(Radio Iowa) – Alliant Energy is seeking a construction permit for a project in northern Kossuth County that would add a battery storage system to the Golden Plains Wind Farm. Alliant Project Manager Justin Foss says the system would be between Lakota and Buffalo Center. “We are trying to urgently respond to rapidly growing demand on our system and the overall power grid a whole,” Foss says. The Iowa Utilities Commission approved the battery storage project this fall and Alliant is now seeking a local permit. If approved, construction would begin early next year.

The Golden Plains Wind Farm went online in March of 2020. Its 82 wind turbines are located in northern Kossuth and Winnebago Counties, producing around 200 Megawatts of electricity. That’s enough to power an average of 73,000 homes each year.