Perry, Iowa wins EPA study for renewable energy

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The City of Perry is a progressive community, and has made great strides in recent years redeveloping brownfields. The community has utilized a variety of financial and technical resources to implement renewable energy production and energy conservation projects. Butch Niebuhr, City Administrator, has been at the forefront of this effort to help Perry become a more sustainable community. 

Niebuhr has now obtained technical assistance for a feasibility study from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative, which promotes the establishment of renewable energy projects on previously contaminated lands. This program reflects the EPA’s goal to clean up and revitalize contaminated sites. A feasibility study is the first step toward transforming these sites from eyesores into community assets. The City of Perry is one of only 26 entities nationwide to be awarded this technical assistance.

“The attainment of this award serves as continued testament to the City of Perry’s progressive leadership,” said Michael G. Fisher, Energy Business Line President for HR Green, Inc. (HR Green) Fisher continued, “Butch and his coworkers in Perry are setting an example for the rest of Iowa in the practice of sustainable community development, or in this particular case, redevelopment.”  

HR Green has worked with the City of Perry for years to successfully clean up Perry’s former rail yard and roundhouse area. Now those projects will set the stage for the potential development of clean energy production facilities that will provide both direct and indirect economic benefits to the City of Perry, the State of Iowa and national clean energy manufacturing and construction sectors.

Fisher stated, “HR Green will continue to support the City of Perry in bringing other national, state, local and private sector partners to the table to foster long-term, financially sound clean energy solutions for the community.”