Post Author's Photographer By Kristin Eggen December 3, 2025

The Iowa Economic Development Authority recently awarded the Winneshiek Energy District $160,000 to support the project Audit to Action: Innovative Energy Management for Small Business Growth”.  The two-year project will help small commercial energy users in Winneshiek, Howard and Allamakee Counties gain deeper understanding of their energy use and save energy by integrating an energy audit with personalized energy coaching and long-term energy monitoring.

The grant will further the goals of IEDA’s Preparedness, Innovation and Energy Education Program by increasing energy efficiency for small businesses.

Energy audits are the gold standard for identifying energy savings opportunities, however many commercial customers under under a certain size cannot access cost-saving audits through current utility programs. Additionally, audit reports do not include information and insight gathered through long-term energy monitoring.. Over a two-year period, WED will work with 50 northeast Iowa small businesses and community organizations  to perform energy audits and install energy monitors to identify operational adjustments and efficiency improvements.

The installation of energy monitors will enhance conventional commercial energy audits by providing customers the long term, real-time energy consumption data that provides customers with actionable information on electricity consumption and building occupancy behaviors. As a result, WED can support participants by helping them identify opportunities for energy efficiency improvements that may not be apparent in a traditional audit “snapshot.” 

With energy monitoring insight, owners can implement operational changes such as adjusting equipment schedules, reducing unnecessary load during peak hours, and setting clear energy-use protocols for staff. Over time, these data-driven adjustments reduce operating expenses and support long-term efficiency goals. 

“We think that access to interactive data will help owners and staff connect daily operational choices with their utility bills,” says WED Energy Planner Paul Cutting. “This can create a powerful incentive for behavioral change when you can  see the impact of your behaviors.” 

“We see firsthand how high energy costs can affect operational budgets and long-term sustainability for rural small business owners,” says Val Reinke, Allamakee Development Director. “The proposed project will help address these challenges by providing participants with hard numbers that illustrate their energy usage, enabling them to make informed, cost-saving decisions.”

Program applications will open February 2026 at www.energydistrict.org/businesses/.


Kristin Eggen first came to the Winneshiek Energy District as a Green Iowa AmeriCorps member in 2015. Eight years later, she is thrilled to lead the grassroots clean energy movement in Winneshiek County. Kristin deeply appreciates rural communities, Northeast Iowa, community sustainability, and nonprofit management. She uses The Art of Hosting Conversations that Matter methodology and graphic recording services to drive strategic conversations around community sustainability, justice, fundraising, and nonprofit health.

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