The energy landscape is continually evolving across the country and the world at an unprecedented rate. No longer is our energy generation dependent on one or two fuel sources; instead, the possibilities continue to expand. Central Iowa Power Cooperative has been at the forefront of evolving energy for more than a decade. As we entered 2016, our generation capacity was 60 percent emission and carbon-free and consisted of wind, hydro, landfill gas, nuclear, natural gas, and coal. This “all of the above” approach ensures the cooperative’s balanced generation provides safe, reliable, and cost-effective energy for our members. To further enhance our portfolio, we added solar in 2016. Our 5.5 MW utility-scale system is currently the largest in the state of Iowa.
Our member-owned cooperative takes pride in providing options that meet the needs and goals of our members. As solar energy becomes more cost-effective, our members chose to enter the arena. Solar increases our emission and carbon-free portfolio and further diversifies our generation assets, which enhances the cooperative’s ability to maintain stable rates in a market in which energy costs can vary greatly. Choosing to utilize utility-scale solar versus community solar was a well-researched endeavor to develop the best option for delivering energy across our 58-county territory. As a cooperative, it is our job, even our mandate, to serve all members equally. We recognize installing a residential solar system can be costly and often out of reach for a large portion of the public. Utility-scale solar benefits everyone, regardless of income level, not just those who can purchase a residential system or afford to buy into a community solar farm.
While renewable-energy sources are a critical component in providing environmentally friendly energy, they cannot yet sustain the entire electric load of our members. We live in a 24/7 world, and reliable electricity is an important component. Our members expect the lights to come on whenever the switch is flipped. If the wind isn’t blowing or the Sun isn’t shining, solar and wind are unable to support the electrical needs of our members. Until the capacity exists to store large scale amounts of electricity in a way that does not increase costs to our members, we are dependent on numerous forms of fuel sources to continue providing safe, reliable, and cost-effective electricity. That’s where the “all of the above” strategy comes into play. Without the use of fuel sources that can sustain generation at any point in the day, we risk an electrical system incapable of meeting today’s demands. Nuclear, coal, and natural gas are an important part of the equation.
The cooperative maintains our commitment to a diverse generation portfolio that ensures all members can rest assured the lights will come on when the switch is flipped. To that end, we look forward to investigating emerging technologies that allow the cooperative to provide safe, reliable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective electricity for our members across the state.
We are Iowa’s largest cooperative energy provider, serving 13 electric cooperatives and associations spanning 58 of Iowa’s 99 counties. We are a generation and transmission cooperative supplying power to its member distribution cooperatives covering a territory that stretches 300 miles diagonally across the state from the Mississippi River on the east to Shenandoah in the southwest. The Central Iowa Cooperative supplies all power requirements for its member cooperatives, and as their power provider, we are dedicated to delivering quality, safe, and reliable service at the lowest possible cost.
— Paul Heineman
Board President, Central Iowa Power Cooperative
