Clean energy advocates said Iowa stands to lose jobs, manufacturing facilities, renewable energy project expansions and face more expensive utility bills if Congress passes the budget reconciliation bill as is. Many of these credits were extended via the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act, which put them under attack from Republican lawmakers opposed to the green policies. […]
Renewable energy
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One-third of Grinnell College power to come from solar energy with new solar array
Grinnell College has made a “decisive step” forward in the direction of operating without emissions with the completion of a 9,000-panel solar array. One-third of Grinnell College’s campus is now running on renewable energy with the array, the largest private solar installation in the state, Grinnell College President Anne Harris said. As Grinnell College reaches […]
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Dark money group spent $1.25 million on TV ads supporting bill imposing new fee on solar panels
A dark money group spent $1.25 million on TV ads in just six weeks to support bills in the Iowa legislature that would let utility companies impose new fees on homeowners and businesses that install solar panels. That group, the REAL Coalition of Iowa, was incorporated on Jan. 23, apparently to support the bills.
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Dark money group steps up support for new fee on solar panels
A dark money group has increased its efforts to support a bill (SF583) that would let utility companies impose new fees on homeowners and businesses that install solar panels. The REAL Coalition of Iowa was incorporated as a nonprofit on Jan. 23, apparently to support the House and Senate versions of the bill. A dark money group is a nonprofit that engages in political activity but does not disclose its funders.
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New program will help reduce the cost of solar power for Johnson County homeowners
A new program to help Johnson County and West Branch residents interested in adding solar power to their homes will hold its first public meeting on Thursday at Johnson County Health and Human Services Building. Solarize Johnson County is a collaboration between the county, six cities and the nonprofit Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA).
“First and foremost, it’s an educational effort so people can learn about solar,” said Becky Soglin, sustainability coordinator for Johnson County. “The focus is residential use.”
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Greenhouse gas emissions decline in Iowa as renewable energy use increases
Iowa’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased last year, thanks, in part, to increases in the amount of wind and solar power the state is producing, according to a new report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The 2016 Iowa Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report shows the state emitted 128 million metric tons of greenhouse gases, a decrease of two percent from 2015 levels.
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Iowa leads the Midwest in shift to clean energy
The EPA may be in jeopardy, but states like Iowa are stepping up in the movement toward clean energy sources. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a nonprofit science advocacy organization, ranked Iowa 10th in the nation and first in the Midwest for transitioning to clean energy in their 94-page report, “Clean Energy Momentum: Ranking […]
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Iowa wind energy takes the equivalent of 1.7 million cars off the road
A study released Wednesday by the Environment Iowa Research Policy Center shows that Iowa’s wind energy industry is now averting more than 8.4 million metric tons…
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Tim Dwight sees the light in solar energy
According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Germany receives roughly as much sunlight each year as Alaska. Despite its lack of sunlight, in May 2012, Germany set a new record in solar power production when over half the country’s electric demand was met with solar power. Germany’s photovoltaic (PV) solar panels were feeding 22 gigawatts […]
