Leading in wind energy. Repurposing turbines. Resolving warrants. Avoiding measles.

4/1/2026

Iowa leads the country in wind energy, according to iSelect, a business that compares energy costs. The company reported its findings after researching renewable energy trends across the U.S. Data show Iowa’s total renewable energy share increased from 59.42% in 2020 to 65.55% in 2024, a 6.13% rise. More than 65% of Iowa’s electricity now comes from renewable sources such as wind, solar and hydroelectric power. The increase, however, trails several states. South Dakota ranked second, with wind energy accounting for 57.8% of its electricity, a 19% increase from 2020. New Mexico, in fifth place, saw a 17% increase.

And then there’s nuclear power. Iowa’s only nuclear power plant, the Duane Arnold Energy Center, is scheduled to reopen in 2028-2029. The plant sits on a 500-acre site on the west bank of the Cedar River, two miles north-northeast of Palo and eight miles northwest of Cedar Rapids. It was closed after damage from the 2020 derecho. …

Some rural Iowa communities have grown wary of wind turbines, partly because the blades are large and difficult to dispose of or recycle. Two downtown projects in Des Moines have now repurposed recycled wind turbine blades.

Graham Construction, a 3G Company, secured its worksite at Mercy College of Health Sciences with Renewablade, commercial concrete barriers made from recycled composite material from retired wind turbine blades. A total of 28 barriers were installed. This is the second major Renewablade project in downtown Des Moines, following a retaining wall for Premier Credit Union that used material equal to three retired wind turbine blades. …

The Metro Waste Authority released its fiscal year 2025 financial audit. Revenues totaled $66.9 million, an 8% increase from 2024. Revenue comes from operating two landfills in the metro, a recycling facility, and other programs including hazardous waste and construction recycling.

Expenses were $52.9 million, up 2% from the previous year. Surplus results for the year totaled $14 million, up from $10.1 million. Current assets included $4.9 million in cash and cash equivalents, meaning that garbage has outraised Republican candidate for governor, Randy Feenstra. …

If you have a warrant, you need to read this. Polk County is holding its first Warrant Resolution Clinic on April 3. The free clinic allows residents to resolve low-level warrants. The county has more than 8,200 outstanding non-felony warrants, according to the Clerk of Court’s office.

The clinic aims to reduce bookings for low-level, non-violent misdemeanor warrants, such as failure-to-appear and traffic offenses. It will also help residents set up affordable payment plans and pay off fines so they can regain driver’s licenses. …

The Greater Des Moines metropolitan area was named the No. 2 Top Performing Metro for Economic Development among its tier in Site Selection Magazine’s 2025 Governor’s Cup. The publication focuses on corporate real estate, facility planning, location analysis and foreign direct investment. Des Moines and West Des Moines previously ranked outside the top 10 but moved to second place after 37 verified corporate investment projects and expansions. The metro trailed only the Pennsylvania metro in investment projects among tier 2 metros, which have populations between 200,000 and 1 million. Des Moines ranked eighth in projects per capita. …

The Des Moines Area Association of Realtors reported that February saw 3,855 more homes on the market, a 12% increase from last year. Home sales totaled 763, up 5.8%. The median sale price rose 4.3% to $292,000. Homes averaged 75 days on the market, a 2.7% increase from the previous year — the highest since March 2019. …

Sometimes it pays to stay put. MoveBuddha, a website that helps people make informed moving decisions, reported that a standard local move in Des Moines costs about $1,483, roughly $346 more than the median monthly rent. Des Moines is one of five cities in MoveBuddha’s 153-city analysis where moving costs exceed median rent. …

Celebrating creativity. The Iowa Tourism Office handed out 17 awards, celebrating “the creativity, collaboration and strategic thinking that continue to elevate Iowa as a tourism destination.” The People’s Choice Award went to Reiman Gardens in Ames. The Avenues of Ingersoll and Grand earned the Outstanding Marketing Campaign award for budgets less than $50,000. The Blank Park Zoo won the award for budgets more than $50,000. …

The Illinois Department of Public Health notified Iowa Department of Health and Human Services that an Illinois resident with confirmed measles traveled to Iowa during the infectious period. Nine measles cases were identified in Iowa in 2025 with none yet identified in 2026. Nationally, 1,281 measles cases were confirmed in 2026, with 93% among unvaccinated people. Iowa’s vaccination rate is 88.8%, higher than neighboring Minnesota (86.5%) and Wisconsin (84.8%) but lower than Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota, all above 90%. …

Hold off on your trip to the Saylorville Lake Visitor Center. The opening of the Saylorville Lake Visitor Center has been postponed from April 1 to May 1 due to safety concerns. Staff will perform maintenance, including deck repairs. …

Fong’s Pizza was named the best place in Iowa to grab late-night eats and ranked 75th nationally by online casino ACE.com. Perhaps online gamblers are searching for a crab rangoon pizza slice after hitting the virtual slots, celebrating victory, or eating away the defeat. Shakespeare’s Pub and Grill in Iowa City ranked second in the state and 81st nationally. To be or not to be; that is the question. ♦