GREAT PATHFINDER WIND PROJECT PROFILE
Apex Clean Energy is currently operating Great Pathfinder Wind in Boone and Hamilton Counties, Iowa.
PROJECT SUMMARY
- Project size: 224.4 MW
- Produced approximately 589,000 MWh annually of clean energy, supporting Meta’s operations in the region, including its data center campus approximately 40 miles away in Altoona, Iowa
- Displaced over 587,000 metric tons of CO2 in the last year, the equivalent displaced by over 581,000 acres of U.S. forests
- Existing high-voltage power lines and highways limit the need for new infrastructure
- Up to 15 full-time jobs created for operations and maintenance
WHY BOONE AND HAMILTON COUNTIES?
Great Pathfinder Wind represents a significant private investment in Boone and Hamilton Counties, boosting the local economy by bringing sustained tax revenue to the county for the local government and schools, as well as 30 years of local purchasing, employment, and investment.
The project site was selected by Apex Clean Energy after a thorough examination of many candidate sites within Iowa for the following reasons:
- Verified wind resource
- Existing high-voltage power lines
- Expansive private land
- Proximity to state highways
WIND ENERGY FOR RURAL AMERICA
The cost of wind energy has dropped more than 50% over the past five years, providing a cost-competitive source for clean electricity across the nation. Wind powers the equivalent of 20 million American homes each year.* Wind energy comes with many benefits, including reduced pollution, increased domestic employment, consumer cost savings, water conservation, nationwide availability, and increased community revenues.** Wind turbines compliment working farms, because they allow for existing agricultural operations to continue around them. They also help farmers by diversifying the rural economy and providing a consistent, drought-resistant new harvest.
*AWEA, Wind Energy Facts at a Glance, March 2015
**Department of Energy, Wind Vision: A New Era for Wind Power in the United States, 2015