Iowa: An Energy and Economic Analysis

Iowa does not produce oil and natural gas, but instead imports oil and gas supplies from Canada and other states. The same is true for the coal that supplies the state’s coal-fired generating units, which comes primarily from Wyoming. Iowa is rich in renewable energy potential in both wind power and biofuels production. The state leads the nation in production of both corn and ethanol made from corn. Its wind power potential places the state among the leading wind producers in the nation. Iowa’s industrial sector leads the state’s energy consumption. Because Iowa’s population is low and its economy is relatively energy intensive, its per-capita energy consumption is the fifth highest in the nation.