DES MOINES — The Iowa Energy Center (IEC) announced $2.8 million in grants to 12 projects (pictured below). The IEC Grant Program is funded by Iowa ratepayers, customers who pay for an electric or natural gas utility service through a local electric and/or gas utility. These funds enable eligible applicants to pursue projects that align with one of the seven key focus areas of the Iowa Energy Plan.
“Out of an exceptional group of applicants, the Iowa Energy Center Board is proud to lend grant support to this round of projects, each of which addresses an energy need or opportunity in an innovative way,” said Board Chair Troy DeJoode of the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities. “This year’s grant recipients span the public and private sector and represent a diverse mix of energy resources, creating an individual and collective positive impact on Iowa’s energy economy.”
The grants will fund 12 projects. including:
* Constructing a mobile power system to operate mobile wastewater treatment trailers in rural locations.
* Refurbishing and repurposing used batteries for second-life value and grid storage applications.
* Developing a pilot-scale business model for monetizing carbon capture on solar energy farms.
A total of 37 projects completed the full application with requests totaling more than $10 million. Applications were reviewed and scored by a committee comprised of IEC board members. Scoring rubric was based on alignment with the Iowa Energy Plan, the ratepayer benefit provided, project goals, programmatic capabilities of the applicant and collaboration efforts with other eligible applicants, among other criteria.
The IEC is managed by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and overseen by a governor-appointed board composed of representatives from academia, state government and the utilities. For more information on the IEC and to view a list of current IEC board members, visit iowaeda.com/energycenter.