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
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.
Jim Martin-Schramm Last fall, Alliant Energy sent a notice to customers about its application to the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to increase rates. For many, Alliant’s notice might have been missed or swept into the recycling bin without much thought. Not at Luther College. Luther’s Director of Facilities Services immediately set about figuring out how Alliant’s rate increase would impact the college. He was stunned. Luther College is facing a
by Paul Cutting, Energy Planner High energy bills are expected this year. (Read this article for an analysis of why.) What can you do to get ready? First of all, go after all the low hanging fruit like air sealing and making sure your furnace is in good working order. Generally speaking, the biggest sources of air intrusion/extrusion through a house are the basement and attic. In the basement, make
by Joel Zook, Energy Planner We’ve been asked recently why Black Hills natural gas bills are rising and continue to rise when the rate increase was a one-time deal, and was reported to be a relatively small one. The answer is complicated, but we’ll try to explain. Here are three take-aways: Yes, Black Hills recently raised their rates However, the larger impact on your home or business’s bills is due
Andy Johnson, Executive Director Iowa’s solar tax credit has been critical to the growth of locally-owned solar in Winneshiek County and throughout Iowa. Thanks to oversubscription and linkage with a phasing out federal credit, its future is in jeopardy. House File 221 would pay down the wait list, raise the annual cap, and decouple from the federal credit, and needs your support! This Iowa Solar Energy Trade Association page is an excellent resource
Action Alert: Save Iowa’s Solar Tax Credit; then Stop Natural Gas Protectionism Andy Johnson, Executive Director Iowa’s solar tax credit has been critical to the growth of locally-owned solar in Winneshiek County and throughout Iowa. Thanks to oversubscription and linkage with a phasing out federal credit, its future is in jeopardy. House File 221 would pay down the wait list, raise the annual cap, and decouple from the federal credit, and
Joel Zook, Energy Planner Alliant Energy has doubled the amount of their residential rebates and dramatically increased the rebate amount for their small business lighting rebate program. The increased rebate levels are only good through the end of the year so act now to take advantage of them. If you’ve been thinking of upgrading your home’s cooling system, or adding a heat pump to supplement your gas furnace, act now
What’s At Stake The end of net metering and local solar prosperity may sound sensationalist, but that appears to be the goal of a new petition filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) by the New England Ratepayers Association (NERA). The NERA appears to be a front group for major electric utilities and anti-renewable energy groups. Ownership matters. When farms, homes, businesses, and institutions invest in solar energy, they
Interested in investing in solar for your home, farm, or business? 2020 is the perfect time to go solar! A combination of low solar costs combined with federal and state tax credits (which are decreasing each year) and rising electricity rates makes now a great time to install solar. Our very own Joel Zook, energy planner at Winneshiek Energy District, holistically details the need-to-know concepts for anyone considering the benefits