Data centers and demands from increased reliance on artificial intelligence will further strain energy production across the country. For the past two decades, U.S. power consumption had been increasing at around 1% per year, according to the consulting firm, Grid Strategies.
However, the firm believes that new demand will necessitate 16% more electricity over the next five years.
Communities across the country are working to support projects to increase energy availability.
The Des Moines, Iowa, suburb of Norwalk (population of about 15,000) is working through the zoning process for a data center to add to the region’s production capability. This Axios story has some of the early details.
Many other projects are in the pipeline. MidAmerican Energy is planning a $600 million gas plant and 800-megawatt solar expansion in Iowa.
Here are several of the highlights, according to the company’s news release on February 17th:
· “…build a solar energy project across several sites in Iowa that is expected to generate up to 800 megawatts of power.”
· “…develop two natural gas-fired combustion turbines at one location in Adair County that will generate 465 megawatts of power.”
· “The 2025 Solar Reliability Project would complement MidAmerican’s vast wind fleet, providing increased energy at times when wind energy may be lower. Like wind, solar energy requires no fuel and helps to keep energy prices low for customers. The project is expected to produce enough energy to serve 144,000 typical homes while occupying about 4,800 acres of land.”
· “Under the proposal, MidAmerican would add solar installations at approximately six sites through 2027 and 2028. Collectively, the project would provide nearly $25 million in property tax payments and $270 million in landowner lease payments over the operational life of the project. Not all site locations have been finalized.”
The Des Moines Business Record has additional details on the expanded energy production, tax credits involved, and employment possibilities for the various initiatives. Read that here.
The Berkshire Hathaway owned company said that it serves 820,000 electric customers in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota, and 797,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reportedly identified several hundred energy projects that could get expedited approval from federal agencies.
There are more than 600 projects on this list. They include oil and gas pipelines, transmission lines, and methane-fueled power plants. There are some projects that don’t seem to have obvious connections to improving energy production. Those include a housing development in southern California and a gold mine in Idaho.
Here are states with the most projects listed on the Army Corp’s list, according to the Environmental Integrity Project:
1. West Virginia: 141
2. Pennsylvania: 60
3. Texas: 57
4. Florida: 42
5. Ohio: 41
