The September, 2025, newsletter from the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club is now available. In this issue, you will find:
Pipelines
Summit Begs Utilities Commission to Approve New Route - Summit Carbon Solutions submitted a petition to the Utilities Commission to alter its original route. They have not even begun building the route and now they want to change it. Sierra Club Iowa Chapter is calling for the Iowa Utilities Commission to deny Summit’s request. If Summit wants to change their proposed project, it should surrender its Phase 1 permit and start all over.
Polk County Court considering next steps on October 10 - After the Utilities Commission granted summit a permit for Phase 1 of their carbon dioxide pipeline, Sierra Club and other intervenors appealed the decision to Polk County District Court. Since then, Summit has asked that the judge send the case back to the Utilities Commission to consider their petition to amend the permit. On October 10, the judge will hear arguments and will consider that motion.
Summit launches new PR campaign - Last week, Summit Carbon Solutions sent a letter to county officials promising that they have turned a new leaf and prioritize safety and transparency. We’ve seen this before - and we’re not falling for their new PR campaign.
Energy
NEW Sierra Club Report: "Dirty Truth" - Iowa’s Largest Electric Utilities Stall Clean Energy Transition at Customers’ Expense - Sierra Club released its annual Dirty Truth Report, which grades 75 utilities across the country on their plans to retire coal plants by 2030, not build new gas plants through 2035, and transition to clean energy through 2035. This year, Berkshire Hathaway-owned MidAmerican Energy, as well as Alliant Energy-owned Interstate Power and Light (IPL), both received the lowest grade possible, an F.
Iowa’s Energy Future - Nuclear Risks vs. Renewable Solutions - We are hosting a press conference on September 29 at 11am to discuss the proposed restart of the Duane Arnold nuclear plant, currently in decommissioning status since August 2020, and the broader implications of nuclear energy in Iowa. The event will provide factual information about the risks of nuclear power, including health and safety, radioactive waste, water use, and costs, while highlighting renewable energy as a safer, sustainable alternative for Iowa’s energy needs. Confirmed speakers include Mark Z. Jacobson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University; Joseph Mangano, Executive Director of the Radiation and Public Health Project; Wally Taylor, Environmental Attorney; and Don Safer, Co-chair of Sierra Club's Nuclear Free Team and Small Modular Reactor expert.
Data Centers: Power Plays - But Who Pays? - In case you missed it, Sierra Club recorded a webinar "Data Centers: Power Plays - But Who Pays?" The webinar explores how the rush to build large data centers is driving a new climate crisis and what we can do about it. You've undoubtedly heard that the growth of artificial intelligence and data centers have started to have huge effects across the county - clogging electricity systems, threatening climate targets, and increasing electricity bills. And if you haven't heard yet, Sierra Club is working hard to get guardrails in place and push Big Tech to go clean, fast.
Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat
Revising Iowa’s Endangered, Threatened, Special Concern Species Lists - The Governor issued Executive Order 10, which required the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to review its administrative rules. As part of the review, the DNR was expected to reduce the use of restrictive terms, such as shall, will, must, may not, required, prohibited; to remove duplicative language with the statutes in the Iowa Code; and to reduce the regulatory burden of the rules. As a result of the Executive Order, DNR is updating the threatened and endangered species lists in its administrative rules. DNR is also updating the species of special concern lists, but will no longer have them in the rules. Instead, DNR wants to put the species of special concern list on their webpage. This is troubling.
Endangered Pallid Sturgeon Found in Lower Des Moines River - Every spring the Iowa Department of Natural Resources samples the sturgeon in the Des Moines River. This spring, they were greeted with a surprise – two pallid sturgeon that were caught near Ottumwa. The pallid sturgeon is on the federal endangered species list. They had never been documented in the Des Moines River.
See recording of book reading of "Iowa's Changing Wildlife: Three Decades of Gain and Loss" by James Dinsmore and Stephen Dinsmore - On September 17, Tom Reardon, Executive Committee Vice-Chair of the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter, led a discussion about the book. In case you missed it, we recorded it.
Plus
IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions Can Benefit the Iowa Chapter - IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions, also referred to as Charitable IRA Rollovers or IRA QCDs, are a way to support the Sierra Club Foundation and the Iowa Chapter as a qualifying charity without incurring federal income tax liability. See more details in this article.
Lunch and Learns Fridays at noon
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Calendar of events
Photo below is a view of the Loess Hills and the Missouri River floodplain in the distance, taken at Hitchcock Nature Center in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.
