EasternIowaFarmer_Fall2023
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THE ENERGY ISSUE<br />
fertilizer and other industrial agriculture plants.<br />
Hearings before the Iowa Utilities Board for<br />
one of the companies, Summit Carbon Solutions,<br />
began in late August and are expected to last<br />
for weeks if not months. At stake is whether the<br />
company will receive a permit for its project.<br />
In addition to safety concerns about possible<br />
leaks and the disruption of farm ground, opponents<br />
feel strongly about the use of eminent<br />
domain by some of the proposed projects. In<br />
the case of Ranger Power, the company did not<br />
use eminent domain with its solar project. Its<br />
participants are all voluntary. NextEra has said<br />
it would not do so for its proposed wind and<br />
solar installations. However, pipelines extend<br />
hundreds of miles across state lines, making<br />
land procurement more of a logistical challenge.<br />
Proponents point to the importance of such<br />
projects as essential to supporting carbon emission<br />
reduction by the ethanol industry, which is<br />
a huge consumer of Iowa’s number one crop,<br />
corn.<br />
And as that and other projects unfold, the<br />
residents and elected officials in Eastern Iowa<br />
will have a front row seat. n<br />
‘What we’re<br />
talking about here<br />
is value-added’<br />
Corn produced in Eastern Iowa and elsewhere<br />
in the state fuels the ethanol industry, which, in<br />
turn, produces jobs, money and a strong market.<br />
BY NANCY MAYFIELD<br />
EASTERN IOWA FARMER<br />
Bob Bowman has his<br />
“elevator speech” ready<br />
if anyone wants to talk<br />
about using corn to produce<br />
ethanol.<br />
The DeWitt farmer has represented<br />
Eastern Iowa counties on state and<br />
national corn grower associations,<br />
promotion boards and grain industry<br />
groups for years, and he’s had hundreds<br />
of conversations on the topic.<br />
“Whenever we travel on industry<br />
or personal business, a lot of us are<br />
promoting our sustainability and our<br />
products. We’ve faced the food versus<br />
fuel debate over the years,” said Bowman,<br />
regarding questions he fields<br />
The heart of home<br />
Home is a feeling—comfortable like a familiar<br />
beam of afternoon sunlight through the<br />
bay window. It’s laughing with friends while<br />
sharing a splendid meal. Home becomes<br />
real in the warmth of a hug and a smile from<br />
someone who truly cares. We provide seniors<br />
with the exceptional care they deserve in an<br />
extraordinary living environment.<br />
Where Beautiful Lives Blossom!<br />
www.CloverRidgePlace.net<br />
563-652-2125 • 205 Ehlers Lane, Maquoketa<br />
eifarmer.com FALL 2023 | EASTERN IOWA FARMER 53
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