Iowa's electricity prices average $0.13/kWh, just below the national average of $0.14/kWh and holding steady year-over-year.
The average cost of a 5.5kW (equivalent to saving about 100 trees a year) solar power system starts around $12,000 in Iowa. That system would pay for itself through energy savings within 6-7 years. System life can span well over 25 years, and savings will improve with inflation.
As the 16th most insolated state un the US, Iowa has the potential to generate over four terawatts of solar energy– enough to exceed the state's current power demands by a factor of 150. The great irony is this is already happening in a biological sense. People tend to think of corn when they think of the Hawkeye State, and like any plant corn absorbs sunlight and stores its energy as sugars. Much of that corn then becomes ethanol, a renewable fuel. On top of that Iowa leads the nation by generating 60% of its energy from wind, which is generated as different cells of air absorb solar power at different rates and thus heat unevenly. So in terms of less direct methods Iowa is basically top dog in the solar world.
Sadly Iowa's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) is so unambitious, requiring just 105MW be generated from renewable sources, that the state has far exceeded its goals for several years now thanks to the nearly 5,200 MW generated from wind power.
It's not all doom and gloom. In 2012, the Iowa Economic Development Authority declared Linn County as a Small Wind Innovation Zone (SWIZ) as part of the pilot Iowa Solar Readiness Initiative. Linn county achieved this milestone by amending its zoning standards to improve ease-of-entry for both utility-scale and consumer solar installations.
Data from DSIRE. For more info visit: https://www.dsireusa.org/
Name | Implementing Sector | Program Type | Administrator | DSIRE ID |
---|---|---|---|---|
Solar Easements | State | Solar/Wind Access Policy | 27 | |
Property Tax Exemption for Renewable Energy Systems | State | Property Tax Incentive | Iowa Department of Natural Resources | 184 |
Alternative Energy Law (AEL) | State | Renewables Portfolio Standard | 265 | |
Fuel Mix and Emissions Disclosure | State | Generation Disclosure | 330 | |
Net Metering | State | Net Metering | 488 | |
Interconnection Standards | State | Interconnection | 946 | |
Sales and Use Tax Refund for Renewable Energy | State | Sales Tax Incentive | Iowa Utilities Board | 1178 |
Ames Electric Department - Net Metering | Utility | Net Metering | 2916 | |
IADG Energy Bank Revolving Loan Program | State | Loan Program | Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Area Development Group | 5410 |
Farmers Electric Cooperative - Consumer Renewable Energy Sales Program | Utility | Feed-in Tariff | 5758 | |
Corn Belt Power Cooperative Rebate Program | Utility | Rebate Program | 5835 | |
Independence Municipal Light Plant - Commercial and Industrial Rebate Program | Utility | Energy Analysis | Independence Municipal Light Plant | 15167 |
Butler Rural Electric Cooperative - Security Lights | Utility | Energy Analysis | Butler Rural Electric Cooperative | 16306 |
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative - Lighting Design | Utility | Energy Analysis | 16315 | |
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative - Thermography | Utility | Energy Analysis | 16316 | |
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative - Compressed Air Audits | Utility | Energy Analysis | 16317 | |
Indianola Municipal Utilities - Energy Audit | Utility | Energy Analysis | Indianola Municipal Utilities | 16661 |
Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association - Building Energy Monitoring Tool | Utility | Energy Analysis | Calhoun County Electric Cooperative Association | 16666 |
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative - Energy System Audit and Design | Utility | Energy Analysis | 16670 | |
Missouri River Energy Services - Bright Energy Solutions | Other | Energy Analysis | Missouri River Energy Services | 18022 |
Paullina Municipal Utilities - Energy Audit | Other | Energy Analysis | 18197 | |
Cedar Falls Utilities - Energy Audits | Other | Energy Analysis | Cedar Falls Utilities | 18396 |
Cedar Falls Utilities - Assessment Cost-Share | Other | Energy Analysis | Cedar Falls Utilities | 18397 |
Alton Municipal Electric - Compressed Air System Efficiency Audit | Other | Energy Analysis | Alton Municipal Electric | 19024 |
Alton Municipal Electric - Bright Energy Solutions | Other | Energy Analysis | Alton Municipal Electric | 19025 |
Alton Municipal Electric - Specialty Measures for Businesses | Other | Other | 19032 | |
Sioux Center Municipal Utilities - Energy TraK | Utility | Energy Analysis | Sioux Center Municipal Utilities | 20033 |
Alton Municipal Electric - Energy Calculators for Business | Other | Energy Analysis | 20111 | |
Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc - Green Energy Solutions | Utility | Other | Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc | 20166 |
Ames Electric Department - Green Choices | Utility | Other | Ames Electric Department | 20188 |
Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative - Green Pricing | Utility | Other | 20254 | |
Pella Municipal Power & Light Dept. - Green Contribution | Other | Other | Pella Municipal Power & Light Dept. | 20851 |
Prairie Energy Cooperative - Questline | Utility | Energy Analysis | Prairie Energy Cooperative | 21006 |
East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative - Support Iowa Renewables | Utility | Other | East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative | 21072 |
Seventhwave (formerly Energy Center of Wisconsin) - Energy Consulting | Non-Profit | Energy Analysis | Seventhwave (formerly Energy Center of Wisconsin) | 21667 |
Seventhwave (formerly Energy Center of Wisconsin) - Back of the Envelope Calculator | Non-Profit | Energy Analysis | Seventhwave (formerly Energy Center of Wisconsin) | 21668 |
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance - Midwest Industrial Initiative | Non-Profit | Energy Analysis | Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance | 21703 |
Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance - Building Operator Certification | Non-Profit | Training and Information | Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance | 21714 |
Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives - Solar Resources | Other | Training and Information | Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives | 22008 |
Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Resources | Other | Energy Analysis | Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities | 22009 |
Iowa Energy Center - Energy Resource Station (ERS) | Other | Energy Analysis | Iowa Energy Center | 22010 |
Corn Belt Power Cooperative - Commercial and Industrial Loan Program | Utility | Loan Program | Corn Belt Power Cooperative | 22099 |