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.
Kristin Eggen, Communications Join us for an energy lunch. While there are many amazing local solar installers, perhaps you’ve imagined installing your own solar panels? The Winneshiek Energy District and Northeast Iowa Community College invite the public to a lunchtime lecture “The Bumps and Benefits of DIY Solar” at NICC’s Wilder Business Center on Tuesday, October 15th at 12 PM. The hour-long lunch-and-lecture will feature NICC’s Electrical Industrial instructor Jeff
On the evening of Saturday, September 21st, 2019 thirty-six people squeezed in the Oneota Co-op’s Kitchen Classroom to view the documentary “Paris to Pittsburgh.” The 73-minute film explored America’s movement toward renewable, clean energy in the face of climate change catastrophes around the country. Stories from Miami to Ventura, from Pittsburgh to Puerto Rico showed how localities are responding to natural disasters caused by a changing climate. It was a
Are you a farm or small business owner looking for support for renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements? Or perhaps you’re simply curious about programs available to support rural communities? If so, September’s Energy Breakfast is one you won’t want to miss. On Tuesday, September 17th at 7:30 AM at T-Bocks Underground join USDA Rural Development Program Specialist Norman Brus learn about the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP