Articles Tagged: MidAmerican Energy

Clean energy advocates say Iowa stands to lose jobs and renewable energy project expansions, and that utility bills would increase

Clean energy advocates say Iowa stands to lose jobs, manufacturing facilities, renewable energy project expansions and face more expensive utility bills if Congress passes the budget reconciliation bill as is.

Energy companies with infrastructure in Iowa would have the first opportunity to build new electric transmission lines, and nuclear growth would be encouraged under legislation proposed by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. But how would the legislation impact Iowans’ energy bills? On that, there is much disagreement.

MidAmerican Energy has asked Iowa regulators to approve the addition a small charge to customers’ natural gas bills. If approved by the Iowa Utilities Commission, the charge would add about 17 cents to customers’ average monthly bills.

A spokesperson for MidAmerican said the study is “misleading” and highlights certain pieces of data to “to further its agenda.”

About 150 Alliant and 70 MidAmerican line workers and crew members were sent to Virginia and Ohio, respectively, to help energy companies there restore customers’ power that was knocked out by the severe storm.

Clean energy and environmental advocates say the renewable energy verification process already lacked accountability, and the Iowa Utilities Commission’s proposed changes only make it weaker

However, an Iowa court decision is temporarily pausing build-out of other transmission projects.

A Brown University analysis sifted through 23,000 lobbying records to track groups’ roles in shaping legislation, their success and their relationships to each other.

The combined projects would add about 9 megawatts of solar to the county

Customers will see an immediate interim increase of 5 percent, the maximum allowed under Iowa law, while the Iowa Utilities Board holds a series of public hearings in MidAmerican’s service areas.

The Iowa Supreme Court has reversed a lower court’s decision and sent a case back to the Iowa Utilities Board over approving an environmental plan that did not consider retiring coal-fired power plants.

Utility disconnections may have began as soon as last Monday. But there are options for continued financial help.

A coalition of Iowa’s large energy users wants the option to buy electricity on the open market rather than from their geographically-assigned utilities. Four other states have hybrid systems in which large companies may shop around for energy generation, so The Gazette asked them how it works.

As much as 60% of the region’s energy could come from wind and solar — which has a lower energy output than the non-renewables being retired.