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Released September 29, 2025 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The U.S. Midwest could see a new avenue open for the transmission of renewable energy, despite a significant drop in support for a similar project earlier this year. The SOO Green Link Project is designed to carry up to 2.1 gigawatts (GW) of electricity sourced from wind and solar facilities in Iowa about 350 miles to north-central Illinois. Last week, its developers signed a final municipal franchise agreement in Iowa, where the bulk of construction will take place. Industrial Info is tracking about $4 billion worth of projects within the SOO development, as well as more than $9 billion worth of active and proposed renewable-energy projects in Iowa.
The SOO project is being developed by energyRe (New York, New York) and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (Copenhagen, Denmark). Its largest component is an underground transmission line that would connect proposed converter stations in Mason City, Iowa, and Plano, Illinois, thus linking two regional transmission organizations, the PJM Interconnection and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Construction on the bi-directional project, which will run inside railroad rights of way, could kick off as early as 2027 and begin operations as early as 2031.
The recently signed final municipal franchise agreement gives the SOO Green Link Project an "all-clear" path to construction in Iowa, according to its developers. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can read detailed project reports on the underground line, Mason City station and Plano station, and can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects within the SOO development.
Near-term support for renewable-sourced transmission projects in the U.S. Midwest took a serious hit this summer, when the Trump administration terminated $4.9 billion in loan guarantees for Invenergy LLC's (Chicago, Illinois) Grain Belt Express, a high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) line designed to carry as much as 5 GW of wind energy from Kansas to Indiana. Invenergy has vowed to continue with the project regardless, but industry observers saw this as an indication the administration may try to deter similar projects, no matter how far along they are in development. For more information, see August 6, 2025, article - Developer Vows to Build Grain Belt Express Transmission Project Without Billions in Federal Loan Guarantees.
Unlike Grain Belt Express, the SOO project is being privately financed and does not require support from the federal government's loan programs.
Renewable-energy projects under construction in Iowa include NextEra Energy Incorporated's (Juno Beach, Florida) $250 million Salt Creek Windfarm in Tama, about 60 miles northeast of Des Moines. The project, which was acquired last year by NextEra, is designed to generate 168 MW from 60 turbines provided by GE Vernova, a subsidiary of General Electric (Boston, Massachusetts). Salt Creek started construction in the third quarter of 2024 and is set to wrap up toward the beginning of 2026. Subscribers can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
John Ketchum, the chief executive officer of NextEra, explained in his company's most recent quarterly earnings-related conference call why he was optimistic about NextEra's near-term development of renewable energy, despite significant pushback on the federal level, such as the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA): "The way the OBBBA was drafted, it basically provides that wind and solar facilities have to be placed in service by December 31, 2027. However, there is a very important exception that says that projects that begin construction before July 4, 2026, are not subject to that placed-in-service requirement."
He added: "We've made significant financial commitments over the last few years--including in the first half of 2025--to begin construction under these rules that were in effect at the time those commitments were made."
In the coming quarter, MidAmerican Energy Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated (Omaha, Nebraska), expects to finish construction on its $375 million Shenandoah Hill Windfarm in Shenandoah, which is near the Nebraska border, about 40 miles southeast of Omaha. It is designed to generate 216.5 MW from 54 turbines provided by GE Vernova and Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Aarhus, Denmark). Subscribers can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
Renewable projects slated to begin construction in Iowa in 2026 include the $540 million RedRock Windfarm in Terril, which is being developed by RedRock Wind Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Invenergy, and the $160 million Coggon Windfarm in Coggon, which is being developed by Clenera Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of Enlight Renewable Energy (Rosh Haayin, Israel). The projects, which are designed to generate 300 and 100 MW, respectively, both are set for completion toward the middle of 2027. Subscribers can read detailed reports on the RedRock and Coggon projects.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for active and proposed renewable-energy projects in Iowa.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
The SOO project is being developed by energyRe (New York, New York) and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (Copenhagen, Denmark). Its largest component is an underground transmission line that would connect proposed converter stations in Mason City, Iowa, and Plano, Illinois, thus linking two regional transmission organizations, the PJM Interconnection and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). Construction on the bi-directional project, which will run inside railroad rights of way, could kick off as early as 2027 and begin operations as early as 2031.
The recently signed final municipal franchise agreement gives the SOO Green Link Project an "all-clear" path to construction in Iowa, according to its developers. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can read detailed project reports on the underground line, Mason City station and Plano station, and can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects within the SOO development.
Near-term support for renewable-sourced transmission projects in the U.S. Midwest took a serious hit this summer, when the Trump administration terminated $4.9 billion in loan guarantees for Invenergy LLC's (Chicago, Illinois) Grain Belt Express, a high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) line designed to carry as much as 5 GW of wind energy from Kansas to Indiana. Invenergy has vowed to continue with the project regardless, but industry observers saw this as an indication the administration may try to deter similar projects, no matter how far along they are in development. For more information, see August 6, 2025, article - Developer Vows to Build Grain Belt Express Transmission Project Without Billions in Federal Loan Guarantees.
Unlike Grain Belt Express, the SOO project is being privately financed and does not require support from the federal government's loan programs.
Renewable-energy projects under construction in Iowa include NextEra Energy Incorporated's (Juno Beach, Florida) $250 million Salt Creek Windfarm in Tama, about 60 miles northeast of Des Moines. The project, which was acquired last year by NextEra, is designed to generate 168 MW from 60 turbines provided by GE Vernova, a subsidiary of General Electric (Boston, Massachusetts). Salt Creek started construction in the third quarter of 2024 and is set to wrap up toward the beginning of 2026. Subscribers can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
John Ketchum, the chief executive officer of NextEra, explained in his company's most recent quarterly earnings-related conference call why he was optimistic about NextEra's near-term development of renewable energy, despite significant pushback on the federal level, such as the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA): "The way the OBBBA was drafted, it basically provides that wind and solar facilities have to be placed in service by December 31, 2027. However, there is a very important exception that says that projects that begin construction before July 4, 2026, are not subject to that placed-in-service requirement."
He added: "We've made significant financial commitments over the last few years--including in the first half of 2025--to begin construction under these rules that were in effect at the time those commitments were made."
In the coming quarter, MidAmerican Energy Company, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated (Omaha, Nebraska), expects to finish construction on its $375 million Shenandoah Hill Windfarm in Shenandoah, which is near the Nebraska border, about 40 miles southeast of Omaha. It is designed to generate 216.5 MW from 54 turbines provided by GE Vernova and Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Aarhus, Denmark). Subscribers can learn more from a detailed project report and plant profile.
Renewable projects slated to begin construction in Iowa in 2026 include the $540 million RedRock Windfarm in Terril, which is being developed by RedRock Wind Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Invenergy, and the $160 million Coggon Windfarm in Coggon, which is being developed by Clenera Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of Enlight Renewable Energy (Rosh Haayin, Israel). The projects, which are designed to generate 300 and 100 MW, respectively, both are set for completion toward the middle of 2027. Subscribers can read detailed reports on the RedRock and Coggon projects.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.
Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for active and proposed renewable-energy projects in Iowa.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
