Governors' Wind Energy Coalition

Alliant Energy said its Iowa company wants to invest $890 million to add 500 megawatts of wind energy, generating enough juice to power 215,000 homes.

The company received approval last year to build 500 megawatts in Iowa. Combined, the two projects would total $1.8 billion, said Interstate Power & Light, Alliant’s Iowa company.

The Cedar Rapids utility seeks approval for the project from the Iowa Utilities Board.

“Iowa is a renewable energy powerhouse because of companies like Alliant Energy plugging into our state,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds in a statement.

Alliant said the “fuel cost-savings and tax credits more than offset the cost of project, resulting in net benefits to our Iowa customers.”

The utility said it expects to get more than one-third of its Iowa energy mix from wind by 2020.

Iowa received 36.6 percent of its total energy generation power from wind last year, more than any other state in the nation, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“Iowa has seen tremendous benefits from the expansion of the wind energy industry in our state,” said Bill Northey, Iowa’s agriculture secretary.

Alliant said the two wind projects will create hundreds of jobs and generate “tens of millions of dollars in additional property taxes and payments to landowners.”