Renewable News
Marshalltown Library Goes Solar
MARSHALLTOWN — The city of Marshalltown will soon have the greenest library in the state of Iowa, thanks in part to an expansive array of solar panels that grace the roof of the $5.75 million building. "We're really excited about having the first LEED-certified library in the state," said Library Director Carole Winkleblack. "We had a lot of people in the community who were supportive of this project, and that's what did it." The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is a certification program of the US Green Building Council that promotes sustainable and environmentally responsible building practices. The Marshalltown library has applied for LEED Silver Certification and hopes to obtain final certification sometime after doors open to the public on December 22nd. More News...
Climate Change & Poverty
DES MOINES — The intersection between poverty issues and climate and energy policies is a highly important but still underappreciated aspect of debates over climate change at the state, regional, and national levels. In January 2008, the Iowa Policy Project released a paper titled A Climate Policy Challenge: Minimizing Impacts on Low-Income Iowans. This research was based on analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Congressional Budget Office demonstrating that implementing a national cap-and-trade system will result in cost increases for all households, due to an induced transition away from carbon-based production and transportation. These cost increases will have a disproportionate impact on lower-income households, where basic necessities such as food and electricity make up larger shares of household incomes. More News...
Iowa Power Fund approves Expo promotion grant
CEDAR FALLS — The Iowa Power Fund Board has approved a grant to support this year's I-Renew Energy & Sustainability Expo. The grant will go towards promoting the event statewide as well as to produce DVDs of 12 of the 70 workshops offered at the event. The 17th I-Renew Energy & Sustainability Expo will be held September 13-14 2008, at the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy & Environmental Education (CEEE) in Cedar Falls. The Expo feature 70 workshops, 80 exhibitors, and multiple demonstrations providing information on renewable energy, energy efficiency, green building, renewable fuels, and sustainable living. More News...
Flood waters damage Cedar Rapids solar project
CEDAR RAPIDS — The New Bohemia Solar Project did not escape the damage from the Floods of 2008. Flood waters from the Cedar River came up as high as a foot below the roof-top panels, and the inverters were completely submerged. Thankfully, SMA-America, Inc., manufacturer of the Sunny Boy inverters, is offering to inspect the inverters for free to determine if they can be salvaged. More News...
Electric car pioneer to keynote 2008 Energy Expo
CEDAR FALLS — Wally Rippel, engineer on General Motor's EV1 and featured in the documentary film Who Killed the Electric Car?, will be the keynote speaker on Saturday, September 13 at I-Renew's 2008 Energy & Sustainability Expo. Sunday's keynote will be Professor Jane Davidson, director of the Solar Energy Laboratory. More News...
IUB approves new Marshalltown coal plant
DES MOINES — The Iowa Utilities Board voted 2-1 to conditionally approve an application by Interstate Power & Light Company to construct a 630-MW coal-fired power plant in Marshalltown. Under terms of the decision, IPL parent company Alliant Energy must get 10% of its power from renewables by 2013 and co-fire 5% biomass in two years or more. Alliant has yet to announce if it will appeal the decision. More News...
Report: Wind could provide 20% of US electricity by 2030
Wind power is capable of becoming a major contributor to America's electricity supply over the next three decades, according to a report recently released by the U.S. Department of Energy. The groundbreaking report, 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy's Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply, looks closely at one scenario for reaching 20% wind energy by 2030 and contrasts it to a scenario of no new U.S. wind power capacity. More News...
Iowa State to compete in 2009 Solar Decathlon
AMES — A team of Iowa State students and faculty has been chosen from an international pool of applicants to compete in the 2009 Solar Decathlon sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on the National Mall in Washington, DC. To be held in September 2009, the Solar Decathlon will transform the Mall into a small village of solar-powered homes designed, built, and maintained by 20 student-led teams from 25 universities and colleges. More News...
Alliant introduces renewable energy rebate program
DES MOINES — Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, filed with the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) its proposed 2009-2013 Energy Efficiency Plan (EEP). The proposed EEP offers many of the cash rebate and energy audit programs currently offered. More News...