Post Author's Photographer By Paul Cutting June 1, 2026

Winneshiek Energy District’s recently completed City of Decorah Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program successfully provided home energy assessments to thirty middle and lower income households across Decorah. The program focused on identifying practical steps to improve home comfort and lower monthly expenses for households who stand to benefit the most from efficiency improvements. WED’s home energy audits analyzed insulation levels, mechanical systems, and overall building tightness to help households better understand and manage their energy use and provide them a path forward for quantifiable energy efficiency improvements.

We did encounter significant headwinds due to the unexpected shifts in the federal funding landscape. The project was originally designed under the assumption that households served could access Inflation Reduction Act rebate programs, and that federal tax credits for energy efficiency improvements and solar would remain intact. The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer resulted in the repeal of these incentives. Without such incentives the upfront costs of major energy efficiency improvements become a substantial barrier that greatly reduces the ability of households to move forward with efficiency projects.

Despite these headaches and hurdles, the assessments revealed widespread, accessible opportunities for energy savings. The most consistent finding across all households was the opportunity for air sealing and envelope tightening. Whether it be leaky doors, unsealed attic hatches, or electrical and plumbing chases that extend from the basement to the attic, most homes stand to benefit from basic air sealing.

The program also confirmed a trend we’ve observed before: A significant number of Decorah area households still use electric resistance water heaters, despite the economic forces working against electricity as an energy input. For Decorah customers, replacing an inefficient electric resistance water heater with a natural gas or high-efficient electric heat pump water heater results in substantial energy and cost savings opportunities. 

While major mechanical upgrades faced financial barriers, the program delivered immediate, and concrete benefits to participants. We also distributed LED, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to many of the households we served, improving both efficiency and home safety. 

Moving forward, we’re still able to offer free energy audits to Deborah and Winneshiek County residents through a separate funding stream. You can sign up for your free energy audit at energydistrict.org/audit.


Winneshiek Energy District Energy Planner Paul joins Winneshiek Energy District with a background in teaching and carpentry. For the last seven years Paul was a high school industrial tech teacher in Lanesboro, MN. There he taught carpentry, cabinetmaking, electricity, engineering design, graphic design, CAD, entrepreneurship, and more generally, enjoyed helping youngsters grow into capable and confident young adults. Prior to teaching, Paul spent several years as a carpenter disassembling and reconstructing 19th century Norwegian-built log buildings for clients. He also worked several seasons for HistoriCorps, a non-profit that pairs volunteers with hands-on historic preservation projects throughout the mountain west. In his free time Paul enjoys making furniture, trail running with his dog Bobo, scheming backpacking trips out west, camping in his homemade teardrop camper, and rehabbing his 170 year old brick house.

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