CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Eastern Iowa Airport officials are concerned over a recent proposal from Alliant Energy, to build a gas-fired power plant in Fairfax.
The proposed location is four miles from the main runway. CID says, it was not given much notice from Alliant and want to discuss this proposal in a public setting.
“Alliant is a good partner in our community. We have a really good thing going here at the airport, and I just can’t help but believe there is no way that we can resolve this. We come together with them with, you know, our best interests in mind and the internet, since the work community in mind, we were somewhat surprised that we only had 60-day notice. And this timeline has been accelerated. I’m not reading anything into that. Other than they’ve moved us into action very quickly, to ensure that we don’t do something that stymies, our ability to continue to be a growing actually, and I’m an important part of our community,” said Eastern Iowa Airport Commission Chairman, Barry Boyer.
The chairman also mentioned concerns for safety. He says they weren’t given enough time to conduct studies about this facility which are estimated to cost somewhere close to $70,000.
“The study would look at, you know, air turbulence. It would look at, you know, visibility, you know, the ability for pilots to land easily here to make sure that there is nothing that would abate their ability to land at the Cedar Rapids Airport in a safe and efficient manner,” Chairman Boyer said.
Alliant Energy sent us the following statement:
“We are in the early stages of site selection for a combined-cycle natural gas facility. Our site evaluation includes the Big Cedar Industrial Center in Fairfax as a possible location. This potential facility underscores Alliant Energy’s ongoing commitment to a balanced energy approach that delivers safe, reliable and cost-effective energy to customers through the integration of traditional and renewable energy resources.
At this time, we are working with the cities of Fairfax and Cedar Rapids and reviewing the proposed facility’s compatibility with airport operations. We intend to work with the airport to provide necessary information and continue to seek their input as we do with any local stakeholder on generation location and potential site decisions. Our timeline remains fluid to ensure we can conduct proper conversations with local communities and stakeholders.”
This is a developing story.
