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The Iowa Utilities Board issued an order on June 24, 2008, in Docket No. WRU-08-21, exempting Allerton Gas Company and most municipal utilities from the need to file energy efficiency plans on July 1, 2008. Instead, 20 specific municipal utilities will be required to file, on or before August 29, 2008, energy efficiency information on electric energy efficiency in Docket No. NOI-07-2. These utilities may use the form on the webpage for Docket No. NOI-07-2.
The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) is charged with responsibility for energy efficiency programs and energy efficiency plans by Iowa utilities. Investor-owned utilities conduct energy efficiency programs under plans which are reviewed and approved by the IUB. Consumer-owned utilities (municipal utilities and electric cooperatives) operate voluntary plans and programs, but must provide reports on their plans to the IUB. Energy efficiency plans in Iowa address both electric and natural gas use through a variety of programs which attempt to give all customers opportunities to participate.
Energy Efficiency Programs - Investor-owned Utilities (IOUs)
Key features of all plans and programs approved for IOUs include:
- Plans must be cost-effective, with four benefit-cost tests used to determine cost-effectiveness from the perspectives of the participating customers, the utility, the combination of the utility and customers, and the impact on utility rates.
- Plans must include programs for all types of customers.
- Plans must include an analysis of potential for energy efficiency, and must include performance standards in terms of energy and capacity savings.
- IOUs recover costs through an automatic rate pass-through, reconciled annually to prevent over-recovery or under-recovery.
- The IUB is authorized to conduct prudence reviews of IOU energy efficiency, with authority to disallow imprudent costs.
Investor-owned utilities currently (as of September 2005) are offering many energy efficiency programs under plans approved in 2003. The IOUs’ current plans continue some programs based on proven strategies, while other programs are pilot testing new methods of assisting customers. Programs typically target customer classes or subgroups of customers, and often provide rebates or loans for energy efficient equipment or building components. To find out which programs are currently underway for various types of customers, and what customer incentives may be available, go to the websites of the IOUs as follows:
Alliant Energy / Interstate Power and Light Company
Black Hills Energy (f/k/a Aquila Networks)
MidAmerican Energy Company
For more information about development of utility programs, contact Jack Clark, Iowa Utility Association, at 515-282-2115.
Energy Efficiency Update
On January 4, 2007, Chairman Norris gave a presentation at Governor-elect Culver’s Policy Forum. Chairman Norris reviewed the progress to date for Iowa utilities, including the substantial efforts by investor-owned utilities which led to Iowa’s current status as the number one state in energy efficiency investment, on a per capita basis. The following are some of the key results:
- Capability to reduce peak electricity use by 1,400 megawatts (MW); equals about 11 peaking plants similar to the River Hills plant in downtown Des Moines.
- Reduced growth in annual electricity use by 2 million megawatt-hours (MWh); enough to power 200,000 average homes for 1 year.
- Reduced growth in annual natural gas use by 7 billion cubic feet; enough to heat 85,000 average homes for 1 year.
- Actual spending in 2005 for energy efficiency, load management and other programs; $99 million by IOUs and $11 million by Munis and RECs.
- Benefits -- IOUs/customers get back $2 on every $1 invested; NET societal benefits of more than $200 million per year.
- Benefits -- Dollars spent on energy efficient equipment and saved by customers tend to remain in Iowa.
Energy Efficiency Programs - Consumer-owned Utilities (COUs)
Consumer-owned utilities must file energy efficiency plans with the IUB by July 1 of even-numbered years. The IUB does not review or approve these plans, nor does it verify the information filed. The IUB simply compiles the results of the plans. The goals and implementation of plans by COUs are not the responsibility of the IUB. However, IUB rules [199 IAC Chapter 36] specify the data COUs should provide in their plans.
The IUB typically sends each consumer-owned utility a reminder in the spring of the year plans are due, including a form which utilities may use to compile and report the data for their plans.
Consumer-owned utilities in Iowa are allowed to file their plans jointly with other utilities. For the past 14 years and continuing in 2006, the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) and the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC) have filed joint plans for many of their member utilities. For more information, contact:
IUB Reporting Form
Consumer-owned utilities must file biennial energy efficiency plans with IUB on or before July 1, 2006. Utilities which do not intend to file jointly through their associations must provide an original and one copy of their energy efficiency plans to the IUB. In previous years the IUB has sent a reminder to consumer-owned utilities, including a form to use in reporting their energy efficiency plans.
The staff of the IUB has worked with the IAMU and IAEC to simplify the reporting form. This form is an option for utilities which do not file jointly through the IAMU or IAEC. The form is intended to help utilities provide plan data in a consistent way, which will reduce the effort and cost to assemble utilities' data into a complete snapshot of COUs' accomplishments.
The form may be downloaded from this site and used by any consumer-owned utility to report its energy efficiency plan. This form is provided as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. If you do not have Microsoft Excel installed on your computer, you may download the free Excel viewer from the Microsoft web site.
The IUB encourages utilities which use the form to provide an electronic copy to the IUB by e-mail to: gordon.dunn@iub.state.ia.us.
Regardless of the form used, an original and one copy of the report must be filed in hardcopy with the Iowa Utilities Board, 350 Maple Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0069, by July 1, 2006. A copy of the report should also be filed with the Office of Consumer Advocate, Iowa Department of Justice, 310 Maple Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0063.
If you have any questions about the form, or about energy efficiency in general, contact Gordon Dunn at 515-281-7051.
Links to Information about Energy Efficiency
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