Wind and Solar Leasing in Audubon County, Iowa

Heartland Divide: a two-phase, roughly 300-megawatt project already online

NextEra Energy's Heartland Divide Wind Farm sits near the city of Audubon and was built in two distinct phases. Phase 1, completed in 2019, added 43 turbines generating 100 megawatts. Phase 2 added 71 more turbines and 200 megawatts, with the full project reaching operation by March 2022 -- bringing the combined project to roughly 114 turbines and 300 megawatts. This is a mature, fully operational project rather than a proposal still working through county approval, which matters for how you should think about new leasing opportunity here: most of the prime, already-interconnected sites near Audubon are likely already under lease to NextEra as part of this build-out, rather than open for a fresh, unrelated lease offer.

Separately, MidAmerican Energy installed Aircraft Detection Lighting Systems -- which keep turbine tower lights off except when aircraft are actually detected nearby -- on turbines at its Adair, Eclipse, and Morning Light wind farms, a footprint spanning Adair, Audubon, Cass, and Guthrie Counties. This is a different developer and project family than NextEra's Heartland Divide, so if you're evaluating a specific parcel, confirm which company's project (if any) is actually closest to it before assuming lease terms or contact information from one project apply to the other.

We could not confirm a county-specific wind-siting ordinance -- treat that as an open question, not a green light

Some Iowa counties -- Adams County among them -- have recently rewritten detailed wind ordinances with specific turbine caps, setback multiples, and noise/flicker limits. In this research pass, we could not confirm that Audubon County has adopted an equivalent county-specific wind-siting ordinance separate from its general Chapter 21 Zoning Ordinance. That doesn't mean no such rule exists -- it means we could not verify one through public search, and you should not assume either that Audubon County has no wind-siting standards at all, or that a specific numbered ordinance like Adams County's applies here.

For a parcel near existing turbines, the setback, noise, and easement terms that actually apply are most reliably confirmed two ways: (1) directly from the recorded turbine or transmission easement on the specific parcel, available through the County Recorder, which binds that land regardless of what the general zoning ordinance says, and (2) directly from the Planning & Zoning Department, asking explicitly whether a wind-specific ordinance section exists within or alongside the Chapter 21 Zoning Ordinance.

What to verify before relying on wind income or buying near a turbine here

1. Confirm which project -- NextEra's Heartland Divide or a MidAmerican-affiliated wind farm -- is actually closest to the parcel, and whether it's a completed phase or still under development.
2. Pull the recorded easement for the specific parcel from the County Recorder if it's already under a turbine or transmission agreement.
3. Ask Planning & Zoning directly whether a wind-specific siting ordinance (setbacks, noise, flicker limits) exists separately from the general Chapter 21 Zoning Ordinance -- don't assume either way.
4. If you're being approached for a new lease, confirm the offering company's identity and current project status before assuming favorable terms comparable to an established, fully built project.