Iowa is typically not a place people would consider to be a hotbed of solar energy production. That seems like a better description of sunny Arizona, not the currently snowy Iowa.

But some experts who work in the solar energy field have calculated that the sunlight that shines down on our state can indeed be harnessed to generate electricity. They have announced plans for an array of solar panels on 957 acres near 160th Street and Samson Avenue.

This setup, to be built by Holliday Creek Solar LLC, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, will channel electricity into a nearby MidAmerican Energy substation, where it will enter the transmission grid. Construction of the solar panel array is expected to begin this spring and be completed by next winter.

When completed, the site will generate enough electricity to supply 30,000 homes.

Think about that for a moment. This solar site will generate enough juice to power all the lights, appliances, computers, TVs and other electric devices found in 30,000 homes. And it will do it without burning a lump of coal or sending anything up a smokestack.

Essentially, the solar panels will just sit there and soak up the sun and usable electricity will result.

Webster County Supervisor Mark Campbell said our county will be an exporter of energy when this facility comes on line. He described that as ”incredibly exciting.”

Because such a big solar power station is totally new to the county there will inevitably be some complaints about it. Perhaps someone will gripe that the place looks weird or ugly.

We believe it is more important to focus on the bigger picture. This solar panel array will generate a lot of needed electricity without putting any pollution or greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. That’s something we can all benefit from.