MidAmerican Energy is defending its energy conservation plan after criticism from environmentalists. The Iowa Environ Council chided the company for failing to require enough energy savings from industrial customers in their five-year efficiency plan.
MidAmerican’s vice president of regulation, Dean Crist, says some industrial customers actually thin the plan requires too much energy conservation. Crist says MidAmerican tried to "balance the interest of all our stakeholders" so they are educated and reduce energy use where they can. Crist says the plan covers a lot of ground.
Crist says their five-year plan submitted to the Iowa Utilities Board invests nearly 360-million dollars in energy efficiency programs from 2009 through 2013 that helps all types of customers manage and reduce their energy use.
Crist says the company has other ways of cutting back the use of traditional energy sources. He says MidAmerican is number one in the nation in ownership of wind energy, and want to increase renewable energy along with its energy efficiency programs. The Iowa Utilities Board will hold a public hearing on the MidAmerican plan later this year.
