DES MOINES, Iowa – MidAmerican Energy Company, Cyclone Sports Properties, Iowa State University Athletics and ITC Midwest LLC announced that Iowa’s wind energy will be showcased at tonight’s football game against the University of Texas at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames.
Cyclone Sports Properties will use renewable energy certificates from MidAmerican Energy’s Pomeroy wind farm, located in Pocahontas County, Iowa, to offset greenhouse gas emissions associated with the energy consumption of a typical game at Jack Trice Stadium.
The event is designed to educate fans about wind energy. MidAmerican Energy and ITC Midwest are joining Learfield Sports’ Cyclone Sports Properties, Iowa State’s athletic multimedia rights holder, as corporate sponsors for the awareness campaign. Both Iowa and Texas rank within the top three states in the U.S. when it comes to total wind-powered energy generation.
“MidAmerican Energy is No. 1 in the U.S. among rate-regulated utilities in terms of wind generation ownership,” said Adam Wright, vice president of wind generation and development, MidAmerican Energy. “Approximately 30 percent of MidAmerican Energy’s portfolio consists of wind-powered generation and, with our most recent expansion announcement, that number will increase to 39 percent by year-end 2015. We’re proud to partner with ISU athletics to provide football fans with an opportunity to learn more about wind energy.”
The campaign will be promoted through more than 30 affiliates on the Cyclone Radio Network, in-game videoboard messaging, and a brief on-field recognition ceremony.
“As an electric transmission company, ITC Midwest plays a part in making sure all power generators, including Iowa’s wind farms, have access to the regional electric transmission grid,” said Doug Collins, president, ITC Midwest. “This partnership is another way to draw attention to the role electric transmission and wind energy play in Iowa’s economy.”
MidAmerican Energy currently owns and operates approximately 2,285 megawatts of wind generation capacity in Iowa. This year, the company received approval for a $1.9 billion 1,050-megawatt wind expansion, which will be complete by year-end 2015. Iowa State University’s football game against Texas begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Cyclone Sports Properties
Cyclone Sports Properties is a property of Learfield Sports, which manages multimedia rights and sponsorships for more than 50 collegiate institutions and associations and titles the prestigious Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup. The company’s multimedia rights encompass numerous content distribution platforms to deliver the passion of college athletics across radio, television and digital networks to fans globally. Its exclusive sports programming reaches more than 50 million television households nationally and delivers nearly 17,000 hours of radio programming on more than 1,100 radio stations. To learn more about Learfield’s 40-year history and collegiate portfolio, visit www.learfieldsports.com.
ITC Midwest
ITC Midwest LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp., the nation’s largest independent electricity transmission company. ITC Midwest operates more than 6,600 circuit miles of transmission lines in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and Missouri. The company is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and maintains operating locations at Dubuque, Iowa City and Perry, Iowa; and Albert Lea and Lakefield, Minn.
MidAmerican Energy Company
MidAmerican Energy Company provides electric service to 734,000 customers and natural gas service to 714,000 customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. It is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Information about MidAmerican Energy is available on the company’s website and its Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via www.midamericanenergy.com.