Hawkeye Reporter

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is receiving praise from clean energy advocates for his role in advancing wind and solar initiatives as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Grassley, who was instrumental in launching the federal wind energy tax credit in 1993, is often referred to as the “father” of wind energy production.

The recent legislation includes provisions that allow a 12-month window after enactment for planned wind and solar projects to begin construction. This adjustment enables projects to qualify for multiple years of tax credits by meeting the requirement within a single calendar year. The change is expected to boost short-term industry growth and maintain practical standards for project development.

Grassley also played a key role in removing a proposed new tax on wind and solar from the final version of the bill. Iowa currently generates 60 percent of its electricity from wind power.

Alliant Energy released a statement recognizing Grassley’s efforts: “Senator Grassley’s leadership in advancing the legislation reflects a strong, principled commitment to securing America’s energy future by securing a financially viable phase out for the clean energy tax credits over the next few years. The provisions secured by Senator Grassley demonstrates his commitment to supporting customer affordability and [are] critical in preventing electric rate increases. His leadership also provides energy companies with electric generation resource planning certainty – a critical requirement to meet the growing energy demands of Iowa, and the nation.

“As the law moves toward its implementation’s phase, we look forward to working with Senator Grassley and the Administration on the customer benefits of this law. His focus on practical, pro-growth energy solutions honors the intent of President Trump’s executive actions—prioritizing energy independence, reliability, and affordability for American families and businesses. We applaud Senator Grassley for championing policies that strengthen our energy infrastructure while supporting job creation and long-term investment in the heartland and across the country.”

MidAmerican Energy also commented: “Improvements made to the final budget reconciliation bill will give MidAmerican a pathway to execute on clean energy projects in our development pipeline for the benefit of our customers – and those improvements simply would not have happened without the leadership of Senator Grassley working in strong partnership with Senator Ernst. Planning certainty is critical for a business like ours, and their collective efforts will help us maintain safe, reliable and affordable service in Iowa and across our entire service area.”

The American Clean Power association said: “Senator Grassley has once again shown leadership protecting jobs and ensuring a cost-effective, reliable, and diverse power mix for Iowa. His leadership remains more important than ever to ensure that the administration implements the legislation fairly, and in a manner consistent with congressional intent.”

The Business Council for Sustainable Energy added: “The Business Council for Sustainable Energy thanks Senator Chuck Grassley for his leadership and support of the energy tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Thanks to his actions, the law adopts a more workable transition for many energy tax credits, enabling businesses to plan, invest and create jobs.”

Iowa is among national leaders in renewable electricity generation due largely to its significant investment in wind power.