SOLAR ENERGY

SOLAR ENERGY. Due to a drop in the cost of solar energy, a proposed solar array constructed in Dubuque beginning in 2016 would be the largest single site in the state of Iowa, according to officials with ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION. The two sites, which would span 32 acres at two spots in Dubuque, could be operational by the end of 2017. One of the sites would be located on 26 acres just west of Dubuque's industrial parks, and the other closer to downtown, on the site of the old A.Y. McDonald foundry. (1)

The project in Dubuque will provide a blueprint for how solar energy can best be used across the state of Iowa. Both of the sites, a growing industrial site and a vacant former industrial site, were very common in Iowa. By developing these two sites, the company hoped to learn how to develop sites like that across the state. (2)

The site located closer to downtown will also provide a more strategic outcome for both Alliant and the city. When completed, the entire system, operating in ideal conditions, could generate four megawatts of energy, or more practically, power more than 500 homes each year. The cost of the project would be Alliant's, and that it would not cost the city any out of pocket expenses. (3)

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1. Hanson, Brad. "Proposed Dubuque Solar Array Would be the Largest in the State," KWWL.com, June 23, 2016. Online: http://www.kwwl.com/story/32296895/2016/06/23/proposed-dubuque-solar-array-would-be-largest-in-state