Iowa Citizen Action Network

Renewable Energy For Iowa

Sustainable Energy for Economic Development Platform

The Iowa Sustainable Energy for Economic Development (SEED) Coalition is an alliance of 19 consumer, environmental, low-income, educational, and religious organizations - together representing more than 150,000 Iowans - with common interests in developing "home grown" sustainable energy sources benefiting the Iowa Economy.

Campaign Goal
Meet Iowa's energy needs through the use of "home grown" energy resources. These include cutting energy waste through conservation and efficiency, and investing in sustainable forms of renewable energy. Reduce reliance on fossil and nuclear fuels imported from out-of-state while maintaining affordable rates and high quality jobs for Iowa.

Objectives
To achieve this goal we will:
  1. Increase Iowa's Renewables Portfolio Standard, so that the percentage requirement reaches ten percent generation through renewable energy sources by 2010, and 20 percent by 2020. The percentages would increase incrementally on an annual basis, as did the currently successful State RPS. A renewable energy credit trading system would be formed to enable all Iowa utilities to comply with the minimum standard.
  2. Move oversight of energy efficiency programs to independent agency and require all electricity users to pay for energy efficiency programs. Traditionally, energy efficiency programs in Iowa have been funded by a nominal public benefits charge on ratepayers of Iowa’s Investor Owned Utilities- Mid-American and Alliant. The process of leaving energy efficiency to the companies that sell electricity and natural gas is counterintuitive and ineffective.
  3. Increase appliance and equipment efficiency standards in order to save consumers and businesses money, reduce energy consumption, and cut down on pollution from power plants. With new standards for commonly used appliances, Iowans would save $55.5 million per year off their utility bills in 2010, and $151.3 million per year in 2020. In addition to saving money, increased efficiency standards would save 191.4 million kWh and 41.8 tons of particulate matter (PM10) emissions by 2010, and 1326.4 million kWh and 112.4 tons of particulate matter by 2020.
  4. Develop a standardized power purchase agreement for small renewable energy producers that includes a reasonable and accessible process for those producers to interconnect to the grid, allowing Iowans to produce their own energy and sell the excess.
  5. Require state agencies to report heating, electricity, and transportation costs of energy consumption to determine potential waste and money-saving opportunities.
  6. Require and fund the usage of all cost-effective energy efficient technologies by state agencies.
  7. Order the Iowa Utilities Board to examine our transmission needs and constraints to enable more energy generated from wind power. The study would examine ways to overcome challenges with our transmission system, and research ways to ensure that transmission pricing and power pooling practices treat renewable resources fairly.
  8. Establish a Renewable Energy Investment Fund to support emerging renewable technologies, with a non-bypassable charge from electric bills of at least 0.1˘/kWh, in order to finance an Agricultural Energy Seed Capitol Fund. The fund could be distributed specifically to energy crop growers (Iowa farmers) and research scientists. The fund could also support small wind and solar in order to encourage small scale producers.
  9. Require the Iowa State government to purchase 10% of its total electricity needs from renewable energy sources by 2010 and to use energy efficient technology for new state buildings.
  10. Offer incentives to retail gas stations to offer e85 and bio-diesel to retail customers.