The Iowa Environmental Council reports that Invenergy is proceeding with solar panel projects totaling 1,800 megawatts at 12 Iowa locations. Linn, Dubuque, Winneshiek and Johnson counties have the most solar installations, according to the council.
Invenergy reports 53 wind, solar and battery projects producing 7.1 gigawatts; and another 50-plus gigawatts under development.
Invenergy has built and contracted 17 projects in Iowa.
The company’s holdings include wind turbines including Sheldon and Adair counties in Iowa, and Henry County in Illinois.
Tamara Browning, Reporter
A county outreach representative with an energy company in Chicago will present to the Muscatine County Board of Supervisors plans for a 200-megawatt solar project in the Atalissa area.
Merlin Bartz with Invenergy of Chicago formally introduced himself to the board of supervisors during its regular meeting on March 3.
Invenergy is a privately held developer and operator of clean energy solutions, its website said. It has 206 projects in operation, in construction and contracted with over 33,500 megawatts in the Americas, Europe and Asia. There are 53 solar projects with 7,119 megawatts.
“I believe I’ve met all of you informally,” Bartz said. “As many of you know, through informal conversation, we’re proposing a 200-megawatt solar project in the Atalissa area of Goshen Township. We’re at that point where, based upon conservations with you, we would like to come and do a formal presentation to the board.”
Bartz proposed to the board delivering a presentation either on Monday, March 24, or Monday, March 31.
“The 24th would be our preferred, but certainly, we would work with the board,” Bartz said. “We’d probably want about 20 minutes for a formal presentation, and go into Q & A.”
Because the public hearing on the fiscal year 2025-2026 Muscatine County proposed tax levy will be on Monday, March 24, at the conclusion of the board of supervisors’ regular meeting, the consensus from the board was that the solar project presentation could be given on Monday, March 31.
“I’ll take that message back,” Bartz said.
Board of Supervisors Chairperson Nathan Mather asked Bartz to submit written materials to the board the Friday before the meeting in which Bartz will give the presentation. Board member Jeff Sorensen explained the notice process.
“We will publish our agenda, and there’s a pretty good list of folks that see that, so if there are people that are interested that might be wanting to attend,” Sorensen said. “I would expect that there will be a fairly good crowd here. We’ll typically have, for these types of things, 30 to 40 people in the chambers for that.”
In other action, the board:
Approved an application for a fiscal year 2025-2026 Iowa Byrne Justice Assistance Grant in the amount of $33,915.
Approved 12 events at Ardon Creek Winery where on-site sales and consumption will occur and over 35 people are expected.
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