Name: Zach & Stephanie Fromm Vehicle (Model and Year): 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Purchased on: July of 2023 used and under the $25,000 threshold to access the $4,000 tax credit. Electric Range: As a first year model and with 80,000 miles on it at the time of purchase, I assumed the battery would be degraded a bit, so I wasn’t surprised to find it at 26 miles in the summer and
Author Archives: Kristin Eggen
By Paul Cutting, Energy Planner DECORAH – With help from the Winneshiek Energy District and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, the City of Decorah applied for $233,638 from the Iowa Development Authority’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The city was recently notified that its grant request was successful. The project will provide cold climate ductless heat pumps at two Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation properties in Decorah—the 15-unit
This spring and summer we bring you “Electric Vehicle Owner Stories,” a series of interviews with northeast Iowa EV owners. Name: David Wadsworth (Wadsworth Construction) Vehicle: 2023 F-150 Lightning XLT with extended range battery, which is rated for 320 miles. Purchased on: Dec. 1, 2023 How many miles do you drive annually? Approximately 25,000 between work and personal use, and the truck will serve both. Thinking back to when you
On April 2, 2024 the Winneshiek Energy District welcomed Kristin Eggen as the second executive director of the Winneshiek Energy District. Eggen first came to the Winneshiek Energy District as a Green Iowa AmeriCorps volunteer in 2015. A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Kristin studied nonprofit management at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. After graduating she promptly moved to the driftless to be near the bluffs, rivers, and extended family.
Starting in 2024 the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is ushering in a suite of tax credits and rebates for Americans looking to invest in clean energy. More rebate programs are anticipated to become available later in 2024. Click each thumbnail below for a full PDF. IRA Efficiency Fact Sheet IRA Efficiency Fact Sheet IRA EV Fact Sheet IRA Renewable Tax Credits Fact Sheet Other helpful links
Heidi Eger, Communications Last Saturday, we had a wonderful time hosting the Electrify! Fair in the big community building a the Winneshiek County Fairgrounds. We split the building with Winneshiek County Conservation who hosted a kid-focused Earth Day Festival. Nearly 500 people attended the events. On our side of the building, we hosted 8 contractors and 4 electric vehicles. We had both solar and HVAC contractors in attendance to talk
Luke Frederick, GIA Audit Coordinator On April 15, the Winneshiek Energy District was joined by a collection of eager volunteers to plant tree saplings. Every year, the Winneshiek Energy District, in collaboration with Kevin and Leslie Sand, hosts a tree planting event for residents in the Decorah area. By signing up, a resident can qualify for several species of free trees and the team will plant the trees for them.
by Paul Cutting, Energy Planner Winneshiek Energy District is excited to partner with six Winneshiek County organizations and the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa to bring public-facing electric vehicle charging to downtown Calmar, Northeast Iowa Community College’s Calmar campus, Winneshiek Medical Center, the new Sunflower Child Development and Discovery Center, downtown Decorah at the Chamber of Commerce, and Seed Savers Exchange. The roughly $45,000 project is being funded, in part,
by Andy Johnson, Executive Director The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently released its AR6 Synthesis Report: Climate Change 2023. It is represents the best science in the world, and it is sobering. Good coverage including enlightening graphics can be found at The Conversation, World Resources Institute, CNBC, and elsewhere. There’s no sugar-coating the conclusions: “Widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred. Human-caused climate change is already affecting
by Paul Cutting, Energy Planner On March 21st, WED hosted an Energy Lunch to discuss how the new direct pay option allows non taxable entities to take advantage of the 30% federal renewable energy refundable tax credit! Organizations like schools, nonprofits, churches and local governments are now able to capture the full value of the 30% federal tax credit, putting renewable energy projects like PV solar, geothermal, wind, EV vehicle