Do you have a question about home energy efficiency, renewable energy, or local energy initiatives? Maybe there’s something that’s always been confusing, or unclear to you? Or a resource that’s hard to find? Submit your clean energy questions to the Winneshiek Energy District. Questions will be addressed in upcoming newsletters an on our blog.
Paul Cutting, Energy Planner If you’ve been following the national news about electric vehicles (EVs) lately, you might think things are quite dire. There’s concern of the Trump administration’s attempts to eliminate funding for the buildout of a national charging network, fear that tax credits will be eliminated, slowing sales amongst certain manufacturers, and eye-popping used vehicle depreciation. But the reality is far less bleak, if not outright positive. The
Hello! My name is Emilee Burcham and I am a junior at Luther College. I am an environmental studies major with a minor in social welfare. I am involved in Student Senate, Norse Against Sexual Assault, the Center for Sustainable Communities, and I work at the Oneota Co-Op. I am so excited to be the energy burden intern for this spring. I am passionate about equity and green energy and I
In the weeks to come WED will engage in a strategic planning process. Help us plan for the next several years of clean energy progress in Winneshiek County with this 6 minute survey. Your input will help us be as effective as possible in reaching WED’s mission to lead, implement and accelerate the locally-owned clean energy transition. No matter if you’re a long time follower, or new to our mission, your feedback
Today Decorah residents can vote to “Establish a municipal electric utility (MEU).” Doing so would allow the city of Decorah to take next steps in determining the feasibility of a Decorah MEU to provide improved rates and reliability. Since 2017 Winneshiek Energy District has championed this grassroots effort to explore local ownership because we believe that locally-owned power will bring increased prosperity to our region, provide rate relief to all energy users, and pave
Paul Cutting, Energy Planner Lansing, Iowa Lansing, Iowa, located along a beautiful stretch of the Mississippi River in Northeast Iowa, is the quintessential Mississippi River town. Sporting a largely intact core of mid 19th century brick and limestone buildings, it has the feel of a different era. Until 2022, Lansing was home to the Lansing Generating Station, a 338 megawatt coal-fired power plant built in 1948 by Interstate Power Company.
During the month of January Winneshiek Energy District Energy Planner Paul Cutting assisted environmental studies professor Laura Peterson in her J-term course Bringing Sustainable Energy Home. Luther’s January term, or J-Term as it’s commonly known, provides students the chance to spend the month learning about a topic in-depth. Made possible for the past two years by a generous donation from Luther alumni Linda and Leon Gregg, 16 students learned the
Hometown Taxi, a small community-minded taxi company based in Decorah, recently added its first electric vehicle to its fleet. Known for providing rides in and around Decorah and regional trips to places like Iowa City, Rochester, Des Moines and Madison, the company has long relied on its fleet of five Toyota Priuses and a hybrid Toyota Sienna to meet the needs of its customers. After years of considering a move
What is Winneshiek County’s locally-led energy district focusing on in the year ahead? Key initiatives in 2025 include: Providing one-on-one energy coaching so all Winneshiek County residents can identify their next clean energy upgrade Taking a community-centric approach to eliminating energy burden Supporting locally owned energy by educating and advocating for a Decorah municipal electric utility Amplifying Clean Energy stories through events, communications, and celebrations Initiating a new strategic plan
On November 19th the Winneshiek Energy District, in partnership with the Clayton and Allamakee Energy Districts, hosted a Clean Energy Forum in Postville for local leadership in the three counties. County officials, city council members, economic development groups, community foundations, business owners, and elected representatives were invited. This regional forum was designed to bring a diverse group of leadership together to explore clean energy efforts in surrounding counties and discuss