Wind and Solar Leasing in Pocahontas County, Iowa

Two established wind farms, one of them already repowered

Pocahontas County hosts two documented utility-scale wind projects. The larger is the Pomeroy wind farm, 299.83 MW spanning Pocahontas and Calhoun counties, where MidAmerican Energy has repowered up to 171 turbines to increase efficiency and output -- meaning older turbines have already been replaced or upgraded once, a sign of a mature project rather than a first-generation build. The smaller is the Pocahontas Prairie wind farm, an 80 MW project MidAmerican acquired from Gamesa Energy USA in a deal the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved in January 2020; it has since been repowered with Vestas V110-2.0 MW turbines. For a buyer or landowner, the practical implication is similar to other established wind counties: new leasing activity near either project is more likely to involve repowering, expansion, or transfer of an existing easement than a first-time turbine siting, and the interconnection and access-road infrastructure around both projects is already built out.

An active, unresolved solar fight near Fonda: Princess City Solar

Unlike the county's wind farms, the proposed Princess City Solar project is not settled history -- it is, as of this 2026 review, an active and contested proposal. Developer TED Renewables has proposed a roughly 850- to 900-acre solar array straddling the Pocahontas/Calhoun county line near Fonda, with representatives (including vice president of project development Ben Metcalf) hosting a public open house in Fonda in January 2025 to pitch the project as a long-term income stream for partnering landowners. The proposal has drawn real, organized local opposition -- multiple 2025 local news reports describe limited farmer enthusiasm for converting 850 acres of agricultural land to solar, alongside some landowners who support or are interested in the project.

In response to the debate, the Pocahontas County Board of Supervisors has already amended the county's Solar Energy Systems Ordinance (Ordinance #44), though the exact current setback, decommissioning, and siting standards in the amended ordinance could not be independently confirmed in this research pass due to restricted access to several of the local news sites and county documents covering the amendment's specific language. What is confirmed is that this is a live process, not a finished one: if you're evaluating land near Fonda or the Pocahontas/Calhoun county line for a possible solar lease, or buying land nearby, the applicable rules may still be in flux.

What to check before signing a lease or buying near either project

1. Contact the Pocahontas County Zoning Department ((712) 335-3188) directly for the current, final text of Solar Energy Systems Ordinance #44, including setback distances and any decommissioning-bond requirements -- this research pass could not independently confirm those specific figures.
2. If you're near the Pomeroy or Pocahontas Prairie wind farms, pull the recorded easement or lease document for the specific parcel from the County Recorder ((712) 335-4404) -- the private agreement, not a zoning ordinance, sets the actual payment, access, and decommissioning terms for an existing turbine.
3. If you're near Fonda or the Pocahontas/Calhoun county line and the Princess City Solar project is relevant to a parcel you're considering, ask the Zoning Department for the project's current status -- as of this review it remained an active, unresolved proposal rather than an approved or rejected one.
4. Ask the county assessor how an existing wind easement, or a future solar lease, would affect a parcel's assessed value and property tax treatment.
5. If you are being offered a new lease (wind or solar), have an attorney experienced in Iowa renewable-energy easement law review term length, payment structure, and decommissioning/restoration obligations before signing.