The latest news, stories, & perspectives behind Iowa’s clean energy movement.
The latest news, stories, & perspectives behind Iowa’s clean energy movement.
The Iowa Environmental Council is excited to launch our newest resource, the Iowa Energy & Infrastructure Funding Hub. This website has been months in the making and will assist businesses, nonprofits, communities, and individual Iowans with finding information about the programs and incentives newly available to gain access to affordable, clean energy, lower energy costs, and…
DES MOINES, IA — The Iowa Environmental Council has launched the Iowa Energy & Infrastructure Funding Hub, an online resource hosted at IAFederalFunding.org to help Iowans better understand and access federal support for clean energy and resiliency projects. Iowa’s communities, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals can utilize programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and…
In February of this year, the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report warned that the world is on track to reach the 1.5 Celsius level within the next two decades instead of by the end of the century and that only immediate and drastic cuts to carbon emissions can help prevent environmental catastrophe. Many of us are now…
WINDSOR HEIGHTS — On Monday, October 17, 2022, the Windsor Heights City Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution to reach community-wide carbon-free electricity by the year 2030. Windsor Heights joins Des Moines and Waterloo as the third city in Iowa to commit to 24/7 carbon-free electricity — the first city in Iowa to do…
We started the summer with regional grid operator MISO warning of rolling blackouts in early May of 2022. In this paper, we took apart those warnings and explained the real reasons for capacity shortages. In June, Iowa and much of the Upper Midwest experienced heat waves, including multiple days with temperatures in the upper 90s, but avoided outages. Fresh…
Federal funds were authorized to support the continued development of electric vehicle (EV) chargers as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Iowa is developing plans to create an EV charging network along Interstates 29, 35, 80, and 380. Our state’s federal funding for 2022 is $7.6 million dollars with the overall 5-Year…
IEC joins those in Iowa and around the nation in celebrating this week’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Though the name wouldn’t seem to align with environmental efforts, this historic legislation includes the largest-ever package addressing climate issues through clean energy investment, renewable energy tax credits, and much more. The bill is massive…
WATERLOO — Tonight the Waterloo City Council voted unanimously to adopt a goal of reaching community-wide carbon-free electricity by the year 2035. With the resolution’s passage, Waterloo joins Des Moines as the second city in Iowa to commit to 24/7 carbon-free electricity, and the fourth nationwide. Waterloo resident speaks in favor of the resolution during public…
Iowa is not always an easy place to be working on strengthening environmental laws and protections. Power and politics from both sides of the aisle often align their interests with those with the deepest pockets. Yet it goes further than just influencing policy outcomes—it works to limit the ability of individuals to be informed or…
On May 23, 2022, the Des Moines City Council had its third and final reading of the newly negotiated electric and gas franchise agreements with MidAmerican Energy. The agreements passed each of the three required readings with a 5–1 vote, with one council member recused from the vote. These new franchise agreements, spanning thirteen years,…
At Monday night’s city council meeting, the City of Des Moines officially voted to approve a 13-year utility franchise agreement with MidAmerican Energy, which will take effect in June 2022. This meeting was the final of the three required readings and votes on the franchise agreement, a binding contract that gives the utility access to…
How Cities Can Renegotiate Franchise Agreements for the Clean Energy Transition Guest Blog: Originally posted by RMI on March 16, 2022 By Bryn Grunwald, Matthew Popkin, Laurie Stone You wouldn’t rely on a 30-year-old contract with your phone or internet provider. Times change, and so do the conditions under which a contract was signed.…
IOWA CITY — 100% Iowa City, a community-driven movement to make Iowa City the next 24/7 carbon-free energy city launched this spring to urge the City Council to commit to a path towards 100% clean electricity. After formally declaring a climate crisis in 2019, the City Council announced new emission targets, building on those established in its…
The Des Moines City Council has committed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2050, but this cannot happen without a concerted effort to reduce these emissions altogether. The Iowa DNR found that around 30% of Iowa’s emissions came from fossil fuel use in buildings. This is mirrored in the City of Des Moines’…
I’m beyond thrilled to join the team in the role of Clean Communities Manager. In this position, I will work with community groups, allied organizations, businesses, city officials, and more across the state to achieve equitable, just, and comprehensive clean energy and climate solutions. An example of this that has been in the works for…
As a mission-driven religious organization, Unitarian Universalists have shared values and principles rather than being a doctrinal faith. Our seventh principle is “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” This principle compels us to take responsibility for the planet’s well-being. Inspired by this, we chose to build the…
This guest column was originally published in the Des Moines Register on 1/11/22. January 11, 2022, marks the one-year anniversary of the Des Moines City Council’s unanimous adoption of a resolution setting a goal of 24/7 carbon-free electricity by 2035. This resolution garnered national attention and instantly made the City of Des Moines a national…
Growing up in Dubuque, Iowa, my family and I had access to a variety of outdoor green spaces. Whenever we wanted to get outside, we were always able to go for a walk alongside the Mississippi River or take a hike at the Swiss Valley trails. One of my favorite things to do was take a short drive with my friends to the Maquoketa Caves for a day, and…
My name is Lillian Hill. I am a 14-year-old climate activist. I live in Johnston, Iowa; a suburb of Des Moines. My passion for climate activism was fueled by the desire to create positive, meaningful change. Everyday people from around the world are suffering from the climate crisis. This crisis is putting Iowans, Americans, and…
The fall season is one to look forward to and is typically kick-started with a whole week dedicated to climate action. The climate focus started in New York back in 2009, where global leaders, experts, and activists gathered to discuss progress and re-evaluate commitments ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Zooming in to Iowa City, community members enjoyed the…
I grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota surrounded by the bustling of the Twin Cities but with the Mississippi River just a short hike away. Getting out outside was something that was a part of my life ever since I can remember, whether it was walking to my local park or spending time in the woods along the Mississippi…
Earlier this year, Des Moines made headlines with the passage of an ambitious city-wide clean energy resolution. If these announcements are starting to sound familiar to you, there’s a reason why — to date, over 180 cities across the country have committed to 100% clean energy, and that list is expected to grow. So what exactly…
Guest blog post by Dayna Chandler, chapter leader at Black Girls Do Bike in Des Moines, Iowa. This guest column was originally published in IEC’s Blog – Iowa Environmental Voice on 2/4/21. Transit Equity Day proclaims that we all have the right to accessible modes of transportation throughout our community, regardless of what we look like, what side…