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Mission: The Iowa Utilities Commission regulates utilities, as established by law, to ensure that reasonably priced, reliable, environmentally responsible, and safe utility services are available to Iowans.
Vision: The Iowa Utilities Commission is engaged in continuous improvement activities in order to be a regulatory expert and solutions-oriented partner regarding current and emerging utility matters. Read More
The IUC newsletter is produced quarterly and provides information to Iowans and utility industry stakeholders about various dockets, programs, and functions of the IUC.
IUC supports April as National Safe Digging Month
Iowa excavation season launches each spring with April designated as National Safe Digging Month. The IUC 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 digging activities.
Excavators, operators, locators, and 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 IUC always recommends the following steps before you start digging:
- Submit an Iowa One Call ticket at least 48 hours before starting your project. If a professional has been hired, endure they have submitted the One Call request and the underground utilities are properly marked.
- 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.
- Ensure you or the profession hand dig around any utilities identified with paint or flag markings before using heavy or powered equipment.
The damage prevention program in Iowa is intended to minimize and eliminate damages to underground utilities. The program strives to ensure safe digging practices through education. Review the Attorney General’s Iowa One Call webpage or the IUC’s Iowa One Call webpage for more information relating to Iowa’s One Call law.
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Annual winter moratorium on utility service disconnection has ended
Iowa's annual winter moratorium regarding utility service disconnection ended April 1. Utilities also were allowed by law to resume service shutoff on April 1. 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 IUC 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) program 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 continue to apply for LIHEAP through April 30.
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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 customer's 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@iuc.iowa.gov.
Utility annual reports delinquent after April 1
The annual filing deadline is April 1 for all companies required to submit utility annual reports to the IUC. Companies that have not filed are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
The utility annual reports covering calendar year 2024 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.
Important Reminder: While you can still save a draft copy of your annual report for electric and gas to complete later, the company annual review section needs to be completed all at once. If you need to get more information to finish updating your company profile, you will need to start the review from the beginning once you obtain your additional information.
Utility companies with questions about the annual reports covering calendar year 2024 or their company information in IUB 24/7 should contact IUC customer service at ITsupport@iuc.iowa.gov or 515-725-7300 during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
 IUC Commissioner Sarah Martz addresses attendees on the final day of the IUC-PHMSA 2025 Pipeline Safety Conference. Photo | Greg Witzenburg
IUC completes PHMSA TQ pipeline safety conference
On February 25-26, 2025, the IUC's Safety & Engineering bureau pipeline team hosted its triennial Pipeline Safety Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. The conference is organized in conjunction with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA) Inspector Training and Qualifications (TQ) Division. The IUC welcomed personnel from utility and pipeline companies, municipalities, pipeline operators, and the gas industry. The two-day conference allows pipeline safety staff and industry professionals to gather and share updates and information pertaining to pipeline safety with Iowa operators.
This year's event had 100 attendees and 31 industry vendors. Presenters included the IUC and PHMSA staff, plus an attorney from the Iowa Attorney General's Office familiar with Iowa's One Call law. The topics covered a general Iowa update since the 2022 conference, with additional updates regarding Damage Prevention and the One Call law, PHMSA regulations, inspection and investigation, and best practices in the natural gas industry.
 Natural gas industry vendors show off products at the IUC-PHMSA 2025 Pipeline Safety Conference in Des Moines. Photo | Melissa Myers
MidAmerican Energy seeks advance ratemaking principles for its 2025 Solar Reliability Project
MidAmerican Energy Company filed an application with the IUC on February 17, 2025, seeking approval of advance ratemaking principles, an expedited procedural schedule, and an IUC decision on or before August 14, 2025, to allow MidAmerican to add up to 800 MW of solar generation to its Iowa generating portfolio. The filing and other documents are in Docket No. RPU-2025-0001.
An advance ratemaking principles proceeding is a process by which a utility requests pre-approval from the IUC to build new generation such as wind and solar under Iowa Code 476.53 and 199 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 41.
The solar generation project is proposed to be built across several sites in Iowa in order to address projected energy supply needs over the next few years. MidAmerican’s request is based on a November 2024 update of its resource evaluation study; a public version of the report can be found in Docket No. M-0156. The report originally called for the construction of 750 MW of solar. However, based on an updated load forecast, the request is now for 800 MW.
A scheduling conference was held on March 13, 2025, to determine the procedural schedule for the docket. The IUC issued an order on March 14 setting the deadlines for intervention and various rounds of testimony, a deadline for a settlement, and public hearing dates of August 12-14. MidAmerican proposes the solar generation sites to be operational by Spring of 2028.
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IUC Commissioners appointed to national committees and task forces
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) announced in a January news release that IUC Chair Erik Helland was appointed to the Subcommittee on Education and Research. Helland also serves on NARUC's Committee on Water, the Washington Action Program, the Committee on Electricity and the Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative.
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NARUC also announced that IUC Commissioner Josh Byrnes was appointed to the Gas-Electric Alignment for Reliability Task Force. Byrnes also sits on the NARUC Executive Committee as treasurer, is a member of the Committee on Gas and the Task Force on Natural Gas Resource Planning, serves on the Executive Committee of the Mid-America Regulatory Conference, and is the immediate past president of the Organization of MISO States (OMS).
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IUC Commissioner Sarah Martz will be participating in the National Association of State Energy Officials and National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners new initiative, "Comprehensive Electricity Planning in an Era of Load Growth." The initiative and its activities are for the development of state-led pathways toward a more resilient, efficient, and affordable grid that meets current and future electricity needs across the U.S. This initiative builds on past work by the NARUC-NASEO Task Force on Comprehensive Electricity System Planning.
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Electronic filing system updated with new features
The IUC has added several new features in its electronic filing system (EFS).
Among the updates:
- The "filing submitted" screen allows a better print view for users who save filing confirmations.
- Usability is enhanced with exporting a list of files by modifying the document print/export screen to include a link (called “permalink”). This allows users to directly access multiple file formats. The Document Search screens now contain a direct link on the document title.
- A subscription function was added to allow guest users to request to receive an email notification via the "manage notifications" function and self-subscribe to any docket as a guest. This gives users full ability to subscribe and unsubscribe from dockets with no EFS account required.
- The filing summary screen was changed to reduce scrolling.
- A new "copy link" function was added in the actions menu, allowing users to quickly copy links to filings and share easily.
Users experiencing EFS issues should email ITsupport@iuc.iowa.gov or call 877.565.4450 for IUC staff assistance.
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