Officials with MidAmerican Energy Company today (Monday) announced they plan to move forward with the development of up to 1,050-megawatts of additional wind generation by the end of 2015, through the construction of new wind turbines in five Iowa counties, including Madison. The utility company credits a decision by the Iowa Utilities Board, in allowing MidAmerican Energy to move forward with its plans.

In May, MidAmerican announced plans to invest up to $1.9 billion to expand its wind generation fleet in Iowa. The company continues working with county officials and landowners and has secured development and interconnection rights for the wind farm sites. Construction is expected to begin in September 2013, and all projects are planned for completion prior to the end of 2015.

The utility says wind expansion will enhance economic development and provide in excess of $360 million in additional property tax revenues over the next 30 years. Landowner payments totaling more than $3 million per year also are expected as a result of the expansion. The expansion is planned to be built at no net cost to the company’s customers and will help stabilize electric rates over the long term by providing a rate reduction totaling $10 million per year by 2017, commencing with a $3.3 million reduction in 2015.

The rate reduction will begin after MidAmerican Energy installs the first 350 megawatts of generation capacity. During construction, approximately 460 jobs will be added to the Iowa economy, and nearly 50 new permanent jobs will be added when the expansion is complete.

The company began building wind projects in 2004 and, to date, has installed 1,267 wind turbines in Iowa, making MidAmerican Energy the largest rate-regulated utility owner of wind generation in the U.S.

The Iowa State Patrol has released the names of the persons involved in a fatal motorcycle-vs. car crash that occurred Saturday evening, in Taylor County. The man who died was operator of the cycle. He’s been identified as 53-year old Kendall Wallace, of  Cookeville, TN. Wallace died at the scene. The driver of the car was identified as 19-year old Forrest Greenwood, of Clarinda.  Greenwood was injured during the crash, which occurred at the intersection of Highway 2 and Main Street, in New Market. The accident happened at around 7:35-p.m.

Officials say a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am driven by Greenwood was traveling east on Highway 2 at the same time Wallace’ 1981 Honda motorcycle was traveling west. When the car made a left hand turn in front of the cycle, the motorcycle crashed into the side of the vehicle. Greenwood was transported to the Clarinda Regional Hospital. The accident remains under investigation.

A total of five people were injured during two separate accidents Sunday night, here in Cass County. Four people were injured during a rollover accident on Highway 6 north of Lewis. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, an 1998 Chevy Blazer was traveling eastbound on White Pole Road (Highway 6) at around 9:25-p.m., when a deer entered the roadway just west of the Iowa State Patrol Communications Center. The driver of the SUV swerved, causing the vehicle to enter the north ditch and roll over.

All four subjects were transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic. One of the crash victims was later flown by Mercy 1 helicopter in Clarinda to a hospital in Omaha. Their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. No names have been released.

And, a little over under an hour and a-half later, a truck driver from Ontario, Canada was injured when for reasons unknown, the 2003 International semi he was driving left Interstate 80 westbound and rolled into the median at the 57-mile marker (Olive Street exit). The Iowa State Patrol says 46-year old George McClintic was transported to the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic following the crash, which occurred at around 10:49-p.m.

McClintic was trapped in the cab of the semi, which was nearly crushed. I-80 westbound was blocked while authorities rerouted traffic up the exit ramp and around the crash site.

The accident remains under investigation.