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
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.
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
Publicly available electric vehicle charging has greatly improved in Winneshiek County and northeast Iowa. Within Decorah city limits, there are now sixteen level 2 chargers available for public use and two direct current fast chargers at Decorah Chevrolet. County- and region-wide, the situation has improved, too, with public chargers available in Calmar, Cresco, West Union, Lansing, and others. Level 2 chargers can recharge an EV in 3-8 hours depending on
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
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