Tell the IUB that Iowans want real clean energy!
The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) is currently taking public comments on MidAmerican Energy’s Wind PRIME proposal. While this $3.9 Billion project would bring new renewable energy to Iowa, it fails to include plans to phase out coal plants – despite studies that show doing so could save Iowa customers more than $100 million!
Send a comment to the IUB today telling them that we must ditch uneconomical, unhealthy coal generation and opt for clean, affordable energy instead!
Even the utility's own internal studies show that solar is the lowest cost path for achieving carbon-free energy and acknowledge that transitioning away from burning coal is an essential piece of achieving this goal. Yet Wind PRIME proposes to build 40 times more wind than solar and allows the utility to continue to operate its coal plants long-term – at the expense of Iowa ratepayers who have to deal with the consequences of local coal generation.
MidAmerican is one of the largest coal fleet owners in the country without a plan for the retirement of coal plants by 2035. Approving Wind PRIME as-is would allow the company to keep its coal fleet running despite high costs, aging infrastructure, and the widespread availability of cheaper, cleaner alternatives.
It’s time to take a step towards real clean energy by telling the IUB to reject coal here in Iowa.
For additional context, please watch this explainer video by IEC's staff attorney, Mike Schmidt:
How To: Instructions for submitting comments
- Open your browser and head to the “electronic filing system” page: https://efs.iowa.gov/efs/. From here, navigate to the “submit” heading tab and select “submit comment” sub-heading.
- Fill out all required contact information, denoted by an asterisk (*).
- Scroll through the list of available dockets and select “RPU-2022-0001 (MidAmerican Energy Company Application for a Determination of Ratemaking Principle)."
- Select “Submission Type” > click “comment.”
- Add your comment(s).
- Click the box to complete the CAPTCHA prompt.
- Hit submit.
Talking points/Sample Letter:
Please note that submissions are more impactful if they are unique. If possible, please customize message to reflect your voice and perspective.
As a ratepayer in Iowa, I would like to express my support for a swift and meaningful clean energy transition in our state. While MidAmerican Energy’s Wind PRIME proposal includes adding significant renewable energy generation, I’m concerned that the proposal spends billions of my money on wind generation, rather than a mix that includes adequate solar and storage, and allows the utility to continue running its coal plants at the expense of Iowans’ health and economic wellbeing.
MidAmerican is one of the top 10 largest coal fleet owners in the country without a plan for the retirement of those plants by 2035. Approving Wind PRIME as-is would allow the company to keep running its coal plants in Iowa for 20+ years despite high costs, aging infrastructure, and the widespread availability of cheaper, cleaner alternatives.
Recent independent analysis shows that shuttering its coal fleet and switching to a more balanced energy portfolio would save Iowa customers more than $100 million over the next 15 years. Under the current Wind PRIME proposal, Iowa customers will have to foot the bill for these uneconomic coal plants, all while having to deal with the harmful consequences of coal generation.
There's never been a better time to invest in diversified clean energy. Iowa has a huge opportunity to maximize the full benefits offered by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). MidAmerican needs to reassess its proposal by factoring in all of the resources made available through the IRA, not just by recalculating how much bigger the tax credits are now with the IRA.
Please require MidAmerican to craft a plan with stakeholder input that doesn’t prop up coal, and instead prioritizes a more balanced mix of battery storage, solar, and wind to help ensure reliability, save customers money, and meaningfully address carbon emissions here in Iowa.
Additional Resources: