Kossuth County Puts Alliant’s Golden Plains Battery Project on Hold

Alliant Energy’s plan to add battery storage at the Golden Plains Wind Farm in northern Iowa is on hold after county officials raised concerns about the company’s latest proposal.

In November, the Kossuth County Board of Adjustment denied Alliant’s permit request for a battery storage facility at the wind farm. After that decision, Alliant suggested a joint agreement with Kossuth County as a path forward. But Carter Nath, chair of the Kossuth County Board of Supervisors, said the county attorney advised against that approach.

Kossuth County Attorney Todd Holmes said Alliant still has the option to apply again, but any new application would need major differences from the one that was denied. “In my opinion, it has to be something that is a significant change, whether it be size or scope, whatever,” Holmes said.

Golden Plains Wind Farm has been operating since 2020 and spans both Kossuth and Winnebago counties. During last week’s Board of Supervisors meeting, county leaders asked Alliant whether the battery facility could be built outside Kossuth County instead. Alliant Energy Resource Development Manager Justin Foss said the company began planning the project in 2023, contacted area landowners, and already has a state permit in place.

Alliant says it is expanding battery storage elsewhere in Iowa. The company’s website lists two battery projects expected to come online later this year — one at the Whispering Willow North Wind Farm in Franklin County and another at the site of a former coal facility in Lansing. Alliant also currently operates battery storage facilities in Cedar Rapids, Decorah, Marshalltown and Wellman.