Lawmakers are taking steps to make it easier for businesses to build electric generating plants in Iowa. A bill under consideration cuts red tape and eases some environmental regulations that pose a big hurdle for utility plant construction. Representative Willard Jenkins says the bill, however, doesn’t make drastic changes in environmental regs. The bill’s still under revision as lawmakers try to think up new ways to provide incentives for power plant construction. Jenkins, who’s a republican from Waterloo, says the bill does not provide tax breaks for construction of generating facilities. Jenkins says it’s worth the state’s while to make it easier and more attractive for companies to build generating stations here.Jenkins says another unresolved issue is whether the proposed breaks will be extended to publicly owned municipal utilities as well as privately-owned companies. The bill passed the House Commerce Committee yesterday. Democrats voted against the bill, saying it may create a new loophole that would end up raising electric rates in Iowa.
