Iowa Utilities Board upholds net metering in Iowa for three years

Winneshiek Energy District Director Andy Johnson says the Iowa Utilities Board's decision to uphold net metering for the next three years should be considered a victory for customers and contracted energy generators.

According to Johnson, the board's order will continue the status quo for net metering, if the docket is implemented as it is written. The order of the Iowa Utilities Board comes after the submission of plans by both Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy, the largest energy utilities in Iowa, to halt net metering for customer and contractor generation, mostly coming from solar PV.
 
"Alliant and MidAmerican, these energy companies have been working towards getting rid of net metering for a while," Johnson said. "They don't want customers generating their own power and not buying theirs."

Johnson said that while he ultimately wishes for net metering to be expanded, he understands the perspective of the utilities.

"They are concerned about their future profits, and everyone understands that, but it's a changing energy world," said Johnson. "Telephone companies were worried about the same sort of thing when we all started getting cell phones, but there are still landlines. It's just a different world and no one can guarantee that their future profits will continually increase."

According to Johnson, this board order does not, however, clearly improve the situation for large general service (LGS) meters, like Luther College and the Decorah Wastewater Treatment Plant, which are billed on their energy demand.

In the wake of this decision, officials from the Winneshiek Energy District said that they expect utility companies to attempt to undermine the order with regard to LGS meter policies.

For more information on the Iowa Utilities Board decision, visit www.energydistrict.com/resources/distributed-generation/