Iowa leads in homegrown, reliable, renewable energy

As the nation continues to be hit by inflation, supply chain issues and the pandemic, Iowa has powered through these challenging times by providing residents and businesses with affordable, reliable electricity. Keeping the lights on is essential to our communities and businesses. With vast open fields in America's heartland, Iowa remains a clean energy leader, as of attracting almost $23 billion in capital investments and generating over $58 million in tax revenue, benefiting the economy and Iowans across the state. Continuing to push through these tough times allows us to keep serving our communities through improved and innovative electricity technology.

The Hawkeye state is the largest producer of renewable energy, with 59.5% of its power generated by homegrown renewable energy sources. Being number one in the nation for the state's share of electricity generated by renewables, we capitalize on this achievement by continuing to modernize Iowa’s transmission grid. Bolstering transmission infrastructure will increase resiliency during severe storms. A stronger grid can also carry energy farther during peak loads and create efficiency to ensure electric consumers can access the lowest-cost energy available. The cost of transmission investments will be returned to customers in lower-cost energy and operational savings.

Iowa can be proud of its energy independence. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Iowa has generated more energy each year than the state has consumed since 2008. This means the excess power is exported and sold to other states through the regional grid while creating energy cost benefits for Iowa’s electric customers — Iowa reaps the benefits of renewable energy while also helping out our neighboring states. Upgrading and expanding transmission not only strengthens Iowa's ability to keep the lights on, it also provides an opportunity to sell our excess power to neighboring states when they aren’t producing enough to meet their needs.

The Iowa Energy Plan, chaired by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, helps people across Iowa take the initiative on different energy efforts by incorporating the state's natural resources to power the economy and our communities. Reynolds’ goal was to foster collaboration locally and lead nationally using objectives and strategies to encourage growth in Iowa's energy sectors and maximize economic potential. Iowans continue to think innovatively to meet future energy goals, which keeps us moving forward.

Often located in rural parts of the state, clean energy is the perfect partner for rural communities to accelerate economic activities. Iowa's renewable energy projects generate enough electricity to power the equivalent of 4 million homes. Moreover, Iowans directly benefit from the 4,690 clean power jobs in Iowa.

Iowa is a clean energy powerhouse. We must stay ahead of the curve in achieving clean, affordable electricity supported by a modernized grid. Let’s build on our commitment to remain energy independent and create the maximum benefit for Iowa energy consumers by investing in robust transmission. By capitalizing on Iowa's emerging cash crop — renewable energy — and investing in our electric infrastructure, the future is promising for Iowans.

Chaz Allen serves as the Executive Director for Iowa Utility Association. Prior to joining the Iowa Utilities Association, Chaz worked as the Executive Director of the Jasper County Economic Development and served as an Iowa State Senator from 2015 until 2019.

Opinion content represents the viewpoint of the author or The Gazette editorial board. You can join the conversation by submitting a letter to the editor or guest column or by suggesting a topic for an editorial to editorial@thegazette.com