Emma Colman (515) 314-5592 emma.colman@sierraclub.org
DES MOINES, IA – 20 community members with Iowa CCI, Sierra Club Beyond Coal, and DSM BLM took part in a demonstration Thursday afternoon during an Iowa Energy Center Board Meeting. The group gave public comments, and demanded the CEO of MidAmerican Energy - Kelcey Brown, commit to phasing out coal plants by 2030, end utility shut offs, and invest in energy efficiency programs.
"I stress every day because I know, if things don't change quickly, the world left for my son, and your children too, will be a nightmare with dangerous storms and rising sea levels. Yet you, Kelcey Brown, continue to choose to burn fossil fuels for short-term profits." - Kim Hagemann CCI and Sierra Club member
MidAmerican Energy owns five coal plants in Iowa, making it the single biggest carbon polluter in the state. They recently stated that they plan to run coal plants until 2049, even though they aren’t needed to meet Iowa customer demands. A report of their 2020 electricity generation shows that nearly a third was sold to utilities out of the state.
"Iowa is the leading state in wind energy. We don't need these coal plants. They do not benefit Iowans. I will not sympathize with MidAmerican's greenwashing when they're polluting the air and water for my nieces and nephews and future generations." - Denver Foote, CCI member
Iowa CCI and Sierra Club Beyond Coal have been requesting a meeting to discuss plans with MidAmerican Energy to make a just transition from their coal plants for over a year with no response. On March 31st, 2021, MidAmerican Energy closed down their only public-facing office in Des moines.
The latest UN Report declared the climate crisis a “code red for humanity.” Iowa will experience harsher drought, flash flooding, and more frequent and intense extreme weather events like the derechos in 2020 and 2021. A recent report found they could save ratepayers over $1.2 billion dollars by closing them by 2030.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.