The Iowa Environmental Council and the Environmental Law & Policy Center have asked the Iowa Utilities Board to require MidAmerican Energy Co. to retire coal capacity equal to the capacity from its proposed Wind XII project.

The groups also recommended that MidAmerican plan a clean energy transition that includes wind, solar, storage, and programs in energy efficiency and demand response.

According to the testimony, the utility owns and operates five coal plants in Iowa with a total of 3,740 megawatts of nameplate capacity and is majority owner of the 725-megawatt Ottumwa Generating Station.

The Energy Information Administration lists MidAmerican as having the 19th-largest coal fleet of the 164 companies with at least 100 megawatts of coal generation, the groups reported. 

MidAmerican has a goal of 100 percent renewable energy. MidAmerican officials could not be reached for immediate comment.

“The state of Iowa and MidAmerican’s wind energy leadership is commendable,” said Josh Mandelbaum, senior attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center. “However, a comprehensive clean energy vision requires a plan for retiring dirty coal plants and replacing them with a diverse mix of renewable resources including wind, solar, storage, and energy efficiency.”

MidAmerican filed its proposal for Wind XII on May 30. Wind XII is a 591 MW, $922 million project that would be completed by late 2020.