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
Have you been feeling down about your carbon footprint? Maybe you’ve already made an effort to reduce your carbon footprint through energy efficiency, worked to electrify your home and transportation or added renewables? Or maybe you’re a renter who doesn’t have a choice in the matter? For those looking to “close the gap” between their net-zero goals and reality, consider purchasing Oneota Tag Carbon Offsets, the first entirely local carbon offset
This spring and summer we bring you “Electric Vehicle Owner Stories,” a series of interviews with northeast Iowa EV owners. This Electric Vehicle Owner Story features a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). Name: Philip Iversen Vehicle (Model and Year): 2014 Honda Accord Plug-in Hybrid All Electric Range: The all-electric range was 13-14 miles when purchased in 2019. Now it’s 8-9 miles. Purchased on: July 25, 2019 How many miles do you
This spring and summer we bring you “Electric Vehicle Owner Stories,” a series of interviews with northeast Iowa EV owners. This Electric Vehicle Owner Story features a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). A plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a car that uses both gasoline and electricity as fuel. PHEVs have a battery, an electric motor, an internal combustion engine (ICE), and a gasoline tank.They can run on electric power
Kristin Eggen, Executive Director July 2024 The Winneshiek Energy District spent July 9-13 talking to residents at the Winneshiek County Fair. We ate nachos, handed out lightbulbs, and shared information about heat pumps. Our question for passerbyers was “Will you put a dot on my map?” The large poster paper with a thick yellow axis and circular stickers wasn’t really a “map,” or at least not the kind that can
This spring and summer we bring you “Electric Vehicle Owner Stories,” a series of interviews with northeast Iowa EV owners. Name: Patrick Smith and Lor Miller Vehicle: 2019 Tesla Model 3 Purchased on: April 17, 2019 How many miles do you drive annually? 11,000 miles Thinking back to when you first considered an EV, what were your biggest concerns? Have those concerns lived up to what you had anticipated? My
This spring and summer we bring you “Electric Vehicle Owner Stories,” a series of interviews with northeast Iowa EV owners. Name: Zach & Stephanie Fromm Vehicle (Model and Year): 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid Purchased on: July of 2023 used and under the $25,000 threshold to access the $4,000 tax credit. Electric Range: As a first year model and with 80,000 miles on it at the time of purchase, I assumed the
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
This spring and summer we bring you “Electric Vehicle Owner Stories,” a series of interviews with northeast Iowa EV owners. Name: David Wadsworth (Wadsworth Construction) Vehicle: 2023 F-150 Lightning XLT with extended range battery, which is rated for 320 miles. Purchased on: Dec. 1, 2023 How many miles do you drive annually? Approximately 25,000 between work and personal use, and the truck will serve both. Thinking back to when you