 | Electric Cooperatives Lead Industry With Many Energy Efficiency Programs and Services
Posted: Oct 18, 2007
Des Moines, Iowa, October 18, 2007 — In testimony today, before the Iowa Legislature’s Interim Study Committee on Energy Efficiency, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives cited areas where the cooperatives are leaders among energy providers in the state.
In 2006, Iowa’s electric cooperatives invested $11.7 million in energy efficiency programs and services and saved member-consumers more than $18 million. The kilowatt-hour savings through the electric cooperatives programs and services was enough to power nearly 12,000 rural homes for one year. That is the equivalent of powering all of the homes in a community the size of Mason City, Clinton or Marshalltown. This savings in kilowatt hours is also equivalent to the annual output of one 170-megawatt coal plant.
Iowa’s electric cooperatives are leaders in the installation of geothermal energy systems using energy from the earth to heat and cool homes and businesses, air source heat pumps, high-efficient electric water heaters and offer the first web-based do-it-yourself energy audit tool - https://touchstoneenergy.cooperative.com/public/programs/energyefficiency/lblfiles/launch.htm. Recently, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) conducted a first-of-its-kind assessment of demand response and advanced metering and found that electric cooperatives lead the electric utility industry in deploying advanced, energy-saving automatic meter reading technology. Iowa’s electric cooperatives also offer extensive energy-saving information through a monthly publication and Web site – www.livingwithenergyiniowa.com
The Legislature’s Interim Study Committee on Energy Efficiency includes members of the Senate and House including Senators Rob Hogg (D, District 19) – committee co-chair, Joe Bolkcom (D, District 39), Hubert Houser (R, District 49), Mary Lundby (R, District 18) and Rich Olive (D, District 5); Representatives Nathan Reichert (D, District 80) – committee co-chair, Bob Kressig (D, District 19), Brian Quirk (D, District 15), Chuck Soderberg (R, District 3) and Ralph Watts (R, District 47).
In addition to the electric cooperatives, the Study Committee also heard testimony from Iowa’s investor-owned and municipal utilities, the Iowa Utilities Board, Office of Consumer Advocate, the Iowa Energy Center, as well as leaders from groups including business and industry, energy-efficient buildings/construction concepts and technology, energy efficiency financing and investment and the Office of Energy Independence.
For more information contact your local rural electric cooperative, or contact Ann (Foster) Thelen, Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives Director of Communications, (515) 229-6977. The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, formed in 1942, is the Des Moines-based statewide association representing 37 distribution cooperatives in Iowa and six generation and transmission cooperatives serving more than 210,000 rural homes, farms and industries in all 99 counties. The IAEC provides legislative, regulatory, safety, communications and education and training programs and services to its members. The IAEC is also a Touchstone Energy partner – a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives. More than 600 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in 45 states are delivering energy and energy solutions to more than 22 million customers every day.
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