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IEC Intervenes in Alliant Energy's Proposed Rate-Hike |
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Alliant Energy’s Iowa affiliate, Interstate Power & Light, proposed a rate increase last October of $284 million per year. IEC intervened in the case early this year and partnered with the Environmental Law & Policy Center and Sierra Club to argue for better planning to transition to clean energy, as well as better protections for customers. The Iowa Utilities Commission held a hearing on the case spanning three days earlier this month. Less than two weeks before the hearing, Alliant reached a proposed settlement with the Office of Consumer Advocate (a division of the Iowa Department of Justice) and the Iowa Business Energy coalition. IEC and our partners opposed the settlement for not providing enough customer protections and not addressing Alliant’s coal plants. Alliant already has high rates compared to other utilities in Iowa, and the requested rate increase would exacerbate that. We argued that the big increase Alliant proposed is driven more by shareholder interests than customer interests. IEC’s Steve Guyer revealed in testimony that pay for Alliant executives is based more on earnings than on customer needs. He also showed that Alliant has been telling investors it will keep paying out 6 percent more earnings every year. With a flat customer base, growth in earnings requires growth in the payments required from customers. Read the full story on our blog, the Iowa Environmental Voice. |
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 | Des Moines solar field to begin operations on former landfill site Des Moines' first municipal solar field began generating power last month. The Harriet Street Solar Field will generate enough energy to power the equivalent of about 570 homes, bringing the city closer to a carbon-free electricity goal. The $2 million project will provide renewable energy to DSM animal control and greenhouse facilities. The site — near the corner of Southeast 15th and Harriet Streets — was previously a landfill, making it difficult to redevelop for most other uses. The city is planting about 17 acres of pollinator habitat and native grasses around the site. Read more on Axios |
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 | The Supreme Court Overturned the Chevron Deference - What Now? If you've been paying attention the US Supreme Court, you may have heard about the recent decision in Loper Bright v. Raimondo which seemed to overturn the 40-year precedence referred to as the Chevron deference, which directed courts to accept reasonable interpretations of a statute by an administrative agency, even if the judges might have favored a different interpretation themselves. Many worry that this ruling completely defangs the Environmental Protection Agency, but Prof. Dan Farber with Legal Planet doesn't believe the sky is falling yet. We highly recommend those who are interested to check out Professor Farber's full essay above. |
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 | Polk County to invest in solar energy for county facilities The Polk County Board of Supervisors has approved a $2.3 million project to install solar panels on city-owned buildings in an effort to curb energy costs. As part of phase one, the panels will be installed at the Polk County Administration Building, the North Side Community Center and River Place. The county says it will save these facilities more than $5 million in energy costs over the next 30 years. |
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1,400+ premature deaths. High asthma rates. More lung cancer. These are just a few of the impacts of MidAmerican’s coal pollution in Siouxland. A report released by the Iowa Environmental Council, written in association with the American Lung Association, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska’s Comprehensive Healthcare System, highlights how coal pollution impacts the community's health. Read the report here. |
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