Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives

NEWS RELEASES

September 18, 2020

On the morning of Sept. 18, 21 linemen from Iowa's electric cooperatives answered the call for mutual aid and headed south to Louisiana for two weeks.

The crews from seven electric cooperatives in Iowa will convene in Little Rock, AR, and then travel to Beauregard Electric Cooperative in Louisiana to assist with the co-op's massive power restoration in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, a Category 4 storm that made landfall on Aug. 27. The men will step in and relieve other mutual aid crews that have been working for the past two weeks.

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August 20, 2020

On Monday, Aug. 10, a devastating derecho storm with winds nearing 140 miles per hour in some places carved a path of unprecedented destruction throughout central and east central Iowa. Immediately after the storm, Iowa’s rural electric cooperatives reported outages to more than 58,000 homes and businesses. Broken trees and limbs along with other windswept debris caused extensive damage to electric transmission and distribution systems throughout several counties. Three electric cooperatives reported at least 90% of their systems were offline, which speaks to the powerful magnitude of the derecho.

Power was restored to most meters within a week, and crews closed in on the remaining outages by Tuesday, August 18.

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May 7, 2020

More than 30 electric co-ops serving over 3 million member-consumers across the Upper Midwest have signed on to a letter urging members of Congress to provide economic relief for rural America. The letter was addressed to members of Congress from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Specifically, the letter calls for Congress to support additional stimulus package relief for food and ethanol processing plants, and the farmers and ranchers who serve themmost of whom are also electric cooperative members. IAEC signed on to the letter in addition to Iowa electric cooperatives in the Basin Electric Power Cooperative member system. 

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April 30, 2020

For many Iowa families, the COVID-19 pandemic isn’t just a public health crisis – it’s also a financial crisis. To ease the financial burden on those who are experiencing decreased or lost income, Iowa’s locally owned electric cooperatives have temporarily suspended disconnections for nonpayment during the health emergency.

It’s important to note, however, the disconnect suspension is not a bill waiver or bill forgiveness. If you’re unable to pay your bill on time and in full, please contact your local electric cooperative as soon as possible to make payment arrangements.

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March 23, 2020

Iowa’s locally owned electric cooperatives have put plans and processes in place to protect member-consumers and employees as they continue to provide safe, reliable power during the COVID-19 pandemic. Electric co-ops regularly practice and review emergency preparedness plans and have implemented their business continuity and pandemic response plans in response to COVID-19.

“Electric cooperatives have been taking steps to prepare for the evolving COVID-19 challenges while maintaining their commitment to the member-consumers and communities they serve,” remarked Chuck Soderberg, EVP of the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives. “Electric co-ops have a strong track record of preparing for many kinds of emergencies and scenarios. Processes are in place to continue providing safe, reliable electricity to power members’ lives in these uncertain times.”

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February 13, 2020

More than 140 directors from Iowa's locally owned electric co-ops attended the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperative's annual Directors' Update at the West Des Moines Marriott in early February.

IAEC Board President Steve Seidl explains, "We know that for directors to be most effective, they must be knowledgeable about the challenges and issues that could impact their electric cooperative. The local board guides the cooperative in providing electricity that is safe, affordable, reliable and sustainable in addition to playing a crucial role in determining the strategic direction and priorities of the co-op."

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February 7, 2020

More than 200 building industry professionals and Iowa electric co-op staff attended the 2020 Momentum is Building conference, held Feb. 6-7 in West Des Moines.

Sponsored by the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa, the annual conference promotes residential energy efficiency building concepts and provides valuable CEU training for electricians, plumbers and HVAC professionals. This year, 20 vendors and exhibitors attended the conference to share new trends and products related to residential energy efficiency. The conference also serves to educate the next generation of professionals as several construction students from Indian Hills Community College and Iowa Central Community College attended.

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January 15, 2020

Nearly 200 directors, managers and employees from Iowa’s electric cooperatives discussed priorities with more than 80 state legislators on January 14 during the annual Welcome Back Legislative Reception in downtown Des Moines.

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December 9, 2019

With the theme of “The Power of Cooperative Commitment,” the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC) conducted its 2019 annual meeting in West Des Moines with more than 400 attendees on Dec. 5 and 6. Board directors and senior staff from Iowa’s locally owned rural electric cooperatives attended the one-and-a-half day meeting, where they had an opportunity to hear from IAEC Board President Steve Seidl and IAEC Executive Vice President and General Manager Chuck Soderberg.

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October 29, 2019

Twelve volunteer linemen from electric cooperatives in Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin recently returned from an international project called “Partners for a Brighter Tomorrow.” The group worked for 16 days to build out infrastructure to electrify 42 households, a school, a health outpost and a church in a rural north-central Guatemalan village. The team worked in conjunction with the NRECA International foundation which has implemented electrification programs across the globe for over 50 years.

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Iowa's locally owned electric cooperatives are committed to providing safe, reliable, affordable & environmentally responsible power to 650,000 Iowans.

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