Kurt Johnson: Audubon County, Iowa

“Our home and the farm that I live on is in Audubon County, Iowa. My folks purchased it in 1958 and that’s where my wife and I live today.

We also own about 1000 acres and have a farm in Cedar County, almost 200 miles east of where we live.

That is where the proposed Community Solar project will be going. And it’s going to be a great opportunity for folks in that area. Households will be able to opt into buying solar electricity from this project and hopefully lower their bills.

Here in Audubon County, we’re on a rural electric cooperative, and our power is wheeled 700 miles to us from a coal plant in North Dakota, and the huge cost and strain on the grid to get it here is crazy.

I just think there’s got to be a better way. And Community Solar could be it.

It’s locally sourced, so it strains the grid less, and produces energy during peak use times.

Today, utility companies can’t generate enough power for the peak hours, and that’s when solar is most effective!

Let’s not let the sun shine down on us and do nothing.

Let’s use it.

Let’s take advantage of it.”