Energy Efficiency Action Alert! Contact Governor Reynolds to VETO SF 2311
Last night, April 30th, SF 2311 as amended by the House, passed the Iowa Senate. The Governor has 3 days to act on the bill. SF 2311 slashes energy efficiency investments by over $100 million, jeopardizing thousands of clean energy jobs and costing consumers with lost energy savings and future higher rates. SF 2311 stifles innovation, hits the Iowa economy where it hurts the most, and only benefits monopoly utility companies.
If signed by Governor Reynolds, this bill will cost Iowa ratepayers more than $200 million as utilities build more transmission lines, more generating plants, and use more fuel instead of saving energy. The bill will decimate programs customers rely on like home energy audits, insulation and furnace rebates, and lighting and efficient motors needed by businesses large and small to be more cost-competitive, by cutting available funds by up to two-thirds.
This bill contradicts Governor Reynold’s Iowa Energy Plan.
The Iowa Energy Plan was developed under the leadership of then Lt. Governor Reynolds. The Iowa Energy Plan clearly prioritizes continued Iowa leadership in energy efficiency:
“Action taken by the state, or its policy makers, should be consistent with the plan’s vision and guiding principles.”
The plan’s vision statement states: “We will continue to embrace energy efficiency, a mix of energy resources, infrastructure, and technologies to position all of Iowa – both rural and urban – for future growth.”
And states this objective: “Increase the energy efficiency and decrease the operating costs of Iowa’s existing and new buildings in all sectors.”
Immediately call Governor Reynolds (515-281-5211) or write her at 1007 E. Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA 50319, to veto Senate File 2311 to save energy efficiency and clean energy jobs. Because she chaired the drafting and unveiling of the Iowa Energy Plan, there is a real chance Governor Reynolds will veto SF2311 This plan calls “energy efficiency and conservation” one of the “four foundational pillars” of the state’s energy plan.
The Iowa Utilities Board has determined energy efficiency measures to be the best and lowest cost solution for meeting the Iowa’s energy needs. The Iowa Consumer Advocate stated yesterday that:
“Energy efficiency has saved millions of dollars in energy savings and benefits all customers with lower rates. It has added thousands of jobs in energy efficiency across Iowa. . . . As passed by the House, SF2311 is a utility bill good for utilities that will result ultimately in higher rates for customers.”
As stated by the Iowa Environmental Council, “The bill risks the jobs of 20,000 Iowans in all 99 counties who spend their days getting their hands dirty installing insulation, using their engineering degrees to evaluate industrial facilities for cost savings, and studying for HVAC certifications to help homeowners and businesses get the most for their heating and cooling dollars. These are the types of jobs that sustain rural Iowa and the types of investments that make housing available and affordable even as they keep energy costs low for everyone across the state.
This anti-innovation bill also allows monopoly municipal utilities to add fees on customers who install solar, refuse to interconnect people, or find other creative ways to stop customers from generating their own electricity. In addition to making discrimination legal, the bill removes oversight of the Iowa Utilities Board so that customers having problems with installing solar will be forced to sue their municipal utility in court instead of going through a swift and low-cost Board process.
Much of those savings – and the savings from other utility energy efficiency programs – will go away if over $100 million per year is slashed from the state’s energy efficiency programs. Such cuts to energy efficiency will also jeopardize thousands of the current 20,000 jobs in Iowa’s energy efficiency industry.”