From Rail Yard to Renewable Hub: EPA and DOE Explore Clean Energy Future for Perry, Iowa site
By Green Living Guy Staff
In the heart of the American Midwest, a site long dormant under the weight of its industrial past will soon become a beacon of clean energy innovation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) have partnered to evaluate the feasibility of transforming a former rail yard in Perry, Iowa, into a center for renewable energy production.
The project is part of a broader national effort to repurpose brownfields. Those are abandoned or underused industrial and commercial properties where redevelopment is complicated by environmental contamination. But instead of simply cleaning up land for retail or housing, this initiative aims higher: to reclaim the site for solar, wind, or biomass energy generation.
A Site with History—and Possibility
The location in question is the former Milwaukee St. Paul Rail Yard Company site, a relic of a bygone era when railroads powered America’s industrial expansion. Over the decades, the site fell into disuse and disrepair. Like thousands of other brownfields across the country, it became a symbol of environmental and economic stagnation.
Now, Perry’s rail yard will find new relevance in a de-carbonizing economy.
“This is about more than remediation,” said an EPA representative. “It’s about reimagining what’s possible with land we thought was lost.”
A New Model for Revitalization
The collaboration between the EPA and DOE falls under the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative, a program dedicated to identifying brownfield and Superfund sites that host renewable energy projects.
By overlaying solar irradiance data, wind speeds, grid access, and land availability, the agencies can assess whether a contaminated property can support utility-scale or distributed generation systems. The Milwaukee St. Paul site has emerged as a promising candidate.
Preliminary evaluations suggest that the area’s flat terrain and southern exposure make it suitable for solar photovoltaic arrays. Wind patterns, while modest compared to northern Iowa, also support small-scale wind turbines or hybrid systems. Furthermore, local agricultural waste streams make biomass generation a workable choice.
Environmental and Economic Benefits
Transforming the Perry site into a renewable energy hub would deliver a double dividend: removing a potential environmental hazard and injecting new life into the local economy.
“The idea is to turn a liability into an asset,” said a DOE project analyst. “This site has been sitting idle for decades. If we can harness its potential for solar or wind, we generate clean power—and local jobs.”
Studies by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have shown that redeveloped brownfield sites can host clean energy projects that are both cost-effective and low-impact, since they avoid displacing agricultural land or forests.
Local officials in Perry are cautiously optimistic. The city, which has seen limited economic growth since the decline of manufacturing, will gain from the construction, maintenance, and management roles tied to a renewable facility.
National Implications
This project isn’t just about Perry. It’s part of a growing national movement to integrate environmental justice, economic revitalization, and clean energy deployment.
According to the EPA, the United States has more than 450,000 brownfield sites. Many are located in or near communities that have historically borne the brunt of pollution and underinvestment. Turning even a fraction of them into renewable energy sites help meet national climate goals while delivering local economic benefits.
Moreover, these projects offer a blueprint for reconciling climate action with industrial legacy. They serve as models for how to bring underserved communities into the clean energy transition.
Next Steps in Perry
The Perry site assessment will include soil and groundwater sampling, structural integrity reviews, and an evaluation of grid connectivity. Once this phase is finished, the EPA and DOE will publish a feasibility report outlining options for development.
If approved, the site will attract federal and private funding to launch the next phase—design, construction, and eventual operation.
For now, Perry waits.
But the community is already imagining what’s possible: a future where energy is clean, jobs are local, and the past no longer dictates what can be done with the land.
Source: US Environmental Protection Agency
(Kansas City, Kan., Nov. 4, 2011) – More information on the RE-Powering America’s Land initiative
More information on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Connect with EPA Region 7 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/eparegion7
