Luther College has also filed a letter with the Iowa Utility Board about Alliant Energy's actions during the Decorah municipalization vote

When the Iowa Utility Board approved a rate increase for Alliant Energy earlier this year, it also included in its ruling language about the utility's conduct during the referendum in Decorah about a municipal electric utility.

"The lack of transparency and misrepresentation in the Decorah municipalization vote is of significant concern to the (Iowa Utilities) Board," the ruling read.  It then required Alliant to submit a plan to ensure accurate and current information will be presented in any future referendum.

Alliant has released its plan and the Iowa Utilities Board has specifically asked the City of Decorah and other interested parties to file letters with their responses.  The City of Decorah wrote such a letter earlier and now Luther College has submitted its letter.

Luther is calling Alliant's response to the IUB order "insufficient."  Luther complains Alliant has promised disclosure of rate information--but has limited that disclosure to base rates and riders.  The letter from Luther says the IUB specifically mentioned "anticipated" rate changes from Alliant--not just "proposed" or "approved."  Says the letter from Luther, "Nothing in (Alliant's) proposed plan would prevent it from again refusing to divulge to the City of Decorah (or any other community pursuing municipalization) that (Alliant) has plans to propose a rate increase in the future."

The letter to the IUB also notes that Alliant is able to provide "forward-looking information" to its shareholders, so it should be able to provide that same information to the public.  "Nothing prevents (Alliant) from informing communities about their plans to propose future rate changes," says the Luther letter.

The letter concludes by asking the IUB to require Alliant to submit any campaign material to the IUB for review of its accuracy before it is sent to the voting public in communities which are considering municipalization. 

The Iowa Utilties Board will continue to get comment on the issues, then will issue a ruling on the matter.