A projection of the anticipated view in Wellsburg, Iowa, once the wind project is completed.

In early 2015, when Facebook’s Altoona, Iowa-based data center starts servicing traffic, officials say the facility is expected to operate on 100 percent renewable energy. Through a partnership with Iowa wind project developer RPM Access and MidAmerican Energy, a new wind project in Wellsburg, Iowa—roughly 70 miles northeast of Altoona—will power Facebook’s data center. “When we settled on Altoona as the location for our fourth data center, one of the deciding factors was the opportunity to help develop a new wind project in the state,” Vincent Van Son, a data center energy manager at Facebook, wrote on the site. “The project brings additional investment and jobs to the region, and in effect it makes it possible, on an annualized basis, for 100 percent of our energy needs to be met entirely with one of Iowa’s most abundant renewable resources.” The project is expected to be completed in 2014 and will add 138 megawatts of renewable wind capacity to Iowa’s power grid, “more than what our data center is likely to require for the foreseeable future,” Van Son said. In April, Facebook announced it would build a 476,000-square foot data center—investing a minimum of $299.5 million—northeast of Des Moines, creating a reported 31 new jobs. — Source: Facebook

Silicon Prairie Shorts are sponsored by Polsinelli. On a daily basis, Polsinelli technology attorneys work with clients creating or using innovative technology. Check out the firm’s Science and Technology Law Group to learn more.

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