Upon securing necessary permits including approval from the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), the company will start construction work on the projects in spring 2016.
MidAmerican Energy president and CEO Bill Fehrman said: "Wind continues to be a factor in keeping our customers’ electricity rates among the lowest in the nation."
"We are very excited about building additional wind farms that will produce clean, carbon-free energy."
The projects, which will produce clean, carbon-free energy, are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2016.
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad said: "Thanks to our low electricity prices and commitment to renewable energy, major tech companies and other energy-intensive businesses are interested in locating and expanding facilities here, which is good economic news for all Iowans."
The company intends to invest in wind power in order to reduce its reliance on coal, which helps protect customers from rising costs associated with meeting stricter environmental standards.
Fehrman said: "Once the proposed projects are completed, we’re projecting that 57%of our total retail load could be served with energy from these turbines.
"This puts us in a strong position to comply with future carbon emissions limits without placing the significant financial burden of that compliance on our customers.
"Over the next 30 years, an estimated $1.5 billion in property taxes and lease payments will flow to local communities as a result of our wind projects."
MidAmerican has invested approximately $5.8bn building wind projects in Iowa since 2004.
With the addition of the two projects, the company’s total wind generation capacity will be more than 4,000MW and investment will raise to nearly $6.7bn.
Image: MidAmerican seeks to invest in wind power generation in order to reduce its reliance on coal. Photo: courtesy of dan/Freedigitalphotos.net.
Â
