Governor signs bill boosting utility bill discounts
The new law will temporarily boost funding for the state's Electric Assistance Program by shifting a small portion of the funds currently directed to energy efficiency. Both programs are paid for through a small surcharge on electric bills.
The law calls for redirecting about $5 million over the next 18 months. Customers who make up to 185 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for the program, which offers discounts ranging from 5 to 70 percent depending on household size and income.
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Proposed underground power line could bring Iowa wind turbine electricity to Chicago
CHICAGO - The company behind a proposed underground transmission line that would carry electricity generated mostly by wind turbines in Iowa to the Chicago area said Monday that the $2.5 billion project could be operational in 2024 if regulators approve it.
Direct Connect Development Co. said it has lined up three major investors to back the project. It plans to bury the transmission line in land that runs along existing Canadian Pacific railroad tracks, hopefully reducing the disruption to landowners. It's not unusual for pipelines or fiber optic lines to be buried along railroad tracks in the land the railroad…