Iowa Ideas 2025

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Energy and Environment

Healthy and efficient means to protecting Iowa’s energy and environmental resources

SESSION 1
Anaerobic Digesters: Friend or foe of the environment?

Anaerobic digesters have been lauded for their ability to capture methane from manure and turn it into a renewable fuel that can be sold. But critics warn that the quest for more renewable fuel production can lead to larger animal herds, which could result in accidents that further degrade the quality of Iowa’s water. This session will explore the debate over digesters -- the benefits they offer, and the risks associated with them.

October 02, 2025 at 9:35AM
SESSION 2
An uncertain future for electric cars

Nearly every county in Iowa saw new electric vehicle registrations grow between 2022 and 2024. In his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order rolling back a Biden Administration target to have 50 percent of new vehicles sold in the U.S. be electric by 2030. How might politics change the adoption of electric cars? What would this mean for Iowa?

October 02, 2025 at 10:40AM
SESSION 3
Conservation by Fire

Prescribed fire has been used for centuries to control invasive species, support natural habitat and prevent wildfires. How are natural burning methods being used in Iowa. How can Iowans with natural spaces conduct their own prescribed burns themselves? What’s being done to harness the power of fire in Iowa, and are preparations being made in the event of a wildfire here?

October 02, 2025 at 11:45AM
SESSION 4
The future of renewable energy growth in Iowa

Iowa ranks second in the U.S. in wind production, and solar projects have expanded in some areas. How can and will the state continue to expand renewable energy? This session will discuss the growth and future of renewable energy in the state, and what the change in federal tax credits could mean in Iowa.

October 02, 2025 at 1:55PM
SESSION 5
Iowa’s response to growing power demand

Americans’ demand for power is growing. Data centers, which serve our growing use of artificial intelligence, use massive amounts of electricity. We’re seeing that in Iowa, which is home to dozens of data centers with more planned to come online in the next five years. How will we meet the demand and prepare for increased demand in the future? What does this mean for power generation in Iowa going forward?

October 02, 2025 at 3:00PM
SESSION 6
Conservation reductions in Iowa

Federal funding freezes and cuts to the workforce have left conservation programs and nonprofits scrambling to come up with the money and manpower to continue operating. Meanwhile, proposed funding cuts to programs that farmers use for conservation face massive budget cuts. What’s been hit hardest, how are the gaps being filled, and what’s at risk if Iowans can’t make up the difference?

October 03, 2025 at 9:40AM
SESSION 7
What will it take to fully fund outdoor recreation and conservation in Iowa?

Iowans have demonstrated they care about outdoor recreation and conservation. In 2010, 63 percent of voters approved a trust fund that would provide money for improving soil, water and air quality, and increasing outdoor recreational opportunities. Fifteen years later, the fund remains empty. The state parks need millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades, but funding remains stagnant. What will it take to fund these improvements? And why hasn’t it happened yet?

October 03, 2025 at 11:50AM

Energy and Environment Articles

As the climate changes, what’s in store for Iowa?

Three decades ago Iowa State University published a cheeky description of an invasive plant that was of no concern to Iowans because it can't flourish this far north. "Imagine a horror movie depicting a plant species that grows everywhere, consuming cars, buildings, and everything in its path," the article by ISU Extension and Outreach said.
Iowa Ideas: New policies and funds propel clean energy, sustainable ag

Energy and environmental issues gradually have risen to mainstream prominence over the last few decades, catapulted by climate change and its wide-ranging impacts. The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, was hailed as the most significant climate legislation in American history. It created about $375 billion in climate incen...
Highlights of Iowa Ideas water quality week

The Gazette’s Iowa Ideas In-depth Week focused on water quality wrapped up Friday, with more than 150 people participating in virtual discussions. Below are some of our favorite quotes from the week. Monday: Water quality policy
Where does your drinking water come from?

Drinking water is harvested from the earth, the sky, the seas. We worry about having enough of it and how to keep it clean, spending millions on infrastructure. But how do Iowans get their drinking water?
Can we wait for a ‘new vision’ for water quality?

When it comes to cleaning up Iowa’s dirty water, do we need to stop the insanity or persuade farmers and landowners to embrace a “new vision” for agriculture? That was the gist of the debate on an Iowa Ideas panel I recently moderated. Chris Jones, IIHR research engineer at the University of Iowa and one of the leading voices and researchers on ...
University of Iowa increases biofuel acres with miscanthus

The tall grasses that billow and bend in the wind between Melrose Avenue and the Finkbine Commuter parking lot on Iowa City’s west side not only are beautiful, but they help the University of Iowa toward its goal of going coal free by 2025. Since 2015, the University of Iowa steadily has increased the acres of giant miscanthus, a perennial grass...
Call ethanol ‘transitional.’ Just don’t call it dead

Doug Berven doesn’t mind if the word “transitional” is used to describe ethanol as a fuel — as long as people recognize the transition between gasoline-powered vehicles and an all-electric fleet likely will take some time and ethanol may have a part in the future. “If ethanol is a bridge, it’s a very wide bridge and you can’t see the other side,...
Future utilities will use 100 percent renewable energy. But how soon?

We all want the lights to turn on when we flip the switch and to have heat when there’s a blizzard and air conditioning during a heat wave. But American utility companies, including those in Iowa, are facing increasing pressure to slash greenhouse gas emissions in hopes of preventing the worst effects of global climate change.
Tourists willing to drive farther and spend more for cleaner lakes

It’s officially summer and many Iowans are hitting the road for their favorite lakeside vacation spots to do some swimming, boating or fishing. But how much does the quality of the water factor into which lake we visit?
Iowa Ideas In-Depth Week - Water Quality

Water is perhaps the most important thing in the world. Life centers on it. Our bodies are three-fourths water. We can't exist without it.