Why should Iowans be charged for energy sent to other states?

Based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), about 60% of the electricity generated in Iowa is derived from wind. However, at least one-third of this wind-derived energy is being sent out of Iowa. In fact, about 50% of the electricity actually used in Iowa is derived from wind. About 50% is derived from coal and natural gas. This has been true for the last three years. If only two-thirds of Iowa’s wind-generated energy goes to Iowans, then it would seem fair that only two-thirds of the cost of the utilities’ investments in wind turbines should be considered in the electricity rates charged to Iowans (i.e., the utility rate base). Why should we Iowans pay to supply energy to other states?

It is also worth noting that despite adding about 400 MW of wind power capacity, Iowa produced less wind-derived energy in 2023 than in 2022 — 41.9 million MWh in 2023 compared to 44.7 million MWh in 2022. This is a drop of 6% and shows how dependent wind-derived power is on the weather. How cost effective are the utility investments in wind energy?

It seems clear that our utilities are not looking out for those of us Iowans who pay our electric bills every month.

Chet Sullivan

Marion