Logo for Winneshiek Energy District featuring a stylized town silhouette, a wind turbine, solar panels, and a radiant yellow sky.

Moving the Needle: How One Rural Congregation Electrified its Building and Secured its Future

July 27, 2023

Guest Story by Jim and Liz Fritz,Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Decorah, IowaIs it possible for a small Midwestern Lutheran congregation to go from eight natural gas furnaces to eight heat pumps and create all needed …

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Logo for Winneshiek Energy District featuring a stylized town silhouette, a wind turbine, solar panels, and a radiant yellow sky.

2023 Solar Tax Incentives

July 2, 2023

Solar PV tax incentives are a powerful financial incentive for homeowners, farmers, and business owners considering going solar. Unfortunately, renewable energy tax credits are not refundable, and so not a fair incentive for those with …

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Logo for Winneshiek Energy District featuring a stylized town silhouette, a wind turbine, solar panels, and a radiant yellow sky.

Inflation Reduction Act

July 2, 2023

Update: On July 4. 2025 the One Big Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law, repealing a significant portion of the Inflation Reduction Act.  The Inflation Reeducation Act is landmark federal legislation that advances key priories of …

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Attention Charge Station Owners: Iowa’s electric vehicle charging tax starts July 1

June 21, 2023

By Andy Johnson, Clean Energy Districts of Iowa Executive DirectorHeads up electric vehicle (EV) charge station owners: All non-residential EV charging that happens in the state of Iowa will be subject to a new 2.6 …

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Logo for Winneshiek Energy District featuring a stylized town silhouette, a wind turbine, solar panels, and a radiant yellow sky.

More from the Session: Solar Siting and Energy Codes

March 16, 2023

Andy Johnson, Clean Energy Districts of IowaIn addition to the solar tax credit waitlist funding, the defeat of restrictive utility scale solar energy siting and changes to building energy codes were both positive outcomes from …

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Solar Farming Bans Proposed, Solar Prosperity At Risk Throughout Rural Iowa

January 30, 2023

Rural Solar Prosperity Under Attack In Iowa; Farm Solar Ban ProposedRecent years have witnessed a significant rise of anti-solar activism around Iowa (and the Midwest), and the sentiment is spreading to the Legislature. Efforts are …

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Logo for Winneshiek Energy District featuring a stylized town silhouette, a wind turbine, solar panels, and a radiant yellow sky.

Wind Power in Howard County brings Road Improvements

January 29, 2023

by Amy Bouska, Board Chair, Howard County Energy District As a result of a renewable electricity standard signed into law in 1983 by then-Governor Terry Branstad, wind turbines have been appearing in Iowa farm fields …

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The IRA: A New Year, New Incentives (Including IRA Program Fact Sheets)

January 2, 2023

Paul Cutting, Energy PlannerThe first of many new IRA-related tax credits and incentives came into effect January 1, 2023, and include new and updated tax credits for solar, battery storage, heat pumps, electric vehicles and …

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A Cleaner Grid Is More Reliable: Winter Version

November 3, 2022

By Andy Johnson and Warren McKenna Click here to read the pdf version with footnoted sources Here we go again. Grid operators and utilities are issuing dire warnings about looming blackouts this winter, and often …

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A Cleaner AND More Reliable Grid

November 3, 2022

Andy Johnson, Executive DirectorWe wroteback in Juneabout how the clean grid of the future can indeed be an increasingly reliable and resilient grid. It was an effort to counter the narrative that reliability will only …

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Solar Suitability Rating High Throughout Iowa

November 3, 2022

Andy Johnson, Executive DirectorIt is abundantly clear that we need more large-scale solar (and storage) to complement the high penetration of large-scale wind in Iowa and promote a cleaner and more reliable grid. Yet the …

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Preparing for High Heating Costs

September 26, 2022

by Paul Cutting, Energy PlannerHigh energy bills are expected this year. (Read this article for an analysis of why.) What can you do to get ready? First of all, go after all the low hanging …

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Expect High Home Heating Costs This Winter

September 5, 2022

Get ready, it may cost a lot more to heat your home this winter. The convergence of a multitude of factors, including the war in Ukraine, a summer of unprecedented heat and electricity demand, diminished …

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Logo for Winneshiek Energy District featuring a stylized town silhouette, a wind turbine, solar panels, and a radiant yellow sky.

Get Charged Up! EV Event

July 27, 2022

  Join us October 13 for the Northeast Iowa Get Charged Up! EV Event! A line up of subject matter experts and panel discussions will introduce attendees to community electric vehicle (EV) readiness, EV fleet …

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Logo for Winneshiek Energy District featuring a stylized town silhouette, a wind turbine, solar panels, and a radiant yellow sky.

Utilities Board Declines To Hear Decorah Complaint

July 18, 2022

The Iowa Utilities Board has declined to hear Decorah’s complaint requesting utility data from Alliant, despite their own staff and the Office of Consumer Advocate recommending they do so. The data was requested by the …

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