MidAmerican Energy is not the clean energy company it claims to be. Just ask the residents in the communities near any of MidAmerican’s five massive Iowa coal plants, and they can tell you MidAmerican’s ‘100% clean energy’ vision is just a marketing line. MidAmerican continues to own and operate one of the largest coal fleets in the country, selling coal-generated power to out of state customers for the benefit of their shareholders, while we here in Iowa pay the price for their profits.
The Sierra Club has done an extensive analysis and found that MidAmerican Energy’s George Neal North and South coal plants near Sioux City have lost $27.5 million for its customers over the last five years. Low energy prices in 2020 have only worsened the performance of these plants, which are the most expensive in MidAmerican’s coal fleet in Iowa. This report, which is based on analysis of MidAmerican’s own data, shows that by committing to retire both plants by 2023, MidAmerican could save customers $92 million.
Iowa’s continued reliance on coal-fired power plants remains the state’s largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions. The size of MidAmerican’s coal fleet makes it the single largest carbon polluter in the state and the utility remains one of the 20 largest utility companies in the nation with no climate commitment or emissions reductions target.[1] Retiring George Neal North and South would be the carbon equivalent of taking over 750,000 cars off the road, yet it still reflects only 17% of MidAmerican’s carbon emissions from coal.
It’s time for MidAmerican to commit to plans to move beyond coal.