U.S. Midwest Set for $7.9 Billion in Second-Quarter 2016 Kickoffs, Powered by Renewable Energy Demand

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Strong demand for power generation is driving much of the projected industrial development in the U.S. Midwest region in second-quarter 2016, with renewable energy taking center stage. Industrial Info's project database shows $7.89 billion in kickoffs during the quarter. About 75% of the total can be attributed to just three industries: Power, Food & Beverage, and Terminals.

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing active projects scheduled to kick off in the second quarter of 2016 in the U.S. Midwest region, by industry.

The Midwest region includes Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska and South Dakota.

The Power Industry is far ahead of all others, with $4.38 billion in projects set to begin construction from April through June in the Midwest. The largest is a project that had faced several delays, but has now entered its planning and scheduling phase: BHE Renewables' $480 million windfarm in Ida Grove, Iowa. The facility is expected to comprise 131 General Electric (NYSE:GE) wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of 2.3 megawatts (MW), for a total capacity of about 302 MW. BHE Renewables is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Corporation (NYSE:BRK.A) (Omaha, Nebraska). For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Power Industry accounts for nine of the 10 highest-value second-quarter project kickoffs in the Midwest. The other eight are:

• $450 million: BHE Renewables' O'Brien County Windfarm in Sanborn, Iowa
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $435 million: Infinity Wind Power Incorporated's Western Plains Windfarm in Spearville, Kansas
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $365 million: Montana-Dakota Utilities Company's substation in Ellendale, North Dakota
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $360 million: Capital Power Corporation's Bloom Windfarm in Dodge City, Kansas
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $350 million: NextEra Energy Incorporated's Wind Energy Center in Osborn, Missouri
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $300 million: Phase I of NextEra Energy Incorporated's Brady Wind Energy Park in Dickinson, North Dakota
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $300 million: Phase II of NextEra Energy Incorporated's Brady Wind Energy Park in Dickinson, North Dakota
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.
• $248.5 million: Trade Wind Energy LLC's Lindahl Windfarm near Tioga, North Dakota
  For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Food & Beverage Industry, always a strong presence in the region, has $1.04 billion in projects set to begin construction in the second quarter, including Kraft Heinz Company's (NASDAQ:KHC) (Chicago, Illinois) $203 million construction of a prepared meats plant in Davenport, Iowa. The planned processing facility would include 30 processing lines and 24 packaging lines from a nearby plant that is being closed. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

The Terminals Industry is in third place with $480 million in projected kickoffs, one of the largest being Energy Transfer Partners LP's (NYSE:ETP) (Dallas, Texas) $75 million crude oil-gathering terminal in Watford City, North Dakota. The facility, which is part of the Dakota Access Pipeline project, involves constructing two 100,000-barrel and one 150,000-barrel crude-oil tanks, along with buildings and truck-unloading racks, to support a planned, 450,000-barrel-per-day pipeline, which will carry Bakken crude oil from North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. For more information, see Industrial Info's project report.

About half of the region's total investment value (TIV)--$3.98 billion--is related to 93 projects that are now in the engineering stages. The region also has 140 projects worth more than $3.7 billion in the planning stages, where plenty of factors could increase, decrease or eliminate the expected spending, while 108 projects worth about $211 million already have kicked off the first stage of construction and will continue to develop in the second quarter.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com/.