Key Initiates in 2025

Key Initiates in 2025

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

Read More

Notes from the 2024 Clean Energy Forum for Local Leaders

Notes from the 2024 Clean Energy Forum for Local Leaders

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

Read More

WED Welcomes New Director

WED Welcomes New Director

On April 2, 2024 the Winneshiek Energy District welcomed Kristin Eggen as the second executive director of the Winneshiek Energy District.  Eggen first came to the Winneshiek Energy District as a Green Iowa AmeriCorps volunteer in 2015. A native of Appleton, Wisconsin, Kristin studied nonprofit management at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. After graduating she promptly moved to the driftless to be near the bluffs, rivers, and extended family.

Read More

The City of Decorah’s Partnership with CEDI Receives a Major Federal Grant

The City of Decorah’s Partnership with CEDI Receives a Major Federal Grant

By Jim Martin-Schramm, Policy Analyst, Clean Energy Districts of Iowa On October 12, 2023, the Department of Energy announced that the City of Decorah, in partnership with the Clean Energy Districts of Iowa, has been awarded $1.1 million in funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Competitive Program.  The EECBG Program is designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use,

Read More

Clean Energy Districts Featured In Ireland!

Andy Johnson, Executive Director The Clean Energy Districts of Iowa was invited to join USDA Rural Development leaders in presenting at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Rural Development Conference in Ireland. The theme of the September OECD gathering was “Building Sustainable, Resilient, and Thriving Rural Places”. CEDI Executive Director Andy Johnson discussed the universal-local Energy District model, and the Energy District’s partnership in implementing USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program,

Read More

In a sea of technical innovation, WED brings cultural innovation to VERGE19

In a sea of technical innovation, WED brings cultural innovation to VERGE19

Kristin Eggen, Communications Specialist, Winneshiek Energy District December 31, 2019 Shippable Solar kits for faraway lands? Snacks from the byproduct of beer-making? Carbon accounting apps? Yes, these all exist and were showcased at the GreenBIZ VERGE19 conference, in addition to dozens of industry experts from around the country. My colleague Joel Zook and I had the privilege to attend VERGE19 in Oakland, CA October 22-24 with support from the Solutions

Read More

Members make it happen. Join us!

Members make it happen. Join us!

We are grateful to all of the member-donors who supported this year’s clean local energy work with a tax-deductible donation.  These individuals and businesses provide essential matching funds for the grants that support roughly half of our work. Membership dollars help WED pursue important projects that are unlikely to be covered by grant funding. With inclusiveness as one of our core values, locally raised membership dollars to allow for WED staff

Read More

We’re Famous! Repost from energynews.us

We’re Famous! Repost from energynews.us

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

Read More

Nine accomplishments from our 9th year

Nine accomplishments from our 9th year

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

Read More