IUB

Iowa Utilities Board's study to examine power company regulations for cost-effectiveness, reliability

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
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DES MOINES, Iowa, Aug. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) kicked off the first of three public input and discussion sessions ("charettes") to review state laws related to how utilities set their rates. These sessions will wrap up in early November and result in a set of legislative recommendations to be considered in the 2024 legislative session. This process stemmed from the passage this year of House File 617, which required the IUB to undertake this review with a focus on "ensuring safe, adequate, reliable, and affordable utility services provided at rates that are nondiscriminatory, just, reasonable, and based on the utility's cost of providing service to its customers within Iowa." The IUB has hired consulting firm London Economics to convene stakeholders and perform the required analysis in Docket No. NOI-2023-0001.

Key Points: 
  • This is a critical moment for Iowa as the state has not reformed its regulations governing the energy sector since 2001.
  • The 2001 law delivered a sea change in how the state regulated utilities and enabled the rapid expansion of wind energy in Iowa.
  • This requires transparent and thorough oversight to balance the financial interest of the company and the customers.
  • According to Johannsen with the Iowa Environmental Council, "There could not be a more important moment for Iowa advocates, utilities, and policymakers to be having this discussion.

Iowa Utilities Board takes action to protect customers from risks with MidAmerican Energy's Wind PRIME proposal

Retrieved on: 
Monday, May 1, 2023
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The Board approved the project only because the utility promised the project would provide significant economic benefits to customers.

Key Points: 
  • The Board approved the project only because the utility promised the project would provide significant economic benefits to customers.
  • If MidAmerican decides to proceed with the Wind PRIME project under the Board's new conditions, it must also conduct a public planning process before any future clean energy development.
  • MidAmerican must let the Board know whether it plans to proceed with Wind PRIME in the next 20 days.
  • (Order p. 45)
    "The Board finds that the Wind PRIME proposal fails to demonstrate its reasonableness compared to feasible alternatives under a traditional utility review."

Iowa Utilities Board Publishes Secret MidAmerican Studies on Clean Energy Transition

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
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DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to an Iowa Utilities Board Order, MidAmerican Energy filed new public versions of two internal studies that show solar is the lowest cost path for achieving carbon free energy and recognize that transitioning away from burning coal is an essential piece of achieving this goal. The studies also raise questions about the economics of MidAmerican's coal fleet. Despite its own studies' findings, MidAmerican has not announced plans to retire any of its coal plants. In the current Wind PRIME proposal before the IUB, MidAmerican has proposed to build 40 times more wind than solar and to continue to operate its coal plants long-term. MidAmerican is one of the top 10 largest coal fleet owners in the country without a plan for retirement of those plants by 2035.

Key Points: 
  • Despite its own studies' findings, MidAmerican has not announced plans to retire any of its coal plants.
  • MidAmerican initially refused to provide the studies even to the Iowa Utilities Board, then sought to hold the studies confidential in their entirety.
  • Environmental groups sought release of the studies to make sure the public had an opportunity to compare MidAmerican's internal findings with its public positions concerning the clean energy transition.
  • The Iowa Utilities Board is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the Wind PRIME docket beginning February 20, 2023, during which MidAmerican Energy executives and other parties in the docket will provide testimony.

Environmental groups applaud Iowa regulators' order to make public MidAmerican Energy's secret planning studies

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Study, ELPC, Disclosure, IUB, Sierra, Order, IEC, Wind, Environmental Law and Policy Center, Confidentiality, State Energy Program (United States), Sierra Club, Ageing, Coal, Economics, Iowa Utilities Board, Carbon, Electricity, Environmental law, Renewable energy, Cryptocurrency, MidAmerican Energy Company

DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 19, 2023, the Iowa Utilities Board issued an order in MidAmerican Energy's Wind PRIME proceeding to make public two generation planning studies that MidAmerican has aggressively and repeatedly sought to keep secret from regulators and the public.

Key Points: 
  • DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On January 19, 2023, the Iowa Utilities Board issued an order in MidAmerican Energy's Wind PRIME proceeding to make public two generation planning studies that MidAmerican has aggressively and repeatedly sought to keep secret from regulators and the public.
  • MidAmerican has 14 days to obtain an injunction in order to keep the information hidden from the public.
  • "With the Board's order, MidAmerican should stop hiding information that directly impacts their captive customers," said Kerri Johannsen, Energy Program Director with the Iowa Environmental Council.
  • The Board's order found that the information contained in the studies serves a public purpose because of its relevance to the proposed Wind PRIME investment by MidAmerican.

Motion seeks MidAmerican's withheld coal studies

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
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DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Environmental advocates have filed a motion with the Iowa Utilities Board to compel MidAmerican Energy to back its claims that its coal plants are a responsible use of customers' money.

Key Points: 
  • "Iowans are paying more for coal generation to pollute our air, lands, and waters - that's not in question.What we don't know is how much extra we're paying," said IEC Energy Program Director Kerri Johannsen.
  • The environmental groups have provided studies showing that MidAmerican's coal plants are uneconomic and pointed to the tens of billions of dollars of potential investment made available by the recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, making coal alternatives all the cheaper.
  • "If MidAmerican can simply choose not to show the board certain studies, it can remove better options from consideration, hamstringing the board in its duties."
  • Residents and businesses deserve a full airing of the risks and benefits of MidAm's planning," said Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign Representative Katie Rock.

Significant breakthrough: The FEMTECH company OCON Healthcare of the Merchavia Investments Group has signed an exclusive agreement with BioGenuine to market its products in China and Southeast Asian countries

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 27, 2022
African, Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, Health, Menopause, Fibroid, Women's health, TASE, IUB, Anesthesia, Woman, Bleeding, HMB, Uterus, Technology, Endometriosis, Hysterectomy, SEAD, Solution, Time, Safety, Pregnancy, Hospital, Pharmaceutical industry, Birth control, Investment

RAMAT GAN, Israel, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- OCON Healthcare, the Israeli FEMTECH company, which develops, manufactures and markets a unique and innovative platform for the delivery of drugs to the uterus, from the group of companies of Merchavia Holdings and Investments (TASE: MRHL), reports that it has signed a binding agreement with BioGenuine, a Chinese pharma company in the field of Women's Health, which will begin marketing its products exclusively in China and Southeast Asia. It is also stipulated that the companies will work for the joint development and commercialization of new products in the field of women's health based on OCON's spherical platform combined with innovative drugs.

Key Points: 
  • According to the agreement between the companies, OCON will receive an immediate payment of $ 1.3 million in addition to the following milestones: 1.
  • The Chinese company will pay $ 1 million after receiving regulatory approval in China for each of the products (excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan).
  • OCON Healthcare estimates that the global HMB surgery market is expected to reach $ 1.3 billion by 2024.
  • About Merchavia Holdings and Investments:
    Merchavia is a public company traded in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange that has a wide range of investments in Med-Tech companies with an emphasis on advanced remote medicine solutions.

OCON Healthcare Awarded as Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Forum, Birth, IOT, Health care, Woman, Fibroid, Women's health, World Economic Forum, Robotics, Humble Bundle, Uterus, Climate change, Industry, Menopause, Endometriosis, Leadership, International Organization (journal), Health, IUB, Quality of life, Anatomy, Female, Technology, Solution, CEO, AI, Renewable energy, Pharmaceutical industry, Management, Biotechnology

With their selection as Technology Pioneer, CEO of OCON Healthcare, Keren Leshem, will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and discussions throughout the year.

Key Points: 
  • With their selection as Technology Pioneer, CEO of OCON Healthcare, Keren Leshem, will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum activities, events and discussions throughout the year.
  • "We're excited to welcome OCON Healthcare to our 2022 cohort of Technology Pioneers," says Saemoon Yoon, Community Lead, Technology Pioneers, World Economic Forum.
  • ( www.oconmed.com )
    About World Economic Forum:The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation.
  • The World Economic Forum believes that innovation is critical to the future well-being of society and to driving economic growth.

Alliant Energy announces plans for largest solar and battery facility in Iowa

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, in a filing with the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), Alliant Energy (NASDAQ: LNT) announces plans for adding the first portion of its planned 400 megawatts (MW) of solar energy generation in Iowa.

Key Points: 
  • CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Nov. 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, in a filing with the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB), Alliant Energy (NASDAQ: LNT) announces plans for adding the first portion of its planned 400 megawatts (MW) of solar energy generation in Iowa.
  • Todays announcement is the first major milestone for Alliant Energy in executing its Clean Energy Blueprint in Iowa .
  • Once operational, expected by year-end 2024, the project positions Alliant Energy as the largest combined solar and battery storage operator in the state.
  • We are excited to transition land from the decommissioned nuclear facility into the largest solar and battery storage facility in Iowa.