# Clean Energy Perry Site Transforms Industrial Past

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2011/11/clean-energy-perry-site-transforms-industrial-past/
- Published: 2011-11-05T20:52:47-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

## 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.

![Digital photo of a repurposed rail yard in Perry, Iowa, showing rows of solar 
panels, a wind turbine, and historic industrial buildings, symbolizing renewable
energy development on brownfield sites.](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/11/AD9E2586-CC76-4CCD-9D8E-642C21452E75-1.png?resize=400%2C400&
ssl=1)

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](https://www.epa.gov/re-powering)
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](https://www.facebook.com/eparegion7)