Certificates required to begin construction of facilities in Linn County

(Des Moines) – The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) issued two orders today and certificates of public convenience, use and necessity for three companies’ separately proposed solar electric generating facilities in Linn County, Iowa.

The projects and their respective dockets are:

• Coggon Solar LLC, GCU-2021-0001 - A 100 megawatt solar generation facility to be located approximately 2.75 miles west of Coggon, Iowa
• Duane Arnold Solar, LLC, GCU-2021-0002 - A 50 MW solar generating facility near Palo, Iowa.
• Duane Arnold Solar II, LLC, GCU-2021-0003 - A 150 MW solar generating facility and 75 MW (300 MWh) battery energy storage system near Palo, Iowa.

Generating certificates are required under Iowa Code chapter 476A before construction can begin on a facility. The generating certificates issued today become effective in 14 days, subject to the conditions set forth in the IUB’s July 26, 2022, order filed in the dockets.

Coggon Solar filed its application with the IUB on March 31, 2021, and the IUB approved the application on October 22, 2021, providing that Coggon Solar obtain all necessary zoning approvals and other permits, and not rely on the IUB’s approval of the application or Iowa Code § 476A.8 to avoid obtaining authorization from the county zoning authority. The Linn County Board of Supervisors previously issued a final zoning decision, approving Coggon Solar’s request. 

Applications were filed for both Duane Arnold solar projects on November 2, 2021. On July 26, 2022, the IUB approved the applications; however, at that time, the companies had not received county zoning approval for the proposed projects. The IUB withheld the certificates to both companies to ensure construction did not begin until after Linn County had issued a final zoning decision under the county’s utility-scale solar installation ordinance. The Linn County Board Supervisors later approved the companies rezoning requests. 

Today’s orders and all other documents are available for review in the IUB’s electronic filing system under Docket Nos. GCU-2021-0001 for Coggon Solar, GCU-2021-0002 for Duane Arnold Solar, and GCU-2021-0003 for Duane Arnold Solar II.