Press Release

Iowa consumers who are interested in investing in their own solar generation now have an informative new resource from the Iowa Energy Center. On Monday, the Iowa Energy Center published the Home Series: Solar PV Energy Guide, a 32-page booklet which covers every aspect of the decision-making process for those who are considering their own solar panels. Several organizations were included in the development of the solar guide, including the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, Alliant Energy, MidAmerican Energy, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities, the Office of Consumer Advocate, and the Iowa Utilities Board.

Iowa’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives are encouraged by the Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling late Tuesday to halt implementation of President Obama’s Clean Power Plan regulations until litigation is concluded. Oral arguments on the Clean Power Plan’s legality will be heard at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on June 2, 2016, and it will most likely be appealed to the Supreme Court which may not review the case until early 2017 or later.

On behalf of participating cooperatives, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC) filed the results of the electric cooperatives’ energy efficiency programs for the years 2013 and 2014 with the Iowa Utilities Board and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office of Consumer Advocate earlier this week. This filing represented the completion of the electric cooperatives’ first 5-year energy efficiency plan. In the years 2010-2014, Iowa’s not-for-profit electric co-ops invested approximately $76.7 million (over $15 million annually) in energy efficiency programs. The energy savings from the five-year plan are expected to total nearly 3.7 billion kilowatt-hours over the life of the measures installed, which represents enough electricity to power more than 347,000 homes for a full year. Efficiency programs vary by co-op, but can include rebates and incentives for lighting upgrades, appliances, HVAC upgrades, insulation improvements, weatherization efforts and more. Steve Seidl, IAEC board president, remarked, “These results reinforce Iowa electric cooperatives’ commitment to our member-owners. We’re helping them use energy wisely through extensive energy efficiency efforts.”

Chuck Soderberg of Le Mars has been selected as the new executive vice president for the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC); he will start on September 8. Current IAEC EVP Brian Kading will retire in early September after a 33-year career at the organization.

Earlier today, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed into law House File 645, which, among other things, increases the tax credit capacity for utility solar projects by 10 megawatts. Iowa’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives have been supportive of the legislation and are pleased at the outcome.

35 high school students representing not-for-profit electric cooperatives across Iowa departed for a weeklong adventure to Washington D.C. today, as part of the national Youth Your program coordinated by statewide electric cooperative associations and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Beginning back in 1958, Iowa’s electric cooperatives have been sending student leaders to the nation’s capital each summer where they get an up-close look at the political process while also touring national museums, monuments and memorials. Students also learn more about the role electric cooperatives play in providing safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable power to member-owners. 

As the winter energy assistance disconnection moratorium ends on April 1, electric cooperative member-owners who are behind on their utility payments are urged to contact their co-op as soon as possible to work out payment options to avoid disconnection. Iowa’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives are willing to work with member-owners who have fallen behind on payments to find an agreeable solution; disconnection of service is always a last resort.

More than 200 rural electric cooperative (REC) employees and directors, representing more than 25 Iowa co-ops, traveled to the Iowa State Capitol on Monday to advocate for important issues during their annual REC Day on the Hill event. The co-op representatives first met for a briefing to receive updates on state and federal legislative issues, and John Richards, senior advisor of the Office of Energy Policy at the U.S. Department of Energy, spoke about the DOE’s efforts to collaborate with energy stakeholders in the development of energy policy. The group then met with their local elected officials during a dessert social on the first floor rotunda of the Capitol.

The electric cooperatives of Iowa have teamed up with Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy to fund specialized first responder training during the 91st Annual State Fire School session in Ames from February 27-March 1. Organized by the Fire Service Training Bureau, the State Fire School training is held at the Scheman Continuing Education Center on the campus of Iowa State University and provides high quality training from top instructors. Effective training reduces risk to firefighters, many of whom are volunteers, while increasing the level of service to the communities they serve. The electric utilities will fund two identical three-hour workshops, Responding to Electrical Emergencies - Solar and Wind Power, which will be led by renown instructor Mike Callan. The workshops will familiarize responders with the hazards of electricity in general, along with the unique hazards of solar and wind electricity generation. Participants will discuss the hazards, equipment, safety, and general response tactics for first responders.