Sustainability Commission: Solar Power Continues to Grow in Decorah

You'll want to remember this moment. Help us record what's happening in Decorah. DECORAH — Solar energy continues to expand across Decorah, according to new data released by the Decorah Sustainability Commission. One of the goals outlined in the city's Sustainability Plan is to track the total amount of installed renewable energy generating capacity through 2024 and compare it to a 2020 baseline. The latest update shows strong growth in solar installations over the past four years. The number of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Decorah increased 40%, rising from 234 projects in 2020 to 328 projects in 2024. The city's total installed solar generating capacity also grew 43%, from 4,013 kilowatts (kW) in 2020 to 5,734 kW in 2024. Luther College continues to represent a significant portion of Decorah's solar energy, with 1,542 kW of installed capacity—about 27% of the city's total—a figure that has remained steady since 2020. Per capita, the city's installed solar capacity increased from 529 watts in 2020 to 756 watts in 2024, placing Decorah among the leading communities for solar adoption. According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance's State(s) of Distributed Solar — 2024 Update (April 2025), Decorah's per-capita solar capacity is 7.3 times higher than the Iowa average (103 watts) and even exceeds Hawaii, which leads the nation at 638 watts per capita. Decorah also maintains 1,600 kW of installed wind energy capacity, attributed to Luther College's wind turbine. That total has not changed since 2020. Altogether, Decorah now has 7,334 kW-AC of renewable energy generating capacity installed through the end of 2024—equivalent to 967 watts per capita. Alliant Energy provided the installed capacity data to the City of Decorah at the request of the Sustainability Commission. The next update will be conducted in three years. For more information, contact Jim Martin-Schramm, Chair of the Decorah Sustainability Commission, at marschja@luther.edu. Never a dull moment! Subscribe to the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay one step ahead with local news and information you just can't get anywhere else.