ELDRIDGE – Plans to bring a massive energy generating facility to prime farmland in rural Scott County met with plenty of opposition during a community meeting here Wednesday night, Jan. 21.
That proposed energy station will hurt great farmland in the area, make people sick, drop the values of nearby properties and have negative impacts on the environment. Those were the views of many people who oppose the energy generating facility project and who attended the meeting at the Scott County Library branch here.
The project – called the Hickory Grove Generating Station – has been proposed by Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO). It will go on 90 acres of agricultural land in Hickory Grove Township outside of Maysville, Iowa.
The energy station could cost $400 million to build and be complete in about four years, if approved. It will be a 240-megawatt natural gas-fired electric generating station and provide power to Iowans across 58 counties.
CIPCO is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative that generates and transmits wholesale electricity to 13 rural electric cooperatives and associations across Iowa, serving over 300,000 residents and businesses through a diverse energy mix, including wind, solar, coal, and natural gas.
CIPCO officials said the generating station is needed to meet the growing demands for energy in the state.
“This generating station is critically needed to meet the power demands of members today and for decades to come. …. It is designed to be available to run on short notice to provide energy and capacity when demand is high and when economics favor gas generation,” according to information from CIPCO.
Standing against project
During Wednesday night’s one-hour public meeting on a snowy night at the library branch, however, few appeared to agree with that view.
In fact, at one point a speaker asked audience members to stand if they opposed the Hickory Grove Generating Station project. It appeared that almost everyone there – which included more than 50 people – stood in opposition. Most of the people at the meeting are local landowners or would live near the proposed energy facility.
“This could be a Pandora’s Box to other electrical projects …. And it could destroy farm ground,” said Jill Stender Moore, an area resident and member of the Concerned Citizens of Scott County, Iowa. That grassroots group, which presented the Wednesday meeting, was formed shortly after CIPCO announced the project several months ago.
Members of the group said during the meeting they started organizing opposition to the energy project when it appeared CIPCO was trying to get a quick approval from the Scott County Board of Supervisors without any public input.
In a petition sent last October to the board of supervisors, the citizens group urged the county board to delay CIPCO’s request for a special permit to use for the thermal electric energy generation facility. The group also asked the county board to require CIPCO to disclose projected emissions, emergency protocols and local economic contributions.
During Wednesday’s meeting, several members of the Concerned Citizens of Scott County said they believe the board of supervisors will vote on the energy plant issue in the coming weeks. They hope people attending the Wednesday meeting will contact board members to voice their opposition to the project.
‘Preserve ag land’
That opposition to the energy plant was easily seen throughout the meeting. Group organizations put up several signs in the meeting room. Some of those signs stated: “Preserve our ag land. Say no to CIPCO,” “Stop Power Plant” and “Farm. Faith. Family. No power plants.”
Jerry Mohr is a member of the grassroots opposition group. He said the top goal of Wednesday’s meeting was to inform people about the project, and potential negative impacts of the plan.
“Our biggest concern is that they chose prime ag land to put this on. … Once that (land) goes away, it doesn’t come back,” he added.
Speakers and audience members also focused on other potential hazards that an energy generating facility could cause in the community.
Dr. Ross Burandt is a family medical doctor who lives in Eldridge. He told the crowd that when he heard about the project he was not initially opposed to it. In fact, he said he understands the need for economic growth and more energy.
He only became opposed to the station once he started doing his own research. Through it he discovered people who live near such energy plants suffer more adverse health issues. He told the crowd of a research paper where doctors looked at 15 years worth of data in New York state. It found that people who live near such energy plants are more likely to have asthma and other medical problems.
“Pollution doesn’t stop at property lines. … We deserve a method that doesn’t put pollutants in the air,” he added.
Dr. Burandt urged elected officials to put the health of local residents above all other concerns.
Show up, speak out
Maria Bribriesco, a member of the Scott County Board of Supervisors was at the meeting. She told the crowd she hopes some of the speakers will attend a board meeting to let supervisors know their views.
“It’s critical you show up and voice your concerns. … We need to hear from you,” she said.
During Wednesday’s meeting, other speakers added that many of their concerns are centered on the actions of the board of supervisors.
Linda Golinghorst, who led the meeting, said the Concerned Citizens group is focused on opposing a county ordinance change that would allow power plants to be built in rural sections of the county. If it is changed, it will open the door to the CIPCO project and perhaps other companies that want to build power facilities.
“If we start with this power plant, where will it stop? … We need your help,” she said.
Ms. Golinghorst added that CIPCO is requesting 90 acres of land for the Hickory Grove project. In her view, it doesn’t need nearly that amount of land. The company wants the 90 acres for a possible expansion of the energy facility in the coming years.
She said her fear is that the plant site outside of Maysville could eventually start to look like an industrial park.
Mike Meloy, an attorney who represents the Concerned Citizens group, asked the audience to get involved in opposing the power plant because it will harm many aspects of their lives.
“This power plant will change your lifestyle. … It will disrupt the way you live,” he said.
Mr. Meloy added that “according to some people, this is already a done deal. …. But we can fight this and we can win.”
About generating station
Here are some details about the Hickory Grove Generating Station provided by CIPCO:
- It will generate safe and stable power using efficient, powerful, simple-cycle combustion turbine equipment.
- Adding natural gas peaking generation will bring a responsible balance of economy, flexibility and dependability to CIPCO’s resource portfolio.
- Promote a positive impact on neighboring communities. CIPCO said it is committed to working with surrounding landowners and transparently addressing community concerns.
- The plant, if approved, is expected to go online in late 2029. Construction could begin in the spring of 2027.
- Constructing the plant is estimated to cost between $350 million to $400 million.
- The project should create 200 jobs during the construction phase. Then, five to seven permanent jobs at the facility.
- Provide a net output of 240 MW of electricity with around-the-clock capacity.
- Through member-owners, CIPCO provides electricity to 58 Iowa counties stretching from the southwest corner to the northeast corner.
