As states around the country consider new investments in alternative energy projects, they might first consider the experience of Iowa, which launched a $100 million initiative two years ago to provide start-up capital for energy-related projects. With Iowa now just halfway through the program, its impact on the state economy has been impressive:

• 2,300 new, private-sector jobs have been created in Iowa;

• $35 million in state investments have supported clean energy projects across the state;
• $190.4 million in private investments have been generated through the project (more than a 4-to-1 return on taxpayer money); and
• The percentage of Iowa electricity generated from wind power has tripled, establishing Iowa as a world leader in renewable energy.

Iowa Democrats deserve enormous praise for the success of this program, which was a central plank of Gov. Chet Culver’s campaign platform and a top priority for Democratic legislative leaders. And as Gov. Culver noted in interviews, the program’s economic success is particularly welcome during the current recession.

Independent observers are even more enthusiastic about the program’s impact on energy production:

"Even those of us who keep up with the wind industry were amazed that around 15 percent of our total electrical generation in Iowa is from wind power," said David Osterberg, head of the Iowa Policy Project, a liberal-leaning research group.

That puts Iowa on a par with many European nations that have stressed alternative energy for decades. Denmark, for instance, gets 20 percent of its electricity from wind.

"Iowa is pretty active, when you look at the fact that they are one of the largest producers of wind energy," said Glen Andersen, a researcher at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver. "They are really up there."

With two years and tens of millions of dollars left in the program, Iowa is poised to solidify its leadership in alternative energy for years to come.