By Joel Zook, Energy Planner These truly are unprecedented times. With the partial shutdown of our economy that is now slowly crawling back, it’s hard to know what the “new normal” will look like. We do know however, that there are good opportunities to invest in our local economy through energy efficiency and renewable energy. Those investments will help create a more robust and resilient economy. Money that we can
Author Archives: Kristin Eggen
Bri Burke, Green Iowa Member In the midst of this pandemic and all of the changes it has brought, one thing is still the same; the Green Iowa Americorps team is hard at work serving our community. Thankfully, there’s a lot of other great people serving our community that we are partnering with to accomplish much needed work. The team has been working with the Food Pantry, the Food Hub,
Joel Zook, Energy Planner New Funding Available for Farms and Small Businesses Luther College’s Center for Sustainable Communities has received USDA funding to provide energy audits through the Winneshiek Energy District (WED) to small businesses and agricultural producers in NE Iowa and SE Minnesota. The grant funding provided by USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) significantly reduces the cost of a high-quality energy audit. “This is a great opportunity
Andy Johnson, Executive Director Your Energy District has been among many Iowa voices urging a ban on all utility disconnections during the current public health crisis. On March 27th, the Iowa Utilities Board ordered: All electric and natural gas utilities, including municipal, cooperative, and investor-owned, and all investor-owned water utilities are restricted from disconnecting any customers until the public health emergency is lifted by written statement of Governor Kim Reynolds.
Andy Johnson, Executive Director Now is a great time to install solar for most farm, home, and business owners in Iowa. After many years of policy battles at the Utilities Board and Legislature, Iowa’s solar advocacy community – including your Energy Districts – has won a major victory. SF 583 has been signed by the Governor, and makes net metering the law of the land for the foreseeable future. Here,
Bri Burke, GreenIowa Americorps Member COVID-19 has brought our regular home energy assessment work to a temporary halt. In response, we have been hard at work brainstorming new ways to continue serving the community while abiding by social distancing. To do this, we have altered our old Americorps mantra, “Getting things done”, to, “Getting things done…from a distance”. To continue our work (from a distance!), we are developing an “Audit
Joel Zook, Energy Planner, Winneshiek Energy District Last year, I finally put solar on my roof. 2019 was the year many people, including myself, took advantage of state and federal tax credits before they phase out over three years. If you are thinking about solar, it’s important to know that tax credits are still in place, but drop a bit lower at the end of 2020, before phasing out completely
Iowa electric customers and communities pursuing locally-owned solar energy could be big winners this legislative session, if a tentative deal between solar advocates and MidAmerican Energy is implemented as intended. The deal would codify two versions of net metering in state law, and create a roadmap towards development of a Value of Solar tariff when certain statewide adoption rates are reached. Final language is still being hammered out, and we
Andy Johnson, Executive Director, Winneshiek Energy District The Iowa Utilities Board has issued a final ruling on the recent Alliant Energy electric rate increase. The Energy District joined the City of Decorah, Luther College, Winneshiek Medical Center, and Aase Haugen Senior Services in forming the Decorah Area Group (DAG). DAG submitted extensive testimony in opposition to the rate increase, and in support of locally-owned energy efficiency and solar rights. DAG’s
Andy Johnson, Executive Director, Winneshiek Energy District How high’s the water, mama? Two feet high and risin’ How high’s the water, papa? She said it’s two feet high and risin’ We can make it to the road in a homemade boat That’s the only thing we got left that’ll float It’s already over all the wheat and oats, Two feet high and risin’ Johnny Cash was no stranger to hard