On June 12th, there will be a public hearing in Newton regarding a proposed
WAIVER that would prevent rural people from receiving a fair price when
selling excess renewable electricity to a RURAL ELECTRIC COOP.
The Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) which supplies electricity to
numerous RECs is proposing a WAIVER to the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC). This waiver would circumvent the rights and benefits of
REC customers who wish to install renewable energy sources (e.g. wind
generator) as entitled under PURPA, a Federal Law passed in 1978. The
proposed waiver would, in effect, ban NET METERING -- a process by which
coop customers producing renewable electricity for their own needs can
sell the excess electricity to the coop and receive the same price the coop
pays to its other power suppliers.
There will be a hearing in Newton on Thursday June 12th, at 10:30 a.m.
regarding this WAIVER. The hearing will be held at the DMACC Newton
Conference Center, 600 N. 2nd Avenue, Newton, Iowa. The meeting is open to
the public. People can register to make a statement at the hearing by
calling Craig Fricke, CIPCO, 319-366-8011 or file a complaint requesting
that this WAIVER SHOULD NOT be granted with the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, 888 First Street N.E., Washington, D.C. 20326 or
call their toll free hot line at 1-888-889-8030.
Copies of the proposed rule can be obtained from any of the following
COOPS: Clarke Electric Coop; Consumers Energy Coop; East-Central Iowa Rural
Electric Coop, Eastern Iowa Light and Power Coop; Farmers Electric Coop;
Guthrie County Rural Electric Coop; Maquoketa Valley Electric Coop; Midland
Power Electric Coop; Pella Cooperative Electric Association; Rideta
Electric Coop; South Iowa Municipal Electric Coop; Southwest Iowa Service
Coop; T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative.
NOTE: In a case last year involving Greg and Bev Swecker of Dana, Iowa --
the Iowa District Court ruled that a coop must abide by Federal Law and not
discriminate against their customers. This ruling
required coops to use NET METERING -- - in which the coop must pay the same
price for excess electricity produced by alternative energy suppliers as it
pays to its other power suppliers. The Coops, however, appealed this
decision to the Iowa Supreme Court claiming that the District Court did not
have the power to make that decision. The Supreme Court has not as yet made
a ruling.
Iowa Farmers Union
PO Box 8988
528 Billy Sunday Rd
Ames, IA 50014
800-775-5227
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www.iafu.org
Erin E. Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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www.iowa.sierraclub.org