Fairfield council approves Alliant solar array near airport

FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield City Council approved a lease agreement with Alliant Energy Monday, Jan. 22, so the company can build a solar array across from the Fairfield Municipal Airport north of town.

Council member Doug Flournoy said the 1.5 megawatt solar array would generate enough electricity to power all city buildings. He added that it’s not clear yet how many acres Alliant would need to build this array, but it would be around 6-7 acres and no more than 8, depending on how much space the company needs around the panels for maintenance.

The city agreed to a rental fee of $57,305, which means that if Alliant ends up only needing 6 acres, the city would receive $9,550 per acre, compared to the rental fee of $405 per acre it’s currently receiving from the person who is farming that land.

Council member Paul Gandy commented on that large discrepancy in rental fees.

“It’s a good deal for the city,” Gandy said of the lease agreement with Alliant.

The rental agreement with Alliant will last 20 years, and can be renewed in five-year increments.

The council’s vote to approve the agreement with Alliant was unanimous, with council members Flournoy, Gandy, Judy Ham, Tom Twohill, Elizabeth Estey, Terri Kness and Matthew Rowe all voting in favor.

Fairfield City Administrator Doug Reinert said the farmer who is leasing the land now will be given a year’s notice, so this is the last year that land will be in cultivation. He said Alliant Energy does not plan to begin construction on the array until 2025.

In an earlier interview with The Union, Alliant Energy Communications Partner Chris Caporale said the proposed solar array would be 2.25 megawatts, although that was later revised to 1.5 megawatts. He said Alliant has done similar projects across the state, partnering with cities such as Perry and Marshalltown, and in 2023 the company completed a 1.375 megawatt array in Ames, partnering with Iowa State University.

Caporale said Alliant Energy is committed to renewable energy, and that this past year the company was able to generate 52 percent of its energy from renewable sources, mostly coming from wind power.

Though this solar array in Fairfield would be built near the airport, Caporale said he didn’t anticipate that would cause any problems for aircraft taking off or landing at the airport because the top of the solar panels is only about 8-12 feet off the ground.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com