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Energy Fact Sheets

The Iowa Environmental Council compiles and contributes to fact sheets on a variety of subjects related to clean energy including wind, solar, energy efficiency, transmission, and climate.

Key Iowa Energy Policy Issues

Iowa is a national renewable energy leader, with high levels of wind energy, longstanding energy efficiency programs, and a growing solar market. But there is potential for much more.
Iowa should secure its place as a renewable energy and energy efficiency leader for years to come and ensure that Iowa reaps the environmental and economic benefits from more clean energy.

Iowa Energy Efficiency Programs

SF 2311 Impact on Utility Energy Efficiency Plans

Iowa's Energy Efficiency Efforts

Clean Energy Public Polling

A large majority of Iowans support increasing wind, solar and energy efficiency according to bipartisan poll conducted in 2014.

Solar Fact Sheets

Solar energy has the potential to play a significant role in Iowa’s energy portfolio and has been gaining momentum in recent years with growth in solar projects statewide.

Solar Tax Incentives
Iowa can improve access to clean energy by expanding, improving and maintaining clean energy tax incentives for farmers, businesses, residents, utilities, and communities to own or invest in their own wind turbines, solar panels or other forms of clean energy.

Wind Fact Sheets

Wind in Iowa: Past, Present, Future

Iowa is a national leader in wind energy, producing the highest percentage of electricity produced by wind – 31.3 percent (2015) – of any state. While Iowa’s wind leadership should be applauded, significant potential remains.

Wind Potential & Economic Impacts

In 2015, the Council partnered with the Iowa Wind Energy Association (IWEA) on its release of two reports. The first report, Iowa's Wind Potential for Addressing 111(d) Goals: The Potential for Tapping Iowa's Wind Resources to Reduce CO2 Emissions, was released in May 2015 and authored by wind industry experts Dan Turner, Ph.D., and Thomas A. Wind, P.E. The second report, Economic Impacts of Wind Energy in Iowa: Four Scenarios, was released in August 2015 and authored by Dave Swenson, an associate scientist in the Department of Economics at Iowa State University. Executive summaries for both reports are below. Full reports are available on the Energy Publications page.

Transmission Fact Sheets

Sufficient high-voltage transmission infrastructure that can carry significant additions of wind power and solar power will is necessary to continue clean energy growth and development.

Proposed Transmission Lines

The Cardinal-Hickory Creek line (also known as Dubuque to Madison or MVP 5) and Lakefield to Webster projects would help bring more clean energy on the grid and increase service reliability to homes and businesses.

Cardinal-Hickory Creek (Dubuque to Madison/MVP line 5)

Lakefield to Webster Project (MVP line 3)

Clean Power Plan Fact Sheets

In August 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the final Clean Power Plan, a national clean air standard that will cut carbon pollution from existing, fossil fuel-fired power plants.  Under the Clean Power Plan, carbon pollution from the nation’s power plants would be reduced by 32% by 2030 (from 2005 levels).

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