• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Business / Governor signs nuclear power bill

Governor signs nuclear power bill

April 29, 2010 By Matt Kelley

Governor Chet Culver has signed legislation that allows Mid American Energy to charge their customers extra to fund a feasibility study for a nuclear power plant. Utility officials say they want to start building a new plant in 2014 to help reduce carbon emissions.

Culver says nuclear power should be part of the state’s renewable energy portfolio and says construction of a new facility will create good paying jobs. “Our energy security is of utmost importance and I am looking forward to helping create those job opportunities across this state and this study bill will allow us to identify the very best parts of the state for a potential nuclear plant,” Culver said.

Iowa currently has one nuclear power plant in the eastern Iowa town of Palo. To pay for the $15 million study, Mid American will charge residential customers an additional $4 a year for the next three years. Commercial customers will pay an additional $15 and industrial customers just over a thousand dollars more per year. Culver says without this legislation, the company could have requested an even bigger rate increase from the Iowa Utilities Board.

“The more alternatives we have, the less dependent we are on more conventional energy options and the lower the rates are going to be,” Culver said. “I’ll put our rates in Iowa, especially related to Mid-American rates, up against any in America. In fact, over the last four years, (Iowa’s rates) have been some of the lowest in the nation.”

Opponents say the bill Culver signed contradicts previous state law that requires utility companies to fund their own feasibility studies. Clean energy advocates held a small protest at the statehouse following Wednesday’s bill signing.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Business, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Chet Culver, Democratic Party, Utilities

Featured Stories

Exhibit features lesser known works of Grant Wood

Testing finds 21 new CWD cases in deer

It may become a crime in Iowa to use fake urine in workplace drug tests

February trending 18 degrees below average temperature

Iowa House Education Committee votes to end tenure at UI, ISU, UNI

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

New look and new format at girls’ state basketball

Youngstown State takes action against assistant football coach

Iowa’s Jack Nunge lost for the season

Key stretch begins for #9 Iowa

Drake’s Roman Penn lost for the season

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC