By Joel Zook, Energy Planner, and Andy Johnson, Executive Director On June 1, 2021 Black Hill Energy filed a rate increase request with the Iowa Utilities Board. Black Hills serves approximately 4,300 customers in Winneshiek County, including most of Decorah, Calmar, Ossian and Ridgeway. Customers have likely already seen the impact of the interim rate increase on their bills, though much of the effect is hidden in non-heating months. Iowa
By Max Walker, Green Iowa Americorps member In last week’s energy lunch, Winneshiek Energy District’s energy planner, Joel Zook, covered the possibility of mitigating the severity of climate change through home electrification. There are two other major steps that must happen alongside home electrification if we are to reduce our environmental impact in a meaningful way. First, we need to transition our methods of producing electricity to renewable energy. This