Branching out: Trees and power outages Make the most of recycling Recipes for Valentine's Day - Win a Breville Juice Fountain
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FE BRUARY 2021
Win a Breville Juice Fountain See Page 3
Branching out: Trees
Visit our website at www.livingwithenergyiniowa.com and power outages
Make the most
of recycling
Recipes for
Valentine’s Day
Iowa Association of
Electric Cooperatives
Volume 74 • Issue 2
EDITOR
Ann Thelen
ART DIRECTOR CONTENTS F E B R UARY 2021
Joel Clifton
________________________
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT Features
Chuck Soderberg
D I R E C T O R O F C O M M U N I C AT I O N S 6 Branching out: Trees and
Erin Campbell power outages
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Steve Seidl, District 5 – President Trees are one of the top causes of power
Don Shonka, District 2 – Vice President
Roger Solomonson, District 3 – Secretary/Treasurer outages. Learn how Iowa’s electric
Darrell Jensen, District 4 – Asst. Secretary/Treasurer cooperatives work throughout the year
6
Gordon Greimann, District 6
Neal Heldt, District 7 to minimize damage from trees and
Kenneth VandenBerg, District 1
Marion Denger, Prairie Energy Cooperative –
other vegetation.
NRECA Representative
Brian Krambeer, MiEnergy Cooperative –
Managers’ Representative
8 Recipes for Valentine’s Day
________________________
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we’ve
Living with Energy in Iowa magazine (ISSN: 1935-7176) is published
monthly by the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, a not-for-
assembled a delicious collection of foods
featuring a red ingredient. You’ll adore
8
profit organization representing Iowa’s member-owned local electric
cooperatives. Association address: 8525 Douglas Ave., Suite 48, Des
Moines, IA 50322-2992. The phrase Living with Energy in Iowa is these recipes from Iowa’s co-op cooks.
a mark registered within the state of Iowa to the Iowa Association of
Electric Cooperatives. The magazine does not accept advertising. PLUS: Find out how you can receive a
Editorial Office: 8525 Douglas Ave., Suite 48, Des Moines, IA $25 credit on your power bill!
50322-2992. Telephone: 515-276-5350. E-mail address:
editor@livingwithenergyiniowa.com. Letters may be edited for clarity
and length before publication. Living with Energy in Iowa magazine 10 Make the most of recycling
does not assume responsibility for unsolicited items.
Website: www.livingwithenergyiniowa.com The list of recycling rules is long
and complicated, but a way to help
10
Postmaster: Send address changes to Living with Energy in Iowa
magazine, 8525 Douglas Ave., Suite 48, Des Moines, IA 50322-2992.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Des Moines, Iowa, and at additional
master them is to try three different
mailing offices. types of thinking.
Change of Address: Every local electric cooperative maintains
an independent mailing list of its members, so please send your
change of address directly to your local electric cooperative’s Favorites
office. Living with Energy in Iowa magazine cannot make an
address change for you. 3 Statewide Perspective 14 Energy Efficiency
© Copyright 2021, Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives.
No portion of the editorial, photographic or other content of Living Feel the love: Your electric co-op Which kitchen appliance
with Energy in Iowa magazine or its website may be reproduced
without written permission of the editor. cares about you should you upgrade?
3 Editor’s Choice Contest 15 Out Back
Energy Efficiency Win a Breville Juice Fountain Problems with an arthritic hip
Tip of the
Month ON THE COVER
Congratulations to Rhoda Van
Turn off kitchen, Ravenswaay, a North West REC
member, for supplying the cover
bath and other image for this month’s issue
exhaust fans within of Living with Energy in Iowa
20 minutes after you magazine! A night of dense fog
in January led to beautiful frosty
are done cooking or
scenes across Iowa. To have your
bathing. When replacing photo considered for a future cover,
exhaust fans, consider email high-res images to editor@
installing high-efficiency, livingwithenergyiniowa.com. If
we select your photo, you’ll be
low-noise models. awarded with $100.
Source: energy.gov
2 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA February 2021
S TAT E W I D E PE R S PE C T I V E
Feel the love: Your electric co-op cares about
your safety and education
BY E R I N C A M P B E L L
We hope you enjoy flipping we have an obligation to help you use advertising. Years ago, Iowa’s electric
through the pages of this magazine energy wisely and safely. cooperatives made the strategic
every month and find the content Our publication team works hard to decision to make Living with Energy
useful in your daily life. Your provide high-quality content in Iowa ad-free to maintain the
local electric co-op covers the each month. Our editor and utmost editorial credibility and
cost to produce, print and art director care deeply about integrity. Our mission is solely to keep
mail this publication to you the stories they work on, and you informed.
every month, but have you we are always mindful of And while sending you a high-
ever wondered why? using our budget prudently. quality magazine every month
Your electric co-op invests Crafting this publication is a involves a prudent financial
in this publication because job we do not take lightly; we investment, your co-op knows it is far
it has just one mission – to aim to earn your trust with more costly to have an uninformed
serve you, the member- every issue. membership. Communicating
consumer. Fulfilling this mission And in the pages of every issue, frequently is an essential business
requires ongoing communication, you’ll find valuable tips on how to function that helps your co-op
and one of the most cost-effective save energy and money, how to stay achieve its mission of powering lives
ways to reach people is through safe around electricity, local news and empowering communities.
printed media. We know you’re about rural economic development, Thank you for spending time
bombarded every day with messages, and emerging trends and technologies with us every month and for being
and it can be exhausting. Messaging in the electric industry. Your local an educated and informed member
on TV, radio and social media can be electric co-op is an energy partner of your local electric co-op. As
fleeting and easy to ignore. Your co- you can trust for honest information. Valentine’s Day approaches, we hope
op sends Living with Energy in Iowa to you feel the love!
you every month to break through the A mission to keep readers
clutter and to keep you informed. informed Erin Campbell is the director of
You may also notice what’s not communications for the Iowa Association of
Printed materials are effective included in this publication – Electric Cooperatives.
Our research tells us that print is
an effective way to draw attention to EDITOR’S CHOICE CONTEST
information. According to our 2020
magazine readership survey, almost
9 out of 10 people who receive this Win a Breville Juice Fountain
magazine take time to flip through Take your goals for healthy eating
the pages each month, and 44% to the next level with nutritious,
of recipients spend more than 10 wholesome juice! Breville’s Juice
minutes reading the magazine. We Fountain uses advanced Cold Spin
think that’s money well spent to reach Technology to quickly extract every
as many co-op member-consumers as bit of fresh, healthy juice without
possible. heating ingredients, which preserves
In fact, one of the seven core maximum nutrients. A two-speed
principles that guides all electric electronic control accommodates
co-ops is specifically focused on custom juicing, including leafy
education, training and information. vegetables, soft fruit, denser fruits
Electric co-ops invest in high-quality and harder vegetables.
education and training for employees
and our elected directors because we
know that informed leaders make Visit our website and win!
better decisions. We also invest Enter this month’s contest by visiting www.livingwithenergyiniowa.com no later than
in educating and informing our Feb. 28, 2021. You must be a member of one of Iowa’s electric cooperatives to win. There’s
no obligation associated with entering, we don’t share entrant information with anyone and
member-consumers because what’s multiple entries from the same account will be disqualified. The winner of the ecobee Smart
in your best interest is in our best Thermostat from the December issue was Karl Pinegar, Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative.
interest. As your local electric utility,
February 2021 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA 3
QUOTE OF THE MONTH SCOTT’S SAFETY SHARE
A coalition of 29 electric cooperatives
has created a regional electric vehicle
charging network across Wisconsin,
If a tree or branch
Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa designed to
encourage co-op consumer-members to
drive EVs.
falls on a power line …
BY S COT T M E I N E C K E
“Programs like this
demonstrate the co-ops’ If a tree or branch falls on an electric line, call 9-1-1 and
contact your local co-op immediately. Do not touch the
commitment to improving branch or the electric line as it could be energized. Never
access to environmentally trim trees near power lines; if you see a tree growing
friendly electric technologies too close to
power lines,
for their members, contact your
educating the public about electric co-op
electric transportation and to report it so our trained staff
showcasing the co-ops’ can prune for you. On Pages 6-7
of this issue, learn more about
concern for their regions how your electric cooperative
by investing in a local implements a tree trimming
company that is committed program for safety and to
reduce power outages.
to the citizens of their
communities.” Scott Meinecke is the director of
safety and loss control for the Iowa
– Brian Sloboda, director of consumer Association of Electric Cooperatives.
solutions for the National Rural Electric
Cooperative Association
F O R K I D S O N LY
A Bushel of Stories: New Iowa
writing contest for students
Do you have a child or know of a is March 1. Student winners will
young student who loves to write? A be recognized during National
Bushel of Stories is a new agriculture Agriculture Week - March 21-27,
writing contest for Iowa students in 2021. Winners in each division will
grades 3-8. Organized by the Iowa have their book illustrated and made
Agriculture Literacy Foundation, available to educators. Winners will
students are challenged to write a receive a cash prize of up to $100.
story book about agriculture or food, Both the student and their teacher
a topic that is familiar for many of will receive recognition for the
Iowa’s rural electric cooperative- winning entry.
served families. Student entries The Bushel of Stories student
will be judged, and the winning writing competition is funded in part
submissions will be published. by a Fire-Up Grant from the National
There are two age divisions, one Agriculture in the Classroom
for students in grades 3-5 and one story of modern food,” says Will Organization. The purpose of this
for students in grades 6-8. Prizes Fett, executive director of the Iowa grant program is to strengthen state
include cash prizes, award plaques Agriculture Literacy Foundation. programs by funding innovative
and certificates. The winner in each “This contest will help students ideas and proven outreach strategies
division will have their final work developing their writing skills to increase agricultural literacy
published. and also help them learn about among Pre-K-12 teachers and their
“There is not a wide variety or agriculture.” students.
supply of books that accurately The contest opened in January and To learn more visit
feature agriculture and tell the the deadline for student submissions IowaAgLiteracy.org.
4 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA February 2021
SUPPORTING RURAL IOWA
2021 Empower Rural Iowa recommendations
The latest recommendations from promotion and understanding
the Governor’s Empower Rural of employee-owned cooperative
Iowa initiative task forces were models.
recently presented at an Iowa Rural Reforming the inheritance tax
Development Council quarterly to limit tax impacts when non-
meeting. These recommendations lineal descendants inherit rural
came out of the Invest, Grow and small businesses.
Connect task Continuing to support the “Shop
forces, which Iowa” platform.
fielded input Continuing financial support for
from industry the Rural Housing Assessment
leaders, task force Grant program and adjusting
members and the eligibility requirements to allow
public. Hollee for regional or countywide
McCormick, applications.
executive targeted communication and
vice president/general manager Growing Rural Iowa promotion.
for Allamakee-Clayton Electric Identifying and recruiting Providing funding support for
Cooperative, serves on the Empower former Iowans back to Iowa. the Rural Leadership Exchange.
Rural Iowa executive committee, Piloting a “Rural Return
and Patty Manuel, director of public Incentive” program through Connecting Rural Iowa
relations for Maquoketa Valley Electric a specially designated Rural Increasing funding support
Cooperative, serves on a task force. Innovation Grant. for the Empower Rural Iowa
“Empower Rural Iowa provides Expanding eligibility for the Broadband Grant.
rural communities with the right Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Supporting legislation or other
tools to enact meaningful change, program. efforts that would provide for
and this legislative session will be an Increasing connections between broadband project protection
opportunity to build on the success Future Ready Iowa and the along Iowa Department
we have seen over the last two years,” Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa of Transportation (IDOT)
says Gov. Reynolds. “By developing Initiative. right-of-way.
these recommendations, we can Continuing support for rural To find out more about the
improve coordination, align processes medical residencies and similar Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa
and support local initiatives designed programs as well as increasing Initiative, visit www.iowaeda.com/
to grow and develop our rural program awareness through empower-rural-iowa/.
communities.”
Many of the latest recommendations
are to continue or increase support
for existing Empower Rural Iowa
programs, like the Rural Innovation
Grant Program, Rural Leadership
Exchange and the Empower Rural
Iowa Broadband Grant program.
Other task force
recommendations include:
Investing in Rural Iowa
Improving coordination among
rural entrepreneurship service
providers and improving outreach
and engagement through regional
entrepreneurship, town halls or
resource fairs.
Continuing to support ESOP
development and improving
February 2021 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA 5
Nearly six months after Iowa’s
historic derecho, the weather
phenomenon that wreaked havoc
on parts of the state continues to
make headlines. Recalling the power
outages and massive destruction
from trees and winds, statewide
leaders ushered in the new year by
remarking on the storm.
“Iowans are well-accustomed to the
extremes of Mother Nature’s temper,
but the derecho in August was unlike
anything we’ve seen. Hurricane-
force winds recorded as high as
140 miles an hour raged across our
state,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds in
her 2021 Condition of the State
Address in January. “Over one-third
of our counties impacted; 584,000
households left without power;
thousands of homes damaged. It was
a disaster of unprecedented scope.”
Maj. Gen. Ben Corell delivered his
condition of the Iowa National Guard
address to the Iowa Legislature and
detailed how the Guard provided
more than 200 soldiers and airmen
to communities hit by the hurricane-
force derecho. Their focus was on
supporting power restoration in
Linn County, and Guard members
removed over 1,400 loads of debris
totaling more than 15,000 tons from Valley Electric Cooperative. “On systematic, planned program where
593 city blocks. average, it also takes nearly twice as every area within its service territory
long to restore power to member- is examined annually as part of
A top cause of outages consumers from tree-related outages.” the co-op’s drive-by inspection
While the storm caused Richert cites data gathered from program. This program identifies
unprecedented damage, it also analyzing every outage at the co-op, where trees and other vegetation are
reinforced the role trees and other which serves 14,000 members in nine growing too close to power lines and
vegetation can play in disrupting east-central Iowa counties. equipment, and those trouble spots
safe and reliable electric service in “The average time to restore are trimmed or sprayed by the co-op’s
all types of weather. It’s why Iowa’s power to member-consumers from maintenance crews.
electric cooperatives rigorously an outage that is not tree-related is In addition, the co-op uses
implement strong vegetation 1 hour, 12 minutes,” he explains. technology to identify system faults
management programs. “That’s compared to an average of that cause blinks but not necessarily
“Trees are one of the top two causes 2 hours and 20 minutes for every outages, such as branches rubbing
of outages. In the past two years, they outage caused by trees.” against power lines. By continually
have been the No. 1 cause of outages,” Maquoketa Valley Electric tracking those things in real-time,
says Jeremy Richert, CEO and Cooperative’s vegetation crews can take care of issues before
executive vice president, Maquoketa management program includes a they become bigger problems.
6 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA February 2021
Beyond what’s just “With the derecho, over 80% of our career spent so much time clearing
below power lines outages and infrastructure damage trees.”
“Whether it’s a derecho, were from trees,” Huls says. “When Trees and shrubbery have an
thunderstorm, ice storm or wind, looking at our system map from important place in our communities.
it’s often the trees that are larger and the derecho, it’s easy to see where Your local cooperative works hard
a bit farther out, which cause more the damage was from straight-line to make sure trees also have a
problems than the vegetation right winds, and the rest of the damage positive role in the overall safety and
below the lines,” Richert explains. was from trees. The trees caused reliability of electric systems. Contact
“They might not look that close, but most of our outages. Crews spent your electric cooperative if you
when they go down in a weather all day – day-after-day – clearing have questions about its vegetation
event, they fall onto the line, breaking trees before power could be restored. management plan.
poles and pulling the lines down.” Many out-of-state lineworkers who
He adds, “This is why it’s so were helping with restoration efforts Ann Thelen is the editor of Living with
important for us to maximize and said they have never before in their Energy in Iowa.
clear out the right-of-way as much as
the property easement allows so that
we can stop trees from falling onto
power lines and equipment.”
SAFETY MATTERS
During the derecho, 51%
of Maquoketa Valley Electric Downed
Cooperative’s outages involved power lines and
trees and accounted for 73% of the equipment can
total time member-consumers were still be energized,
without power. Richert says the trees and if contact is
would have eventually been a problem made, it can result
with or without a derecho. in serious injury
or death. In the
Managing trees in every season event of outages
T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative, with damage,
which serves more than 6,300 always check with
member-consumers in east-central your local electric
Iowa, also felt the impact of the cooperative before
derecho. Like electric co-ops across cleanup begins.
the state, maintaining a strong Tree limbs
vegetation management is a necessity that grow near power lines can Some electric equipment is visible
in every season. be unsafe. Never trim trees near overhead, but some utility services
“Our vegetation management power lines; if you see a tree also may be buried in the ground on
program to inspect our entire growing too close to power lines, your property. Iowa law requires that
system on annual cycles – cutting contact your electric co-op to you always call 811 a minimum of
and spraying where necessary – has report it so trained staff can prune two days (excluding Saturday, Sunday
improved the number of outages and for you. and legal holidays) in advance to
the duration of outages,” explains, schedule underground utility lines
Dean Huls, general manager, T.I.P. PLANTING TIPS to be located and marked before
REC. “For safety and reliability of Before deciding to plant a initiating any digging or excavating
service, it’s imperative we have a tree, contact your local electric project. If an underground utility
strong program.” cooperative. The staff can advise line is hit while digging, it can cause
Although trees are an everyday proper placement to ensure the serious injuries, disrupt service to
problem for power lines and tree will not become a future entire areas, and potentially result in
equipment, storms draw attention to hazard to electric equipment. fines and repair costs.
the problem.
February 2021 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA 7
Cherry Cheesecake
12 graham crackers, crushed
¼ pound margarine or butter
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tub whipped topping
1 can cherry pie filling
Combine crackers and margarine. Press into a 9x9-
inch pan or 10-inch pie plate. Mix cream cheese and
powdered sugar. Mix in whipped topping and spread
mixture over crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Spread
cherry pie filling over top. Servings: 6-9
Leora Van Middendorp • Rock Rapids
Lyon Rural Electric Cooperative
Strawberry Pear Salad
3 ounces strawberry Jell-O
29 ounces canned pears, drained (save juice)
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup whipped topping
Dissolve Jell-O into boiling pear juice. Remove from
heat. In a blender, combine pears and cream cheese,
blend until smooth. Add whipped topping and hot
Jell-O. Stir together, then pour into serving bowl.
Chill to set, at least 6 hours. Servings: 6-8
Kamie Meyer • Lester • Lyon Rural Electric Cooperative
Chocolate
Covered Cherries Berry Cream Muffins
1/3 cup white corn syrup ¼ cup butter, softened
1/3 cup margarine, softened ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 pound powdered sugar 1 egg
3 jars maraschino cherries, drained ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 2¼ cups flour
3½ tablespoons paraffin 3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
CELEBRATING Mix together corn syrup, margarine and 1 cup half & half cream or milk
WITH powdered sugar. Wrap mixture around 1 cup vanilla or white baking chips
CHOCOLATE
cherries and chill thoroughly. It is important 1 cup fresh raspberries or strawberries
According to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
History.com,
the cherries are drained very well, and the
the Valentine’s mixture is wrapped around them well. Flatten
In a large bowl, cream the butter and ¾ cup sugar.
V A L E N T I N E ’ S D AY F U N F A C T S
Day tradition in your hand and then wrap. Refrigerate on
of giving a box wax paper or non-stick sheets. Melt semi-sweet Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking
of candy was chocolate with paraffin. Dip the first mixture powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternating
started in the into the chocolate and paraffin mixture using with half & half cream. Stir in baking chips and
19th century a fork or other slotted utensil. Keep chocolate berries. Fill greased or lined muffin cups ¾ full.
by Richard over hot water while dipping. Store finished Combine brown sugar with remaining 2 tablespoons
Cadbury, cherries in refrigerator or cool place. If you sugar for topping and sprinkle over batter. Bake at
a scion of have extra chocolate, drop in peanuts, 375 degrees F for 25-30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes
a British
mix well, set up on wax paper to cool. before removing from pan. Yield: 1 dozen
chocolate
manufacturing
Yield: approximately 80 pieces
Adria Nester • Rock Rapids
family. Lyon Rural Electric Cooperative
Sonya Colvin • Ames • Consumers Energy
8 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA February 2021
Sweetheart Mousse Sweetheart Bars COLORS ARE
SYMBOLIC
2 3-ounce packages cook and serve vanilla 1 cup butter The National
pudding 1½ cup sugar Confectioners
V A L E N T I N E ’ S D AY F U N F A C T S
5 cups milk, divided 4 eggs Association
1 6-ounce package cherry Jell-O 1 teaspoon vanilla says around
16 ounces cream cheese 2¼ cups flour 65% of
1½ teaspoon baking powder Americans
In saucepan, cook pudding and 4 cups milk to 1 can cherry pie filling believe that
boiling. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with Jell-O powdered sugar icing the packaging
and stir until dissolved. Cool for 10 minutes. In of Valentine’s
bowl, beat softened cream cheese and remaining Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla. Beat Day candies
1 cup of milk. Gradually add the Jell-O mixture well. Add dry ingredients, beat well. Reserve 1½ and
into the cream cheese mixture. Mix well then cups batter; pour the rest into a greased 10x15-inch chocolates
pour into Jell-O mold. Refrigerate overnight. pan. Spread pie filling over top. Drop remaining should be red
Yield: 10-12 servings batter over top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 and pink.
minutes. Frost with thin powdered sugar icing.
Marilyn O’Brien • Geneva
Franklin Rural Electric Cooperative Mary Gropper • Chelsea • T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative PETS ARE
ADORED
V A L E N T I N E ’ S D AY F U N F A C T S
According to
Sweet Strawberry Cherries in the Snow the National
Retail
Nut Loaf ¼
6 egg whites
teaspoon salt
Federation,
27% of people
½ teaspoon cream of tartar celebrating
1 cup honey Valentine’s
1¼ cup oil 2½ cups sugar, divided
2 teaspoon vanilla, divided Day in 2020
3 eggs, beaten said they were
3 cups all-purpose flour 6 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces whipped topping also buying
1 teaspoon baking soda gifts for their
1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 cups mini marshmallows
21 ounces canned cherry pie filling pets.
1 cup brown sugar
20 ounces frozen strawberries
1¼ cup nuts Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat egg whites until
PETALS OF
V A L E N T I N E ’ S D AY F U N F A C T S
powdered sugar glaze stiff; add salt and cream of tartar. Gradually add 1½
PERFECTION
red food coloring cups sugar and beat, add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spread
It’s likely no
in 9x13-inch buttered pan. Put in pre-heated oven, surprise that
In large bowl, mix together liquid ingredients, then turn off oven at once. Leave in oven 8 hours roses make
including strawberries. Add dry ingredients and or overnight. Do not open oven during the 8 hours. up the most
mix together. Fold in nuts. Bake in two greased For the topping, beat together cream cheese, 1 cup popular
and floured loaf pans at 350 degrees F for sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Fold in whipped Valentine’s Day
1 hour. Top with powdered sugar glaze topping and marshmallows. Spread mixture on top bouquets.
colored with red food coloring. of meringue. Top cream cheese mixture with pie
filling.
Penny Sue Haley • Keswick
T.I.P. Rural Electric Cooperative Minerva Small • Maurice
North West Rural Electric Cooperative
SEALED
Wanted: Recipes with fresh fruits and vegetables! WITH LOVE
V A L E N T I N E ’ S D AY F U N F A C T S
Approximately
The Reward: $25 for every one we publish! 144 million
greeting
EMAIL: cards are
Fresh fruit and vegetables are the foods of summer! Celebrate the
recipes@livingwithenergyiniowa.com exchanged
onset of sunny skies and warmer days with your favorite recipes. If we
(Attach your recipe as a Word document industry-wide
run yours in the magazine, we’ll send a $25 credit for your electric co-op
or PDF to your email message.) every year for
to apply to your power bill. Recipes submitted also may be archived on
MAIL: Valentine’s
our website at www.livingwithenergyiniowa.com.
Recipes Day in the
The deadline is Feb. 28, 2021. Please include your name, address,
Living with Energy in Iowa U.S. alone,
telephone number, co-op name and the recipe category on all
8525 Douglas Ave., Suite 48 according to
submissions. Please also provide the number of servings per recipe.
Des Moines, IA 50322-2992 Hallmark.
February 2021 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA 9
Make the most of recycling
Tips to mastering the recycling process
BY PAU L W E S S LU N D
Can I recycle my mail with the
stapled paper and plastic envelope
windows? Do I need to break down
cardboard boxes before putting
them in the recycling bin? Or should
I just give up on recycling because
it’s way too complicated?
Three of every five U.S.
households have curbside recycling
pickup, according to a study by the
Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
Another 14% have curbside service
available but do not subscribe.
Reasons to recycle are both
environmental and financial.
Recycling 10 plastic bottles, for
example, saves enough energy to
power a laptop computer for more
than 25 hours, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency. country, and many of them
Recycling can also help out with have different equipment,
your tax bill. Local governments meaning every community
pay for disposing home and office has its own set of rules for
waste, traditionally by burying it in what can be recycled.
a landfill. But if some of that waste Find out who handles
could be sold for reuse, the income recycling in your
would reduce the cost of the waste community, and they will
management program. have a list of what can be
The list of recycling rules is long recycled. And of course,
and complicated, but a way to help there’s an app for that. Two
master them is to try three different popular apps are Recycle
types of thinking: Coach and ReCollect.
Just type in your zip code
1 Think like a sorter: When
your curbside bin gets
to learn how your local
recycling program treats
emptied, it’s taken to a individual items.
Materials Recovery Facility
where it is dumped onto a
conveyor belt where workers 3 Think like an accountant:
You might be thinking,
pull off items that will gum it sounds like I’m doing
up the next step in the the work for the recycling
process, a large screen that program. And you are. You
jiggles items into a different could just dump anything
bin. Think about items that and everything in your
might cause problems with recycling bin and let the
sorting. workers sort it out. They
would do that – for a price.
2 Think local: There are about
300 Materials Recovery
You can help keep recycling
costs low by following the
Facilities around the rules.
10 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA February 2021Here are some of the most- If you want to take the next step
wondered-about recycling rules:
in recycling, think about the big
picture – the point is to reduce the
Recycling in Iowa
Mail: With one exception, waste from your home into the Iowa’s citizens, local
all mail can go in the world. First, reduce – if you don’t governments, business and industry
bin. Staples and plastic really need to buy something, don’t have proactively worked together
windows get sorted out to protect Iowa’s environment
buy it. Second, reuse – bags and by reducing waste, recycling,
by the machinery. The wrapping paper, for example, can
exception is magazines manufacturing recycled goods and
have more than one life. buying recycled-content products.
wrapped in plastic – that Remember, recycling helps our This collaborative effort has built an
kind of shrink wrap environment but can also reduce impressive recycling industry that
is better handled by the cost of local waste management creates and retains higher wage
supermarkets, which programs. Check with your local jobs and businesses. To find Iowa-
specialize in recycling bags waste management program to specific recycling information, visit
and other plastic “stretch learn more about recycling rules in the Iowa Department of Natural
wrap” around food, paper your community. Resources’ website: www.iowadnr.
towels and other products. gov/Environmental-Protection/
Land-Quality/Waste-Planning-
Food containers: When Paul Wesslund writes on consumer and
cooperative affairs for the National Rural Recycling/Recycling.
you’re done with the Electric Cooperative Association, the
peanut butter jar, no need national trade association representing
to rinse it out. It can go more than 900 local electric cooperatives.
right in the bin. From growing suburbs to remote farming
communities, electric co-ops serve as
Cardboard boxes: The engines of economic development for
only reason to break them 42 million Americans across 56% of the
nation’s landscape.
down is to save space in
your bin. They’ll get well
crushed in the truck that
13% of waste
picks them up.
Pizza cartons: Don’t leave
Yard trimmings
crusts or garlic butter
currently make up over sent to landfills.
containers in them, but
recycling equipment can
114
handle a greasy pizza box
just fine. Recycling It
Plastic bottle caps: Screw 1 glass bottle takes
the lid back on, and recycle
both the bottle and cap. saves enough energy 20-ounce beverage
to power a computer bottles to make
Plastic straws: Can be for 30 minutes or a enough fiberfill
recycled, but smaller TV for 20 minutes. for a sleeping bag.
items tend to fall off the
conveyor or through the
screen sorters and onto
Every day, U.S. papermakers
the floor, where they get
swept up and hauled off to recycle enough paper to fill a 15-mile-long train of boxcars.
a normal landfill.
Labels: You don’t need to
remove them.
February 2021 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA 11LE G I S L AT I V E N E WS
Iowa Rural Power’s grassroots
advocacy in the new year
B Y HAL EY M O O N
The 2020 elections took place in
November, but now that 2021 is here,
the election winners have been sworn
into their positions at all levels of
government. Iowa can expect to see
some new faces and some familiar
faces representing them in Des
Moines and Washington, D.C.
President Biden’s response to
issues important to electric
cooperatives
At the federal level, the 2020
elections resulted in changes to
who is in the White House and
who represents Iowa in the halls
of Congress. President Joe Biden
was sworn in as the 46th U.S.
president on Jan. 20. Last year,
when presidential candidates were
campaigning across the state for the
Iowa Caucuses, Iowa Rural Power
advocates connected with President for the first time. In addition to
Iowa’s electric cooperatives
Biden to discuss issues that impact Senator Chuck Grassley, who was not work to ensure the rural voice
electric co-ops and the communities up for reelection in 2020, these five remains strong and represented
they serve. We were pleased that members will represent Iowans in the
President Biden took the time to U.S. House and U.S. Senate in which No matter the changes that come
provide written answers to several Democrats are the majority party. from our elections, Iowa’s electric
questions about issues impacting cooperatives stand ready to work
electric co-ops. If you would like to Iowa Legislature welcomes with all elected officials, regardless
27 new members of party, to ensure the cooperative
see how he answered these questions,
you can visit www.iaruralpower.org/ point of view is heard in Des Moines
At the state level, Republicans
voter-guide/. and Washington, D.C. It is more
maintained control of the Iowa
important than ever that the voices
Iowa’s three new members House and Iowa Senate, but there
of rural Iowa remain strong and that
of the U.S. Congress are still many new faces at the State
lawmakers understand how proposed
Capitol. Between the two chambers,
policies will affect the future of
In addition to a new president, 26 new legislators were sworn in
Iowa’s communities.
Iowa has three new members of the when the 89th General Assembly
To learn more about the advocacy
U.S. Congress and two members who convened on Jan. 11 in Des Moines.
work, Iowa’s electric cooperatives
were reelected. Senator Joni Ernst In addition, a special election was
do on behalf of members, and to
(R) and Congresswoman Cindy held to fill the State Senate seat of
join them in getting involved, visit
Axne (D) were reelected to represent Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who was
www.iaruralpower.org or follow
Iowans in the Senate and House, elected to the U.S. House, bringing
Iowa Rural Power on Facebook and
respectively, while Congresswoman the total number to 27 new Iowa
Twitter.
Ashley Hinson (R), Congresswoman legislators. If you’re not sure who
Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R) and your state legislators are, visit Haley Moon is the advocacy and political
Congressman Randy Feenstra (R) www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find action manager for the Iowa Association of
were all elected to the U.S. House and type in your address. Electric Cooperatives.
12 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA February 2021IN THE COMMUNITY
CIPCO aids in moving a piece of history
B Y S A RAH H EG G EN
An old barn, like many across the
Iowa landscape, recently was moved
from the home it had known for a
century to a new home roughly three
miles away.
The effort required the
coordination of several groups –
Central Iowa Power Cooperative
(CIPCO), Linn County REC and ITC
to move wire along the roadways;
the Iowa Barn Foundation for help
funding the move; heavy haul movers;
and the barn’s owner, Lucille Goodson
of Swisher.
The barn – located along Derby
Avenue NW and estimated to be at
least 100 years old – was slated to be
burned with the demolition of the
Bisticky farmstead where it sat, the
property having been purchased by
Wendling Quarries and planned for
development.
“These old barns and houses
were built to last and with the
craftsmanship of an antique piece
of furniture,” Goodson says. “You
can’t replace them. The beams are all
mortise and tenon done by hand.”
Goodson had taken steps to help
save a barn on her own property
that was in very poor condition and
eventually blew down in a windstorm.
When she saw a hand-painted sign
advertising the Bisticky barn, she
again contacted the Iowa Barn
Foundation and began working with
board member Dwight Hughes.
With his support, she was successful
in securing grants from that
organization to help offset the cost to
move the barn to her property.
“The pieces of the move were many Tim Root, area supervisor, Integrated Iowa Barn Foundation involvement,
and complicated,” she says. “But it Operations. “It had many moving expect to see this barn open to the
was successful. Ron Aylsworth House parts, but we were able to quickly and public during the organization’s
Movers, moved it and ITC, Linn safely move our lines with minimal annual regional barn tour.
County REC and CIPCO dropped disruption to utility customers in the “A neighbor brought over a bottle of
the power lines. In fact, the utilities area.” wine the day it was moved,” Goodson
worked with such precision and speed The Bisticky barn will soon find says. “It was labeled, ‘Barn Dance
that the actual move only took a little new life as it is restored and used Red,’ so of course, once COVID is
over an hour.” for horses. Clive-based McClure over, we will celebrate with a party!”
“It’s not unusual to involve utilities Engineering contributed a percentage
with overhead wire along the route of of the fee to develop as built drawings Sarah Heggen is the communications
a major building move,” says CIPCO’s to document the renovation. With content supervisor for CIPCO.
February 2021 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA 13ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Which kitchen appliance should you upgrade?
BY PAT K E E G A N A N D B R A D T H I E S S E N
If your home improvement budget
Photo Credit: General Electric Appliances
calls for upgrading just one kitchen
appliance this year, which appliance
replacement will help reduce your
energy bills the most?
It may seem like the oldest
appliance should go first. That may
make sense if you want the looks
and features of a newer oven or
dishwasher. But with most appliances,
the energy savings you get from a new
one will take several years to pay for
itself with the energy saved.
The appliance replacement most
likely to produce the greatest energy
savings is your refrigerator. An older
fridge can cost about $20 to run every
month. Replacing an old fridge with
a new ENERGY STAR®-rated model
can cut that down to less than $5 a
month. The ENERGY STAR® label
certifies that the appliance saves
energy. New refrigerators will include
an additional label, the Energy Guide
label, which shows how much energy
it uses annually and compares that
to the most and least efficient models
available. It’s also possible to measure
how much energy your fridge is
using with a kWh meter. Energy
auditors use these meters to measure setup is the most efficient, while a dishwasher more than you used to.
energy use for common household lower-freezer unit offers medium It’s smart to consider energy use
appliances. Sometimes the energy use savings, and a side-by-side style is the as you look at replacing appliances
of an older fridge can be reduced by least energy efficient. because most new appliances use
replacing the seal around the door. If your goal is to save money on much less energy than they did in
your energy bill, resist the urge to the past. Manufacturers have found
Style counts keep the old fridge in the basement innovative ways to reduce appliance
When you’re looking to replace an or garage – that won’t help you energy use without sacrificing
old fridge, style counts. A top-freezer reduce your energy use. An old fridge performance. The federal government
in an uninsulated garage on a hot began tightening appliance standards
summer day can use a lot of energy. in the 1980s and has continued as
Maybe you just need more freezer technological innovations became
space. If so, we recommend the most more cost-effective.
efficient freezer you can find. You As with any major purchase, be
can find recommendations on sure to read customer reviews for any
www.energystar.gov. brands and models you’re considering,
and look for additional opportunities
Photo Source: Scott Van Osdol
Second choice to save money, like an upcoming
If your current fridge is in good Presidents’ Day appliance sale.
condition, another appliance you
Replacing an old fridge with an may want to consider upgrading
ENERGY STAR®-rated model can Pat Keegan and Brad Thiessen of
cut the monthly cost to operate
is the dishwasher. With most of us Collaborative Efficiency write on energy
from $20 to less than $5 a month. spending more time at home these efficiency topics for the National Rural
days, chances are you’re using your Electric Cooperative Association.
14 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA February 2021OUT BACK
Problems with an arthritic hip
BY VA L E R I E VA N KO OT E N
My mom has always said that
getting old ain’t for sissies. Now that
I’m in my sixth decade of life, I must
concur. But it doesn’t help when you
deliberately make things harder for
yourself than is strictly necessary.
Case in point.
I’ve been hobbling around with
an arthritic hip, an issue that has
necessitated physical therapy, drugs,
shoe inserts, a cane and my newest
perfume, mentholated “heating”
salve that can, if applied in the
wrong places, make you hop across
the bedroom in a crazed manner,
hip or no hip. But I digress.
A trip to the doctor
On a recent appointment with
the doctor, I needed to remove my
jeans to put on a pair of tissue paper
shorts that could easily have fit me
and at least two other hip sufferers
at the same time. I stared at them A new meaning for “hip hop” At that point, there was a knock
in disdain. “All the cool kids are In the back of my mind, I knew on the door, and the nurse stuck her
wearing them,” the nurse said with this was a fraught situation. But if head in and took in the situation.
a laugh. I began thinking unfriendly worse came to worst, I would just “Uh, looks like you need more
thoughts of sticking mentholated push the shoes off while they were time,” she said.
salve where the sun doesn’t shine. trapped in my pants. It immediately “No, I don’t need more time. I
She left the room, and I started became apparent that my tight need some help,” I snapped. “Could
to get undressed. I had worn a pair bottoms weren’t going to slide over a you pull these pant legs off? I
of lace-up shoes that were difficult pair of tennis shoes. I slid the waist thought I could get them off over
to get on and tied, what with a down, turning the pants inside out, my shoes,” I added lamely.
hip that wouldn’t cooperate in the thinking I might be able to pull the She smirked – I saw it. I imagined
simplest bending-over movements. pants off without pulling the shoes her telling the other nurses over
It had taken me 10 minutes to get off in the meantime, a delusion to lunch what an idiot I was, hopping
them on that morning, but I had which I had become attached. around like a lame rabbit in the
wanted to wear them because they No go. I had a pair of pants, inside examining room.
had good traction. If that doesn’t out, hanging off my legs with my In my head, I re-worked the
make me sound like an old geezer, shoes still on. I tried using one story to make myself into a sort of
nothing will. However, the thought foot to push the other shoe off and fashionable convalescent heroine.
of wrestling with them again made had such a surge of pain, I quickly Battling painful hip. Cortisone
me tired immediately. abandoned that idea. What was left? shots. Brandishing an old-lady cane.
My jeans were tight around the I stood up, clutching my cane, and Hey, it’s what all the cool kids are
bottom, which meant I wouldn’t bumbled around, trying to dislodge carrying this year.
be able to take them off without the shoes that were stuck halfway up
removing the shoes. Or would I? the leg of my pants. No dice. I was Valerie Van Kooten is a writer from Pella
who loves living in the country and
Maybe I could squeeze the legs sweating and panicky and utterly telling its stories. She and her husband
around the shoes so that they could out of ideas. I had given “hip hop” a Kent have three married sons and two
be left on. whole new meaning. incredibly adorable grandsons.
February 2021 LIVING WITH ENERGY IN IOWA 15LESS GARAGE TIME Electric cars have fewer moving parts compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. As a result, EVs require less maintenance and have lower maintenance costs. - Idaho National Laboratory CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CO-OP FOR MORE INFORMATION.
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