Stories

Late yesterday afternoon, the White House announced the nomination of a former Iowa Utilities Board chairman as commissioner for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The nomination, according to members of Iowa’s federal delegation, is good news for the nation and not just the Hawkeye State.
John Norris, a name well-known in Iowa political circles, originally went [...]

MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co. has officially come out against a bill aimed at limiting greenhouse gas emissions currently being considered in the U.S. House.
The legislation seeks to reduce emissions by imposing a national limit, or cap, on greenhouse gases. It would then allow polluters to buy and sell their emissions credits. If a polluter [...]

The focus of Schweitzer’s speech was energy, and he said that Republican slogans like “Drill, baby, drill” simply aren’t enough.

“We can’t drill our way out of our energy problem, and anyone who thinks we can is delusional,” he said. “Drilling is one aspect, but we need to focus on American sources of energy like biofuels, wind, and solar.”

The American Future Fund, an Iowa-based conservative group that has run advocacy ads for Republicans in competitive congressional races around the country, has produced its first national television advertisement, focusing on energy policy and advocating for more domestic oil exploration.

But the ad, which aired for the first time Wednesday night during Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” relies on outdated, untrue claims.

A statewide radio ad focusing on his plans to lower gas and energy prices was released today by the campaign of incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Latham.
The 60-second ad, which is the first mass media buy of the 2008 4th District congressional campaign, discusses Latham’s view that Congress needs to work immediately to increase domestic energy [...]

Senators Tom Harkin and Richard Lugar, key lawmakers from agricultural states, are working to change federal rules to help clear the way for biofuels pipelines to run from the Midwest to East Coast markets.

Carroll Mayor Jim Pedelty takes a broad historical view of the dynamics associated with rising gas prices.

“We have seen a gutless energy policy over the last 35 years,” Pedelty said.

That goes for both federal and state government, the mayor says.

As the city adapts to higher prices, Pedelty said, the local fallout could have been prevented [...]

Unless you are one of the hearty and fearless year-round bicyclists, now is the time to clean up your ten-speed, balloon-tire cruiser, mountain bike, or other two-wheeled people-powered vehicle and hit the trail and/or pavement.

No bike to refurbish? Have no fear!

Community bike programs have recently sprouted in several cities, including an ambitious Des Moines Bike [...]

Until they dry out, Iowa cornfields are just so much moist dirt. At harvest time they will yield a certain amount of food, but about 20 percent of U.S. corn is used to make ethanol.

The biofuel boom, along with drought and other factors, has created a worldwide food problem.

Several countries have recently seen bloodshed, unrest [...]

A Department of Agriculture program that provided low-interest loans for rural coal power has been suspended. Iowa’s largest coal-burning plant, Council Bluffs No. 4, received $177 million from the USDA in 2004.