Iowa may have the reputation for wind power but a new study shows output from Wisconsin wind farms is about on-par with those in the Hawkeye State.
The head of Renew Wisconsin, which authored the study, was surprised by the similarity. “We expected a bigger gap,” says Executive Director Michael Vickerman.
The group analyzed production figures from wind energy projects owned by Wisconsin utilities and found “no significant difference” comparing wind farms in the neighboring states.
Vickerman says Iowa’s reputation comes from a friendly industry climate toward wind energy, making it a “fairly easy” enterprise. He says likewise the Badger State needs to develop statewide wind siting standards. Such rules have been proposed but rejected by Republican state leadership.
A shaky regulatory environment has resulted in more than one wind project changing their mind about setting up in Wisconsin.
