Lee County, Iowa
The Lee County, Iowa BDO Zone for Corn Stover is rated ‘A’.
Rating Issue Date: June 15, 2026.
'A' ratings denote high prospective viability of Feedstock Supply and Infrastructure and low expectations of default risk in the Zone. Capacity to support new biobased plant operations is considered strong.
Lee County, IA, BDO Zone Overview
Feedstock quantities are expressed in bone dry tons per year (bdt/yr), while feedstock costs are expressed in United States dollars (USD). Maximum transport distance is based on a 75-mile driving distance from the center point (Fort Madison, IA).
BDO Zone Assets
- An agronomically mature corn production system with multi-generational producer experience in cultivation and residue management.
- Virtually no industrial competition for corn stover, making feedstock availability both reliable and largely unconstrained.
- Mississippi River barge access and BNSF rail certification.
- Robust utilities availability.
- Very low political, regulatory, and sustainability risk.
BDO Zone Liabilities
- Narrow, weather-sensitive post-harvest collection window.
- Low historical demand for commercially aggregated corn stover.
- Significant year-to-year variability in biomass feedstock availability.
- Seasonal weather and low temperature risks.
- Major scale-up requirements.
- Uncertain and difficult-to-quantify farmer participation.
Infrastructure
- Location: US Highway 61 South, Fort Madison, Lee County, Iowa
- Site Size: 128 acres (Zoning: none; flat topography; pricing $12,000/acre). A greenfield parcel with strong utility infrastructure across all categories.
- Infrastructure:
- Electric: Interstate Power & Light, with Alliant Energy providing distribution and ITC Midwest providing transmission. Existing infrastructure includes 13.2 kV three-phase distribution and 64.5 kV transmission; the Devils Creek Substation is less than 2 miles away, and 2.5 MW of capacity should be available within six months. (Contact: Kay Sackville, Key Account Manager, kaysackville@alliantenergy.com, 319-379-1413)
- Natural Gas: distribution by MidAmerican Energy, transmission by ANR. A 6-inch, 70 lb distribution line with capacity of 15,000+ mcf/month. (Contact: Greg Theis, Program Manager, Business & Community Development, gregory.theis@midamerican.com, 563-333-8917)
- Water: City of Fort Madison — a 10-inch main with 1 million gallons/day capacity. The Fort Madison Waterworks plant is 1 mile from the site, with total permitted capacity of 5 MGD and excess capacity of 1.5 MGD against peak utilization of 3.5 MGD. (Contact: Mark Bousselot, Public Works Director, mbousselot@fortmadison-ia.com, 319-372-7700)
- Wastewater: City of Fort Madison — an 8-inch line located on the property. The treatment plant is 2 miles from the site, with total permitted capacity of 9 MGD and excess capacity of 2 MGD against peak utilization of 7 MGD. (Contact: Mark Bousselot, as above)
- Fiber/Telecom: Danville Mutual Telephone Company dba iConnectYou, with a fiber-optic chain running along Highway 61. (Contact: Timothy Fencl, General Manager & CEO, tfencl@danvilletelco.net, 319-392-4251)
- Transportation Access:
- The site can be accessed from multiple roads; US Highway 61 is approximately 500 feet east of the site.
- The site is 48 miles from I-172.
- Not rail-served; however, a BNSF rail line runs along the eastern boundary of the site, and the site is BNSF certified.
- The nearest commercial airport, Southeast Iowa Regional Airport (BRL), is 25 miles away.
- Mississippi River barge access.
- Site Contacts:
- Tim Gobble, Lee County Economic Development Group, 319-463-9030, tgobble@leecountyedg.com
Local Grants and Incentives
Lee County Economic Development GroupThe regional economic development organization behind the BDO Zone rating and the first point of contact for a project, coordinating site access, utility introductions and applications to the state programs below.
Iowa Economic Development AuthorityThe state agency administering Iowa’s business growth programs, including the High Quality Jobs Program, which provides tax credits, exemptions and direct financial assistance to businesses making qualifying capital investments and creating or retaining jobs.
Renewable Chemical Production Tax CreditAn Iowa credit for eligible businesses producing renewable chemicals from biomass feedstock in the state, calculated per pound of renewable chemical produced above a base level — directly relevant to a corn stover conversion plant sited in the BDO Zone.
