DES MOINES, IOWA (September 13, 2022) — Environmental advocates have filed a motion with the Iowa Utilities Board to compel MidAmerican Energy to back its claims that its coal plants are a responsible use of customers' money.
The motion filed by the Environmental Law and Policy Center, Iowa Environmental Council, and Sierra Club is seeking documents, including the utility’s Zero Emissions study and its own Coal Plant Economics Assessment, that would provide backing for the utility's repeated assertion that its six Iowa plants are economical.
"Iowans are paying more for coal generation to pollute our air, lands, and waters — that's not in question. What we don't know is how much extra we're paying," said IEC Energy Program Director Kerri Johannsen. "It is literally the job of the Iowa Utilities Board to ensure MidAmerican is being fair to customers, yet MidAm is stonewalling even the regulators about just how expensive this is."
The environmental groups have provided studies showing that MidAmerican’s coal plants are uneconomic and pointed to the tens of billions of dollars of potential investment made available by the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, making coal alternatives all the cheaper. MidAmerican continues to withhold fundamental information from the IUB and intervening parties, hindering the utility board's ability to find the best plan for the health and wealth of Iowa.
"The Iowa Utilities Board's job is to ensure that utilities are responsible with Iowans' money and health. That's the trade-off for giving them these lucrative, powerful monopolies," said Environmental Law and Policy Center Senior Attorney Josh Mandelbaum. "If MidAmerican can simply choose not to show the board certain studies, it can remove better options from consideration, hamstringing the board in its duties."
By refusing transparency, MidAmerican is essentially attempting to eliminate regulatory oversight through the hiding of data. As a monopoly public utility, regulation and oversight only work if the Board and stakeholders have the information needed for accountability. A lack of accountability is potentially costing Iowa customers millions.
MidAmerican Energy's deadline to respond to the motion is this week.
"Iowa deserves to know what MidAmerican is hiding," said Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Representative Katie Rock.
The Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC) is the Midwest’s premier environmental legal advocacy organization. We use the power of the law and strategic advocacy campaigns to create climate change solutions, advance clean energy, protect public health, and preserve the Midwest’s wild and natural places.
The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) is an alliance of diverse organizations and individuals working together to protect Iowa's natural environment. Founded in 1995, it is the largest and most comprehensive environmental coalition in the state. Through education, advocacy, and coalition-building, the Council raises awareness, generates action, and creates large-scale change that makes Iowa a better place to live, work, and explore. Learn more at iaenvironment.org.
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information visit www.sierraclub.org.
