Consultants selected; timeline, process and public input for statewide effort are detailed
PELLA –The Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress (IPEP) met Oct. 6 at Pella Corporation to kick off the Iowa Energy Plan. The initiative, chaired by Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Pat Meyer, CEO of Pella Corp., is a means to set state priorities and provide strategic guidance for a statewide plan that assesses current and future energy supply and demand, examines energy policies and programs and identifies emerging challenges and opportunities.
“Iowa is a leader in biofuels and renewable energy,” said Lt. Governor Reynolds. “That leadership was achieved because of thoughtful planning. Creating a statewide energy plan will keep Iowa at the forefront of energy policy and allow our state to develop a path toward the future.”
The statewide energy plan will be built on four foundational pillars: Economic Development and Energy Careers, Iowa’s Energy Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency and Conservation. Working groups will be formed around these areas to provide input, review data and help shape the goals and strategies of the energy plan. Applications for the working groups are being accepted now at www.iowaenergyplan.org. More information on the timeline, process and how to provide input for the energy plan can also be found at this website. In addition, five energy forums will be conducted across the state to facilitate public input for the Iowa Energy Plan.
The consultants selected to assist in the development of the plan were also announced Oct. 6. Inova Energy Group and Battelle Memorial Institute were selected to conduct the study. The selection was made after a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process that yielded 12 responses.
The plan will be developed over the next year with a tentative delivery in November of 2016. The leadership team for the Iowa Energy Plan will consist of co-chairs Reynolds and Meyer, IPEP members, Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) representatives. The cost of the plan, estimated at approximately $500,000, will be paid by IEDA and IDOT.
IEDA houses the Iowa Energy Office, which coordinates a variety of state and federal programs related to energy.
