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
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
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 Friday, October 25, ten students from the Decorah Middle School’s Climate Change Action Group (CCAG) did a presentation to a small group at the Winneshiek Energy District office. The topic? Their vision for a new elementary school. Their purpose? To encourage attending adults to vote in favor of a new, energy efficient, renewable energy powered building that is designed for the students – and climate – of the future.
Assistance to farms and small businesses to apply for 50% renewable energy and energy efficiency grants offered through Clean Energy Districts of Iowa Energy Coaching program Press release by Clean Energy Districts of Iowa Clean Energy Districts of Iowa (CEDI), a nonprofit consortium of Energy Districts based in 13 counties in Iowa, is offering free energy coaching to assist farms and small businesses in applying for USDA grant funding for
By Paul Cutting, Energy Planner DECORAH – With help from the Winneshiek Energy District and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission, the City of Decorah applied for $233,638 from the Iowa Development Authority’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The city was recently notified that its grant request was successful. The project will provide cold climate ductless heat pumps at two Northeast Iowa Community Action Corporation properties in Decorah—the 15-unit
Starting in 2024 the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is ushering in a suite of tax credits and rebates for Americans looking to invest in clean energy. More rebate programs are anticipated to become available later in 2024. Click each thumbnail below for a full PDF. IRA Efficiency Fact Sheet IRA Efficiency Fact Sheet IRA EV Fact Sheet IRA Renewable Tax Credits Fact Sheet Other helpful links
Decorah’s Kim and Mary Glock recently upgraded their 50-gallon electric resistance water heater to an electric hybrid heat pump water heater, resulting in energy savings of about $650 annually. Follow along as we outline their journey. The Glock’s new 50-gallon AO Smith hybrid heat pump water, installed for $3,400 before incentives. Water heating accounts for nearly 18% of energy use within the typical home, second only to space heating. The