“Iowa electric customers deserve better treatment in this very important debate,” said David Osterberg, executive director IPP, a nonpartisan public policy research and analysis organization based in Iowa City. “The worst thing we can do for energy consumers, particularly low-income consumers, is fail to move forward with effective climate policy.”

Osterberg said recent comments in the media from utility executives are attempting to pit region against region, and making inaccurate conclusions about the consumer impact of proposed climate policy. In particular, MidAmerican Energy Co., Iowa’s largest utility, has argued that the bill would favor large utilities on the coasts that rely more on nuclear energy or hydropower over Midwestern utilities that are more dependent on coal.

That argument has won over several House Democrats from agricultural states, including Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell, whose spokesman told the Iowa Independent earlier this week that unless changes were made he would not support the climate change bill.

Iowa utilities actually are making better power generation decisions than some in other states, which makes the recent comments from utility executives frustrating, Osterberg said. He noted the Alliant decision to pull back from a coal-fired plant at Marshalltown, and the growth of wind power by MidAmerican that has helped to boost wind to 15 percent of Iowa’s share of electric generating capacity.

IPP also noted that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) last week estimated the cost in 2020 of the proposed cap-and-trade program would be $22 billion, or about $175 per household, in 2010 dollars. Those figures do not include some of the energy-efficiency provisions of the bill, which could average household costs even lower, between $80 and $111 in 2030, according to analysis released by the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday.

“Critics of the current proposals present a false choice between protecting the environment and protecting consumers. Rather, we need to recognize that while new climate policy moves us away from dependence on polluting forms of energy, we can do this in a way that assures low-income people don’t experience increased costs,” Osterberg said.

The Washington, D.C.,-based Web site Politico reported Wednesday that Democrats will be successful in passing the legislation Friday, with the help of some Republicans. The legislation is likely to face stiff opposition in the Senate.

“Our company and our partners appreciate the tremendous support demonstrated for this project by our labor partners, industry, agriculture and business leaders, the community of Marshalltown and economic development organizations across the state,” Tom Aller, president of Alliant subsidiary Interstate Power and Light Company, said in a prepared statement. “While our company is disappointed in this missed opportunity to further Iowa’s efforts to grow its economy and position our state as a leader in renewable energy, we will continue to focus our efforts on expanding our renewable energy resources and energy efficiency initiatives and reducing our environmental impact.”

Interstate Power had taken the lead on the proposed construction of Sutherland Generating State Unit 4 in Marshalltown. The project’s other partners were Central Iowa Power Cooperative, Corn Belt Power Cooperative and North Iowa Municipal Electric Cooperative Association.

A number of environmental groups, which had long opposed construction of the coal plant, considered today’s announcement a major victory, and were pleased to note the power companies’ commitment to renewable energy options.

“I applaud this decision made by Alliant Energy and also their commitment to move forward with their energy efficiency and renewable energy portfolios,” said Mike Carberry, director of environmental advocacy group Green State Solutions. “Moving towards a new green economy will be great for the overall economic recovery and create thousands of green collar jobs right here in Iowa.”

Mary McBee, one of more than 700 Iowans who wrote letters to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in opposition to the construction and a person who lives within 15 miles of the proposed site, was elated with the news.

“One thing I really liked about the press release that Alliant put out is that they really do seem to get that they are going to have to go towards renewables and energy efficiency, if they want to get the support of Iowans,” McBee said.

Executives of the partner companies, however, are disappointed that the project has been canceled and expressed concerns about being able to provide for future energy needs.

“Today’s decision is not in the best interest of our cooperative or our state, but it is the hand we were dealt,” Dennis Murdock, executive vice president of Central Iowa Power Cooperative, said. “CIPCO was committed to the Sutherland project as a solution to providing an affordable and reliable supply of electricity with a renewable component. While the economic slowdown has dampened short-term forecasts for energy growth, we still have a need for baseload electric generation to serve our members. We will continue to pursue other opportunities to meet the growing needs of our members to foster economic growth and job creation.”

Ken Kuyper, executive vice president and general manager of Corn Belt Power Cooperative, added, “It’s regrettable that this plant won’t be built. This new source of generation was an important part of our plan for meeting the growing demand for electricity from the people of rural Iowa. Corn Belt Power will work to determine the next best alternative to the Sutherland plant. We will continue to do everything we can to meet our co-op members’ need for reliable and affordable power.”

As a result of the decision to cancel the new unit in Marshalltown, Alliant Energy expects its capital expenditure forecast to decrease by $205 million in 2009, $455 million in 2010 and $285 million in 2011 in relation to levels disclosed to the Securities and Exchance Commission in late February.

Sarah Palin at a rally in Sioux City. (Photo: Douglas Burns)

And the exclusive story is no longer the exclusive domain of the traditional media. In many cases, it’s the small, independent media that are breaking stories and driving the news these days.

With that in mind, the Iowa Independent would like to share the best of the stories that you read here first.

1. Why John McCain will select Sarah Palin as running mate by Douglas Burns (June 29, 2008)

Sarah who?

That was pretty much the reaction in June when the Iowa Independent’s Doug Burns not only said the one-term governor from Alaska should be John McCain’s vice presidential pick, but that she would be his pick. By late August, McCain actually did choose Palin to be his running mate, and Burns (and his crystal ball) were vindicated.

2. Agriprocessors official who sold used cars and favors has fled the country, residents say by Lynda Waddington (June 20, 2008)

If a scoop is defined as getting a story before any other news organization, then Lynda Waddington’s story about Hasom Amara, a former supervisor at Agriprocessors, can be counted as a super scoop. That’s because she not only broke the news to the public that Amara had fled the country, she broke the news to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.

3. Dems’ coordinated campaign largely disbanded, replaced by Obama staff by Jason Hancock (July 3, 2008)

In a year that saw Democrats expand their majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, you wouldn’t think there would be much talk of missed opportunities. But in the months leading up to Election Day, Democrats were predicting (and Republicans were bracing for) huge gains that never came. This despite the fact that Obama overwhelmingly carried the Hawkeye State with his army of volunteers and paid staff blanketing the state and turning out supporters.

So are Iowans just notorious ticket-splitters, or was there something else to blame? Many point back to one of Obama’s first post-primary decisions, to forgo participating in the state party’s coordinated campaign and instead focus all efforts on his own election, a story we broke in Iowa. Many predicted at the time that this could make legislative races tighter, a hypothesis that seems to have panned out.

4. Fallon faces campaign finance questions By Chase Martyn (March 30, 2008)

Former state Rep. Ed Fallon

The Democratic primary for the Third Congressional District between incumbent Leonard Boswell and Ed Fallon garnered national attention and was widely expected to go right down to the wire. In the end, Boswell cruised to victory. Two major factors seemed to pull Fallon’s support down in the months leading up to the primary vote. The first was his outspoken support for Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader in 2000, something Boswell repeatedly used to try and show Fallon was somehow less of a loyal Democrat. The second was a report by the Iowa Independent calling into question the campaign finance ethics of Fallon’s for-profit political advocacy organization “I’m for Iowa.”

One of Fallon’s major lines of attack was Boswell’s stance on campaign finance reform, calling the Blue Dog Democrat a pawn of corporate America due to his willingness to accept millions of dollars from corporate political action committees. So when Fallon revealed that his for-profit advocacy organization accepted contributions that would never be disclosed, cries of hypocrisy quickly followed, whether justified or not. His campaign never seemed to regain traction.

5. Iowa’s intelligence fusion center ‘connects the dots’ By Jason Hancock (July 29, 2008)

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the federal government began creating a nationwide intelligence network with a headquarters in every state. The fusion center concept was born. Here in Iowa, very little was known about the organization, even though its major structure had been in place for years and its director, Russell Porter, was a well-known figure in the national intelligence community. As part of a nationwide series including the Iowa Independent and its sister sites in Minnesota, New Mexico, Colorado and Michigan, the doors of this secretive organization were flung open. Soon after our coverage, the story of the Iowa Intelligence Fusion Center was being told on national television.

6.  The invocation that stole the show from Sen. John McCain by John Deeth (Oct. 11, 2008)

John McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, had not yet arrived at an Oct. 11 Davenport event, so naturally very few media members had bothered to show. Luckily, the Iowa Independent’s John Deeth is much like a Marine -– first one in, last one out, which meant he was practically the only one there to file the following report:

Before McCain’s arrival, a minister delivering an invocation said, “There are plenty of people around the world who are praying to their god, be they Hindu, Buddah, or Allah, that (McCain’s) opponent wins. … And Lord, I pray that you step forward and honor your own name.”

The story quickly made its way across the Internet, and the preacher who made the remark, The Rev. Arnold Conrad, past pastor of the Grace Evangelical Free Church, was later “honored” as Keith Olbermann’s “Worst Person in the World.”

7. Obama/Richardson Caucus deal by Chase Martyn and Lynda Waddington (Jan. 2, 2008)

There is a lot of wheeling and dealing on Caucus night. One day before Iowans rocketed Barack Obama to front-runner status, the Iowa Independent reported on possible deals between New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and the Obama campaign that directed Richardson supporters to caucus for Obama in the second round of voting.  Both sides (and nearly every other Democratic candidate) denied the deal, but we found plenty of evidence on the ground.

8. GOP platform calls for end to ethanol mandate By Jason Hancock (Sept. 3, 2008)

It was a move that received very little attention on a night when most of the Republican National Convention was cancelled because of concerns over Hurricane Gustav, but for farm states, it was a big deal. The GOP’s national platform for the first time called for an end to a mandate that gasoline contain a set amount of ethanol. Overall, the 2008 RNC Convention was not kind to the ethanol industry, with Sen. John McCain and his vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin hardly mentioning biofuels as part of the energy mix of the future. The move was seen as a putting the party in line with its presidential candidates, but many observers said at the time that it would cost Republicans support up and down the ballot in agricultural states like Iowa.

Details of the contracts are as follows:

Clean Gasification Platform for Renewable Power — Iowa State University in Ames was awarded $2.37 million to improve the performance of ethanol plants, utilizing clean biomass gasificiation for power generation and ethanol production. The project also addresses the core development needs of the grain ethanol industry to reduce natural gas consumption and transition to cellulosic ethanol production. There is $922,112 in matching funds for this award.

Efficient, Low-cost Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion — ISU was also awarded $1.69 million to develop more efficient, cost-effective thin film solar cells for solar-electric energy conversion by improving materials and by using novel device structures. There is $463,500 in matching funds for this award.

Mobile Solid Biomass Briquette Plant — RENEW Energy Systems of Osage was awarded $250,000 to build a mobile biomass briquetter, which will be used to densify solid biomass on-site for industrial and commercial heat and power generation. By briquetting biomass on-site, this project will reduce the transportation and carbon cost of feedstock transfer. There is $299,500 in matching funds for this award.

Development of Less Expensive Dye Sensitized Solar Cells — University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls was awarded $78, 681 to develop dye sensitized solar cells. Technology developments in this area of research will allow for more commercially-viable, solar-powered consumer devices. There is $18,600 in matching funds for this award.

Novel Hydrogen Storage Materials for Fuel Cell Application — UNI was also awarded $400,000 to create an economically competitive hydrogen fuel cell that would revolutionize the energy storage industry. Development of a high density storage matrix for hydrogen is the critical step to making fuel cells competitive on the commercial market. There is $65,000 in matching funds for this award.

Amana Renewable Energy Project – Amana Farms, Inc. in Amana was awarded $1.08 million to utilize emerging technologies to create environmental benefits by turning crop, livestock and industrial waste into renewable energy through anaerobic digestion. Amana Farms will build an educational facility, which will be used to host seminars and explain this under-utilized technology to members of the general public. There is $3.57 million in matching funds for this award.

The Iowa Power Fund Board consists of 18 members — seven voting members appointed by the Governor and approved by the Senate, four state agency directors, and seven ex-officio members. The fund itself was created as a tool for the Office of Energy Independence to promote a move away from dependence on foreign energy sources.

Entities conducting business, research, or programs in Iowa that accelerate the move toward energy indpendence or increase the demand for or educate the populus about such technological approaches are eligible for fund appropriations.

“He knows production agriculture, and he knows the changes we need to ensure its profitability and future, including for young and beginning farmers and ranchers,” Sen. Tom Harkin said in a statement.

Iowa’s Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley said in a statement that he was pleasantly surprised by the Vilsack pick.

“This comes as a surprise since about three weeks ago Gov. Vilsack stated that he was not in contention for the job, but it sure isn’t a surprise because of his qualifications. As Governor of Iowa he had a firsthand look at the role of agriculture in our global economy,” Grassley said. “I’m happy for him, happy for Iowa and this is welcome news for agriculture.”

Tom Buis, president of the National Farmers Union, told the Washington Post that Vilsack was a “great choice” who “has an understanding of the challenges and opportunities that exist in rural America.”

Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, told the New York Times that Vilsack’s understanding of the biofuels industry would serve him well in his new position.

“The big issue for him and any incoming secretary is going to be biofuels, that’s the sector that right now is in such a volatile position,” said Ken Cook, president of the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit group that is a leading critic of federal farm subsidies. American farmers, Mr. Cook said, are “hitched to both the food system and the energy system, both of which are oscillating.”

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, a Republican, said Vilsack’s pick would be good for Iowa.

“It’s nice to have an Iowan in this job,” Northey said. “He understands what’s going on in agriculture. He’s a quick study, and I think Iowans will have good access in the USDA.”

Of course, not everyone will be pleased with Obama’s pick. The Organic Consumers Association (OCA), a Minnesota-based non-profit organization advocating for organic and sustainable agriculture, pointed to Vilsack’s support of genetically engineered pharmaceutical crops, his ties to The Monsanto Co. and his support of corn and soy based biofuels as reasons why he isn’t qualified for the position.

Vilsack has a glowing reputation as being a schill for agribusiness biotech giants like Monsanto. Sustainable ag advocates across the country were spreading the word of Vilsack’s history as he was attempting to appeal to voters in his presidential bid.

President-elect Barack Obama is expected to formally announce the Vilsack pick at 10:45 a.m. today in Chicago.

The group points to what it calls Mertz’s ties to the factory farm industry, including the fact that her son owns a 4,000-head hog factory, as motivation for House Speaker Pat Murphy, D-Dubuque, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, D-Des Moines, to remove her from the chair position. Mertz, D-Ottosen, was re-appointed by House leadership as the Ag Committee chair for the 2009 legislative session last week.

“Mertz claims she supports family farms, but her votes and actions clearly show she has bent over backwards to please the factory farm industry,” said Kevin Shilling, a CCI member and livestock/poultry farmer. “McCarthy and Murphy knew exactly what they were doing when they re-appointed her as House Ag Chair. It’s shameful that they care more about the factory farm industry than the quality of life of everyday Iowans.”

Rep. Mark Kuhn, D-Charles City, is the group’s choice for the position due to his support for legislation that “called for stricter regulations on factory farms.”

Iowa CCI has long been an advocate for giving local governments zoning power over hog confinements. Currently, the authority rests in the state government.

Gov. Chet Culver in Husum, Germany, last September for Europe's largest wind energy show.

At a panel discussion on the potential of investing in the clean energy economy sponsored by the Blue Green Alliance, Iowa was singled out as being ahead of the curve in working to attract companies that create jobs and promote renewable energies.

“Iowa has captured five wind turbine manufacturing factories in recent years, factories that could have easily been built in Minnesota,” said David Foster, executive director of the Blue Green Alliance Action Fund, a coalition of the Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers of America working to promote clean energy economic development. “Started by [former Gov.] Tom Vilsack and continued today by Gov. Culver, they are reaching out to companies and bring really good jobs to their state.”

Iowa is at or near the top nationally in production of ethanol and ranks third in wind energy production, behind Texas and California. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the wind industry has seen a 45 percent growth in the number of turbines installed and in megawatt capacity. In Iowa, more than 30 wind energy companies have expanded or located facilities in the state since 2003, including Texas-based Trinity Industries, which said in May that it would build wind turbine towers in the Maytag Corp. plant in Newton that was closed down in 2007. The Dallas company plans to hire 140 workers with the $21 million project.

“The myth is that environmental regulation costs people jobs,” Foster said. “In reality, it’s both or neither. These industries create blue-collar jobs with a green purpose.”

These are manufacturing jobs like those that the country has been losing of late that will not require advanced degrees or years of re-training existing work forces.

“The kinds of jobs created by these companies are exactly the kinds of jobs we already have,” Foster said.

The Economic Policy Institute study said 1.4 million new jobs could be created around the country simply from meeting the standards set in the Kyoto Protocol.

Cathy Duvall, national political director of the Sierra Club, said this year the political debate has focused on clean energy versus expanded oil drilling.

“But that’s not what we’re dealing with,” she said. “It’s a debate over whether driving our economy into the future versus keeping it stuck in the past.”

Gerry Parzino, staff representative of the United Steelworkers in Minnesota, said Iowa is part of a small number of states that have been ahead of the curve in building these new industries.

Foster said it has to do with the dedication of Iowa’s leaders, pointing to the fact that Iowa has had an economic development office in Frankfurt, Germany, for many years.

“Most of these [wind energy] companies are European companies,” he said. “Iowa is seeking them out, and it’s really paying off with good jobs.”

Since 2007, Iowa has established the Office of Energy Independence and the Power Fund, both with the goal of encouraging growth in the clean energy industry.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer visited the 2008 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa on Thursday.

Implementation of the new farm bill will ultimately be handed off to the next presidential administration, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said at a press conference in Iowa Thursday.

Schafer told agriculture reporters at the 2008 Farm Progress Show that the implementation of the new farm bill is “going well,” with the work about two weeks ahead of schedule.

“We have prioritized the programs, and some programs come to us with certain timelines and deadlines,” said Schafer. “We’re working through methodically to produce the rules and regulations. And, importantly, we understand that we will not get this farm bill fully implemented before the end of this administration. So it will go off into the next administration.”

One of the major tasks that Schafer’s department must complete soon is the implementation of the new country-of-origin labeling program for retail food products. Country-of-origin labeling was passed into law in 2002, but was never implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The new farm bill that passed this year mandates that the labeling law be implemented by Oct. 1. Schafer said that the USDA is on track to do so and has published its interim final rule for the program.

“I believe we came up with a set of regulations that are understanding of people’s concerns, of producers’ concerns, and the cost to the consumer,” he said. “I like the regulations the way they came out. There’s a lot of controversy all the way around, but I think we struck a good balance with this, and we are in the position to deliver it on October 1.”

Schafer said he anticipates “bumps in the system” regarding regulation of the program. He said the USDA will allow a six-month implementation period in which the department will work with retailers and producers for a smooth transition. During the six-month period, he said, the USDA won’t be “coming in with the hammer or the summons book, but we’re coming in to say this is the new law, this is how we work through it. So we’ll have that grace period to work through so we can get it implemented properly.”

Other aspects of the farm bill will cost more to implement than the USDA has been given, he said, noting that the department cannot implement some of the new programs with the hardware and software currently in place. He has requested an additional $179 million from Congress to fund the shortfall. “One difficulty that we’re facing is we required and asked for $200 million for implementation for the new farm bill, and we received about $55 million, so we simply don’t have enough money.”

Schafer also discussed the Conservation Reserve Program, which has been in the news recently following a lawsuit filed by the National Wildlife Federation. Schafer said he would like to see legislation passed that would bring more flexibility to the program and allow the USDA to change CRP contracts. “The conversation has definitely not stopped,” he said. “It is being pursued legislatively on the hill, which is where the final answer is going to rest.”

A total of $87.5 million in Emergency Conservation Program funds will be distributed between 34 states that were affected by natural disasters, announced U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer Thursday. Iowa will receive $12,208,500, the largest amount of the 34 states.

The funds will be distributed to help landowners repair soil and water conservation structures, remove flood debris, and restore fences. Funding will also be used to carry out water conservation measures in other states that have suffered drought.

“This funding will allow farmers and ranchers to repair the unusually harsh damage to conservation efforts caused by the disaster conditions, notably flooding and drought,” said Schafer in a news release. “USDA has worked shoulder to shoulder with producers when weather turns against them, and we remain involved to help in the weeks and months of recovery afterward.”

A statement from the USDA explains that for land to be eligible for the funds, the natural disaster must create new problems that if untreated will impair and affect the land’s productive capacity, among other criteria.

USDA Farm Service Agency county committees will conduct on-site inspections of damage to determine land eligibility.

Conservation Reserve Program (Photo: usgs.gov)

According to a press release from Senate Agriculture Committee chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the USDA will release CRP acres for haying in counties that have received a presidential disaster declaration and contiguous counties because of the recent flooding. This release includes almost all of the state of Iowa.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer issued a release for livestock grazing on CRP acres for these same counties on July 7.

Harvesting of hay on CRP lands under the emergency release comes with several stipulations. CRP participants will receive a 25 percent payment reduction and harvesting will be limited to one cutting of hay. Additionally, one half of the field or contiguous fields in CRP must be left unharvested for the protection of wildlife, and all haying must cease on Sept. 30. Participants must write their county Farm Service Agency office and receive a modified conservation plan and approval before beginning to harvest hay.

Harkin had submitted numerous requests for the emergency CRP release for haying, and just this week he was joined by all of the members of Iowa’s congressional delegation in calling for the release.

“The disaster caused by this summer’s flooding has forced us to look at new ways to allow Iowa producers to provide for livestock,” said Harkin in the press release. “It was critical for USDA to release CRP lands for grazing. Yet it is important for producers in Iowa — many of whom no longer have fencing or livestock watering facilities on their CRP land — to be able to use CRP hay to feed their livestock or to market it. Emergency haying and grazing is permitted on lands affected by drought, and with the nesting season over, it only made sense to open this land for haying.”

The primary nesting season for wild birds in Iowa was determined by the USDA to be completed by Aug. 2 this year.

The emergency release of CRP acres for haying and grazing will only affect designated counties in 16 states. And while it will be welcome news to many livestock producers who have been struggling this year with the high cost of feed, a broader nationwide release of CRP land was what many really had hoped for.

That nationwide CRP release, under the Critical Feed Use program, was mostly derailed when a Seattle court found in favor of the National Wildlife Federation in a lawsuit two weeks ago.

Iowa’s other senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, said Tuesday in a conference call with agriculture reporters that he wants to change the law to override the court ruling on the CRP Critical Feed Use program.

Grassley announced that he is co-sponsoring a bill with Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., that will “implement the Critical Feed Use program and do it as originally intended by the USDA.”

Grassley said that the court stepped in and ruled in such a way to “dilute the value of the critical feed program,” adding that the lawsuit came at a very bad time for farmers. “The court issued an arbitrary ruling, which, well, just simply and essentially cut off many farmers who wanted to participate,” said Grassley.

Grassley said that the court, in fact, may be accurately interpreting the law, but if that is the case, “then we need to rewrite the law.” He said that the arbitrary ruling of the court resulted in farmers being treated inequitably, because some farmers who had applied before the deadline would be allowed to participate, while others who had missed the deadline would not be allowed to participate.