NEW Report: Iowa’s Largest Electric Utilities Stall Clean Energy Transition at Customers’ Expense

DES MOINES, Iowa - Today, Sierra Club released its fifth annual Dirty Truth Report, which grades 75 utilities across the country on their plans to retire coal plants by 2030, not build new gas plants through 2035, and transition to clean energy through 2035. This year, Berkshire Hathaway-owned MidAmerican Energy, as well as Alliant Energy-owned Interstate Power and Light(IPL), both received the lowest grade possible, an F.

It is IPL's second year in a row to receive a failing grade, while MidAmerican's score dropped 10 points over the last year from 23 out of 100 (D) to 13 out of 100 (F). MidAmerican's and IPL's low scores reveal the utilities are resistant to fully transitioning to affordable clean energy, and continue to rely on expensive, polluting fossil fuels. At the same time, Americans' protections for clean air and water are being rescinded, and electricity bills are increasing faster than inflation.

According to MidAmerican's and IPL's latest energy plans, both utilities intend to build new gas power plants while continuing to operate outdated, costly coal power plants. IPL plans to add 1,275 MW of gas-burning power over the next 10 years, and MidAmerican is slated to add 1,164 MW. With a power grid increasingly dependent on fossil fuels, Iowans will face rising energy prices and devastating health impacts.

"MidAmerican and IPL have an opportunity to be the renewable energy leaders they claim to be, but instead, they keep clinging to gas and coal," said Pamela Mackey Taylor, Sierra Club Iowa Chapter Director. "While the wind turbines are hard to miss, it's Iowa's dirty secret that there are still 6 coal plants across the state polluting our air and water. But together, Iowans can demand better from our utilities. It's time these companies acted in our best interest, and that means phasing out dangerous fossil fuels to save lives and lower bills."

Faced with rapidly increasing load projections, utility companies are failing to meet this critical moment by championing renewable energy-instead, they are backsliding on their commitments and doubling down on fossil fuels. Across all 75 utilities, the companies scored an aggregate of 15 out of 100 points, earning an F. This marks the lowest score since the first year of this report in 2021, and the first time the score has ever dropped below the inaugural report.

In an interactive webpage, users can see their utility's score and what progress, if any, the utility has made toward transitioning to cleaner, more affordable energy since the first version of the report in 2021.

"It is alarming that for the first time since 2021, utilities are regressing on their clean energy transition," said Sierra Club Chief Program Officer Holly Bender. "By adding more gas and keeping costly coal plants online, utility companies are ignoring renewable energy-the cheapest form of energy-and forcing their customers to pay more. As energy costs rise and extreme weather becomes more frequent, now is the time to phase out polluting, volatile, expensive fossil fuels and invest in stable, reliable, and affordable clean energy."

About the Sierra Club

The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of 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 https://www.sierraclub.org.