Legislature Passes Protections for the Methane Gas Industry

On Monday the Senate considered the gas protection bill, ultimately passing the House version 29-16. The bill will now move to the governor’s desk. The Senate considered and rejected an amendment to specify that the bill would not interfere with local alternative energy goals, which would have protected local actions to promote renewable energy.

The bill protects methane and propane gas companies while creating a host of problems for Iowans. IEC was disappointed the senate took up the bill and quickly passed it, and hope the governor will not support it.

State's Largest Solar Farm Planned for Former Nuclear Plant Site 

Last month, NextEra Energy announced it will be transitioning its recently decommissioned nuclear plant in Linn County into a massive solar energy project. 

When constructed, the solar farm will become the largest in Iowa, generating 690 megawatts of solar energy. The proposal also includes plans bring 60 MW of battery storage online to help optimize demand.

The project is expected to create 300 construction jobs, along with $41.6M in tax revenue and $50M in payments to landowners.

Federal Infrastructure Plan Could Lead to Big Clean Energy Investment

Today, the Biden Administration released the first half of its much-anticipated infrastructure plan, which would allocate $2 trillion over the next eight years for improvements to the nation's aging infrastructure. 

The proposal would carve out funding for several clean energy incentives, including public transit, grid modernization, electric vehicle incentives, disaster resilience, and more. The plan also seeks to create a "Clean Electricity Standard," which would mandate certain thresholds for electricity created by zero-carbon sources like wind and solar to be met.

Our action alerts help supporters connect with their representatives about important environmental issues in a quick and easy manner. Visit our Take Action alert page  learn more and to take action today. 

The 2021 Legislative Session is still in full swing. Visit our legislative portal to see enhanced resources, including energy program priorities for 2021, our latest weekly summary, the bill tracker, and more. 

Need useful tools when engaging in conversations about clean energy in Iowa? Our regularly updated Solar, Wind, and Solar State Investment Tax Credit fact sheets provide the stats you need.