By: Briana Burke, Green Iowa AmeriCorps NE Iowa’s Energy-Efficiency Triad In 2017 an estimated 66.7% to 86% of energy production in the United States was wasted (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 2017). In a time when we are facing a climate crisis, we are not only the single largest per-capita producers of greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change, but well over half of our emissions end up in the atmosphere
https://energynews.us/2019/11/21/midwest/in-iowa-grassroots-energy-districts-aim-to-spur-local-clean-energy-conversations/ In Iowa, grassroots energy districts aim to spur local clean energy conversations Karen Uhlenhuth, Energy News Network The concept is modeled on soil and water conservation districts that spread across the country in the 1930s. A decade ago, Craig Mosher was one of a half-dozen people trying to rethink energy in their small hometown of Decorah in northeast Iowa. “The general concern was climate change, but the specific concern
Kristin Eggen, Communications Specialist Together with community partners and support from our members, we took some notable steps toward our shared goal of local, clean, efficient energy in Winneshiek County. Here are nine accomplishments from our ninth(!) year: Helped homeowners, businesses and farms invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in renewables and energy efficiency measures through our energy planning services Hosted Winneshiek Solar Fair connecting the public to local solar
The growing energy cost burden impacts everyone from low-income households to small businesses to institutions and communities as a whole. This reality has been central to the Decorah Area Group’s intervention in the ongoing Alliant Energy rate increase docket at the Iowa Utilities Board. Luther College Professor of Economics Steve Holland wrote important testimony about these impacts, and we encourage you to read his piece. You can find all the
Joel Zook, Energy Planner The ACEEE article shared in this newsletter shows that rural American households are one-third more likely to be energy burdened than the average US household. There are several ways to calculate “energy burden” and not one agreed-upon definition. ACEEE defines “Energy Burdened” households as those who spend 6% of their annual income energy bills (electricity and heating fuel). In last month’s newsletter, we highlighted the fact
Andy Johnson, Executive Director, Winneshiek Energy District Jim Martin-Schramm, Director of Luther College Center for Sustainable Communities At last count, a precedent-setting 55 [updated: 61] city councils and county boards of supervisors in Iowa have passed resolutions asking the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to deny most or all of Alliant Energy’s proposed increase to base electric (and gas) rates. IUB dockets aren’t generally on local government agendas, so what’s happening
Alliant is still pushing a 15% increase. Here are the recent developments. Andy Johnson, Executive Director On October 3rd, intervenors including the Office of Consumer Advocate, large business, and environmental groups filed a “non-unanimous, partial settlement” proposal with the Iowa Utilities Board. While the Decorah Area Group (DAG) testimony was certainly part of the body of evidence and pressure on the company to settle, DAG believes the settlement terms
Members of the “Decorah Area Group,” a group of citizens and experts from our area who submitted testimony against Alliant’s proposed rate increase, are in Des Moines this week to attend rate case hearings. From left: Jim Martin Schramm, Dave Berg, Andy Johnson, and Sheila Tipton. Jim is an Energy District Board member and Director of Luther College Center for Sustainable Communities. Andy is our Executive Director here at the Winneshiek
On Monday, September 30th, a new Green Iowa AmeriCorps team started orientation at the Winneshiek Energy District. This is the 10th Green Iowa AmeriCorps team that our organization has hosted! This year’s team consists of Briana Burke, Lucas Griesheimer, Rowan Collins, and Jessica Hegdahl. Briana Burke is a returning member to our Green Iowa Americorps team. Last year she contributed as the team’s logistics coordinator and is coming back to
Hearings for the Alliant Energy proposed rate increase will be held October 7-10th, 2019 in Des Moines. WED Executive Director Andy Johnson and board member Jim Martin-Schramm will attend as interveners. The public is welcome to view the hearings via webcast. Save this link to tune in on the 7th. Need a primer? Read Andy’s blog post titled Electric Rates Matter to Every Community.