The drive across Iowa’s nothing special. Like many places in the Midwest, the Interstate routes through the path of least resistance, so there’s not much to see except farmland.
Driving east into Des Moines a few years ago, I saw an incredible site. Dozens of massive, a couple hundred feet tall, soared out of the green and gold Iowa farmland and spun lazily on a relatively calm day. It reminded me of the massive array of wind turbines I’d seen on the big island of Hawaii a few years prior. I asked a few questions upon my arrival and learned Iowa was an early leader in capturing wind energy.
Now, Iowa gets 20% of its power form wind. According to Chris Gaul of the National Renewable Energy Lab, that’s enough to displace 6 million tons of coal a year (500 trainloads). That’s an awesome savings all because of wind. It’s with us everyday. If you live on the Great Plains (or in tornado-stricken Alabama or Missouri), you know its destructive power is swift and frequent. Thanks to Iowa, we now also know that its constructive power can change the way we create energy.
