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Mission: The Iowa Utilities Board regulates utilities to ensure that reasonably priced, reliable, environmentally responsible, and safe utility services are available to all Iowans. Vision: The Iowa Utilities Board is valued as the regulatory expert and solutions-oriented partner regarding utility issues. Read more.
The IUB newsletter is produced quarterly and provides information to Iowans and utility industry stakeholders about various dockets, programs, and functions of the IUB.
Iowa's winter moratorium on utility service disconnection ended April 1
Iowa’s annual winter moratorium regarding utility service disconnection ended April 1, 2024. Service shut offs were allowed to begin on April 2. The end of the moratorium on disconnection of service for nonpayment often brings inquiries from customers who have been unable to keep up with their utility bills. To avoid disconnection, the IUB encourages customers to review their utility’s disconnection policies and procedures and contact their utility immediately to avoid natural gas or electric service shut off and make payment agreements.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program designed to assist low income families in Iowa to meet the cost of home heating by providing a one-time payment to the heating utility. LIHEAP assists thousands of Iowans with a portion of their heating bills every year. LIHEAP qualified customers are also protected from utility service disconnection from November 1 through April 1 annually. The end of the winter moratorium period can be stressful for customers. To assist customers during this time of the year, remember:
- Consumers can apply for LIHEAP through April 30, 2024.
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Local community action agencies may have additional resources.
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211 Iowa is a resource for assistance with utility payments, housing, and other information that may provide financial relief to customers.
When can utility service be disconnected?
- For nonpayment of a bill, all Iowa utilities must provide written notice to a customer at least 12 days prior to disconnection. (Customers who have defaulted on a payment agreement may be disconnected with 24 hours’ notice.)
- Notice must include the reason for disconnection and the final date payment is due.
- Notice must include the "Customer Rights and Responsibilities" language from 199 of the Iowa Administrative Code.
- If a customer’s rental unit is subject to disconnect, the utility must attempt to contact the landlord at least two days prior to the disconnection.
Can customers arrange a payment agreement with their utility?
- A utility must offer a reasonable payment agreement if the customer is not in default of a previous payment agreement.
- At a minimum, utilities must give the option of spreading payments evenly over at least 12 months. The first payment agreement may not ask for a down payment, but the second agreement can require the customer to pay the first month’s payment up front.
- A utility must grant the customer at least one late payment that is four days or less beyond the due date for payment.
Questions can be directed to customer@iub.iowa.gov.
April is National Safe Digging Month, IUB reminds Iowans to always Call 811 in advance of digging
Iowa excavation season is here again! April is National Safe Digging Month and the IUB joins the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), and Iowa One Call in reminding excavators, operators, and residents that Iowa’s One Call law (Iowa Code chapter 480) requires the use of the online One Call notification system or calling 811 prior to any excavation activities.
Excavators, operators, locators, and all Iowa residents are required to submit plans for any digging project online to IowaOneCall.com or by calling 811. The use of the online ITIC system can be easily navigated by utilizing the multiple resources available on Iowa One Call’s resource page. As required by law, when a One Call notification is made, the owners of the underground utilities will mark within the intended work area in advance of any digging. Utility owners use the American Public Works Association (APWA) standard uniform colors for marking of their underground utility lines.
The IUB always recommends the following steps before you start digging:
- Plan ahead, submit an Iowa One Call ticket at least 48 hours before starting any digging project. If you have hired a professional, ensure they have submitted the One Call request and the underground utilities are properly marked.
- Ensure you hand dig around any utilities identified with paint or flag markings before using heavy or powered equipment.
- Confirm that you have received an email from Iowa One Call that all utilities have been marked, and that there are no additional steps needed before you start to dig.
The damage prevention program in Iowa is intended to minimize and eliminate damages to underground utilities. Everyone in the program wants to ensure safe digging practices through education and by taking the correct actions. Please see the Attorney General’s Iowa One Call webpage or the IUB’s Iowa One Call webpage for information and references relating to Iowa’s One Call law.
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IUB receives perfect score on its natural gas funding program reports from PHMSA
The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) recently completed a review of the IUB Safety and Engineering CY2023 progress reports, and the IUB received a perfect score (50 out of 50). This review will be the performance scoring element applied to the funding allocation that the IUB will receive for CY2024 program reimbursements.
PHMSA will seek award approval through the PHMSA Administrator and then notification to the Office of the Secretary of Transportation will occur. The next step will be PHMSA’s Office of Public Affairs initiating Congressional notification. Subsequently, PHMSA will send its allocation document along with the 2024 notice of grant award.
How electricity is delivered to customers
Iowans count on various Iowa utility companies to provide reliable and affordable electricity for their daily lives. Electricity powers everyday items such as lights, heating and cooling systems, computers, smartphones, kitchen appliances, tools, and electric vehicles. There are many elements that go into producing electricity and delivering it to homes and businesses.
Simply put, electricity is the flow of electrical charge. Homes, businesses, and other buildings receive electricity through an interconnected system that generates, transmits, and distributes electricity. We commonly refer to this system as “the grid.”
Planners for electric companies need to size the generation, transmission, and distribution resources for the highest demand they are likely to see, so that one piece of the system does not get overloaded or fail to deliver when most needed.
Did you know?
The vast majority of electricity on the grid needs to be produced by power plants, renewable energy stations, etc., at the same time it is used. Grid operators act as a “traffic cop” to control the flow of electricity to ensure that that balance is maintained at all times, while making sure that there is not too much energy going through any given part of the grid, so it is not overloaded. The U.S. power grid is considered to be the world’s largest machine.
The diagram below shows the major components of the power system in a straight line, from generation to end user, but in reality it can be thought of like a web of interstates, highways, and smaller roads. Electricity (traffic) must be able to go both directions, and at times, there can be traffic jams when too much electricity is trying to get between two locations.
 Source: Stanford University and NEED.org
IUB continues review of its administrative rules under Governor's Executive Order 10
On January 10, 2023, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Executive Order 10, which puts a moratorium on certain administrative rulemaking and requires a thorough review of all existing administrative rules.
In accordance with the order, the IUB is reviewing the necessity and effectiveness of all agency rules, including: a cost benefit analysis to evaluate the rules' public benefits, whether the benefits justify the cost, and whether there are less restrictive alternatives to achieve the rules' intended goal. Rule reviews are being conducted in three phases. IUB orders issued as part of this process are shown with links to the IUB's electronic filing system. Rules adopted upon completion of the review and hearing process are shown in the final table on this IUB webpage, which reflects the status of IUB's EO10 progress.
The IUB's Executive Order 10 deadline to complete the review of all rules is December 31, 2025.
IUB Board Member Josh Byrnes appointed president of the Organization of MISO States
In January, Iowa Utilities Board Member Josh Byrnes was appointed to serve as the next president of the Organization of MISO States (OMS), a group established to represent the collective interests of state and local utility regulators in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region. MISO is an independent, member-based, regional transmission organization focused on managing the flow of high-voltage electricity across 15 states and Manitoba, Canada, and planning the electric grid of the future. Iowa is a member of OMS and MISO.
Byrnes previously served as OMS vice president. His succession to president fills a vacancy created by the departure of the previous president, consistent with OMS bylaws.
As OMS president, Byrnes will have a seat at the table to collaborate with other members by sharing resources, debating ideas on electric transmission and grid policy issues, and being heard through participation in OMS filings and comments. OMS is comprised of 17 member groups in the MISO region.
In this role, Byrnes will focus on ensuring OMS is meeting the needs of its members and is providing the leadership necessary in an evolving utility industry.
Board Member Byrnes has served on the Iowa Utilities Board since 2020. He is also the treasurer for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), serves on the NARUC Committee on Gas and the NARUC Taskforce on Natural Gas Resource Planning, and is on the Executive Committee of the Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC).
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IUB approves settlement in MidAmerican Energy's request to increase customer's natural gas rates
On March 29, 2024, the IUB issued an order approving a proposed settlement regarding MidAmerican Energy Company's application to increase the natural gas rates it charges to its customers in Docket No. RPU-2023-0001. The decision follows a January 12, 2024 settlement agreement and January 19 amended settlement agreement reached by the parties in the proceeding.
On June 12, 2023, MidAmerican filed with the IUB a proposal to increase its annual revenue requirement for retail natural gas service rates under Iowa Code § 476.6 and chapter 26 of the IUB’s administrative rules. In addition, MidAmerican filed a proposed tariff reflecting a temporary increase in rates, identified as Docket No. TF-2023-0216, effective June 22, 2023 and permanent proposed tariff revisions, identified as Docket No. TF-2023-0217.
On January 12, 2024, and as amended on January 19, 2024, MidAmerican; the Office of Consumer Advocate, a division of the Department of Justice; and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 109, filed a non-unanimous Stipulation and Settlement Agreement. The IUB held a public hearing on January 23, 2024.
MidAmerican had requested an overall increase in annual natural gas service revenues of approximately $39,351,381, which is 6.1% of its total annual test year tariffed revenue. The settlement approved by the IUB increases annual revenues for natural gas service by $29,644,821, or 3.8%. For the average residential natural gas customer, that will result in a monthly bill increase of approximately $1.86 or 2.4%. Review the IUB news release.
Required Utility Annual Reports Delinquent after April 1
The annual filing deadline was April 1, 2024, for all companies required to submit utility annual reports to the IUB. At this time, there are multiple companies that have yet to file with the IUB. Companies that have not filed are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. The utility annual reports covering calendar year 2023 are available to review in IUB 24/7 in the company’s profile. The company administrators and annual report submitters are able to see and edit the annual report information and should have received notifications that the reports are available.
Utility companies with questions about the annual reports covering calendar year 2023 or their company information in IUB 24/7 should contact IUB customer service at ITsupport@iub.iowa.gov or 877.565.4450 during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
IUB's Electronic Filing System upgraded with additional functionality
The IUB has recently added additional functionality to its electronic filing system (EFS). Highlights include a "manage notifications" button in the top right of the EFS homepage. This is a tool that will allow a registered or guest user to send themselves a custom link to view all the dockets where their email is on the EFS service list. Once a user clicks that link, they will be able to remove themselves from any docket service list they see.
Other upgrades include:
- The search button will now default to a document search
- Reduced scrolling when using the search function
- Added the "manage notifications" link to all EFS service list emails to give users an easy way to remove them from a docket notification that is no longer needed
The IUB continues to address bugs, make quick updates, and help the site work more effectively, including creating a helpful EFS video on "How to File/Use on Behalf of."
For EFS questions, please contact ITsupport@iub.iowa.gov.
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