When the wind picks up, so does Iowa's electricity generation. See the daily changes
The equivalent of 1.8 million homes were powered by wind electricity generated in central Iowa on March 7.
Climate Central’s WeatherPower tool can forecast daily wind or solar electricity generation for states and showed that for March 7, 51,000 megawatt-hours of electricity was generated in central Iowa.
To put that in a different perspective, that’s 4.6 billion smartphones charged, according to WeatherPower.
Across Iowa, that number was 130,000 mwh for March 7, or the equivalent of powering 4.4 million homes, according to WeatherPower. One megawatt hour is equivalent to 1,000 kilowatts of electricity used continuously for one hour, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The average wind speed in Des Moines was 10.2 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Here’s how you can calculate how much electricity will be generated each day.
How much wind electricity will Des Moines and Iowa generate March 8 and 9?
The WeatherPower tool can generate several days’ worth of forecasts.
It expects energy production to more than double as wind speeds pick up. The site forecasts 120,000 mwh of wind electricity to be generated in central Iowa on March 8, or the equivalent of 4.1 million homes and 10.8 billion smartphones charged. Those numbers will drop on March 9, as it’s forecasted that 82,000 mwh of wind electricity will be generated.
Here’s how much wind electricity will be generated in Iowa March 8 and 9, according to WeatherPower:
March 8: 240,000 mwh, or 8.5 million homes powered
March 9: 160,000 mwh, or 5.7 million homes powered
What is the wind speed for Des Moines?
Expect winds of 16 to 18 mph with gusts as high as 26 mph on March 8, according to the National Weather Service. On March 9, expect winds of 13 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph.
How can I find out how much solar and wind electricity is being generated in Iowa?
Visit weatherpower.climatecentral.org and choose to see forecasts by state, TV market or county. You can also choose to show the equivalent of carbon dioxide emissions avoided, adjust your forecast period to up to two days out and more.
How much of Iowa’s energy comes from wind?
The proportion of Iowa’s energy coming from wind was nearly 60% in 2020 — the most in the nation.
The state gets more than 65% of its electricity from renewable energies, but a USA TODAY nationwide analysis found that at least 15% of counties in the U.S. have effectively halted new utility-scale wind, solar, or both — including several in Iowa.
More: US counties are blocking the future of renewable energy: These maps, graphics show how
Iowa counties with “significant impediments” to wind energy development included Adair, Dallas, Des Moines, Hardin, Madison, Page, Palo Alton, Tama, Union and Woodbury as of August 2023, according to USA TODAY.
These impediments contribute to difficulties in America’s efforts to reach its goal of 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035.
Paris Barraza is a trending and general assignment reporter at the Des Moines Register. Reach her at pbarraza@registermedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How to track how much wind, solar electricity was produced in Iowa
