Grassley (a staunch solar opponent but wind supporter) – have recognized the huge role renewables are playing in the state and have done (and are doing) things to make sure the renewables industries in the state continue to grow.
But what makes the transition to renewables truly fascinating is the effects it could have on other utilities in the Midwest. Utilities like First Energy (last seen fighting a rear-guard action to save its failing coal plants). Or Xcel Energy, currently pushing community and utility-scale solar hard in Minnesota. Or DTE Energy and Consumers Energy in Michigan – both of whom have pledged to be coal-free by 2040 and powered by 50% renewables by the same date. Or Illinois, where we will be later this week, which just passed its Long Term Renewables Resources Procurement Plan to focus the state on building its renewable energy infrastructure.
In other words, change is coming to the the Midwest faster than anyone could ever have imagined, and a positive decision in the MidAmerican Energy case could accelerate the timeline even more quickly.