According to KWQC, the Iowa Utility Commission (IUC) will begin a multi‑day hearing next week in downtown Davenport to consider Central Iowa Power Cooperative’s (CIPCO) application for a 240‑megawatt natural‑gas‑fired simple‑cycle combustion turbine, known as the Hickory Grove Generating Station. The hearings start at 9 a.m. on Tuesday at the DoubleTree by Hilton and will continue daily until all testimonies are presented.
The proposed plant, estimated at $400 million, would sit on a 95‑acre site in northwest Scott County near Maysville. Residents of nearby communities such as Eldridge, Maysville and Donahue have voiced environmental and health concerns, citing proximity to the plant. Local doctors and meteorologists have testified about potential impacts, and community members have questioned the promised job creation, noting CIPCO’s alleged history of outsourcing construction.
After the Scott County Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected the thermal‑energy zoning proposal needed for construction, CIPCO filed a certificate of public convenience, use and necessity with the IUC on May 19. Since that filing, intervenor testimonies have been added to the commission’s docket. The IUC describes its commissioners as a quasi‑judicial body appointed by the governor, distinguishing the upcoming proceedings from local elected‑body meetings.
Testimony scheduled for the hearings includes representatives from the Scott County Board of Supervisors, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the Concerned Citizens of Scott County, and private parties such as Jerome Mohr, the David Golinghorst Revocable Trust, the Linda Golinghorst Revocable Trust, DLG Family Farms, LLC, and the Michael and Susan Meinert Living Trust.
What’s next: The IUC will review all testimonies and evidence before issuing a decision on whether to grant the certificate of public convenience, use and necessity. The outcome will determine if the Hickory Grove Generating Station can proceed, a result that could shape energy supply and environmental conditions for Davenport and surrounding Scott County communities.
Sources: kwqc.com
