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Flip the Switch on Utility Transparency

Flip the Switch: Demand Utility Transparency

Despite major transformations in the electricity sector, Iowa hasn't reformed laws and regulations governing the sector in more than 20 years. In 2023, the Iowa legislature adopted HF 617, requiring the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) to undertake a review of utility ratemaking laws and recommend changes by the start of the 2024 legislative session.

The law calls for the IUB's analysis to focus on “ensuring safe, adequate, reliable, and affordable utility services provided at rates that are nondiscriminatory, just, reasonable, and based on the utility’s cost of providing service to its customers within Iowa.” 

IEC and our coalition partners are dedicated to participating in this process to ensure the public's voice and interests are considered. By signing up for updates, we will alert you to  ways to get involved to hold utilities accountable and to keep energy rates affordable. 

Our Key Priorities for the Utility Ratemaking Study 

  1. Integrated Resource Planning  
    Iowa is one of few states that doesn't require utilities to conduct integrated resource planning (IRP), a common practice for other large utilities around the country. Without this kind of planning, the utilities are incentivized to build and generate more energy than needed (including with old, costly, polluting coal plants), and pass 100% of the costs on to you.
  2. Des Moines Register article from 2018

    Renewing Energy Efficiency 
    Legislative action in 2018 decimated Iowa's high-ranking, well-respected energy efficiency laws. According to ACEEE, Iowa dropped from 19th in nation for efficiency in 2017 to 35th in 2022. Today we're spending more money generating energy that goes to waste. 

    Energy efficiency is the least-cost energy source. We'll advocate for innovative approaches to revive energy efficiency as a key part of keeping rates low in Iowa and benefiting customers.

  3. Let cost drive the renewable transition
    In 2023, 99% of all coal plants in the U.S. were more expensive just to operate compared to building new wind and solar. Even MidAmerican Energy's own analysis revealed that this is true of their coal plans here in Iowa. Simple economics show it’s time for renewables to rule and coal to go.   

  4. Ottumwa Generating StationAddress (un)reliability 
    Our current system of burning fossil fuels to create electricity has the ironic compounding effect of making our electricity increasingly less reliable. Record-breaking destructive storms, droughts, and unprecedented freezes and heat waves have revealed the inability of these traditional fossil resources to keep pace and keep us safe. We can escape this downward spiral thanks to careful planning that can help keep our energy reliable.

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