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Iowa Energy Center Board Minutes - November 2021

Note: The attachments referenced in these minutes are available in the full .pdf download of the minutes (above).

State of Iowa
Iowa Energy Center Board
Meeting Minutes of November 18, 2021
at IEDA, 1963 Bell Avenue, Suite 200
Des Moines, Iowa
Or Via Teams Webinar
Call to order 1:00 p.m.

Board Members Present
Dan Mickey, Board Vice Chair
Jennifer Johnson
Debi Durham
Jenae Jenison*
Craig Just*
Rick Olesen*
Terry Kouba*
Valerie Newhouse*

Board Members Absent
Troy DeJoode, Board Chair
Stuart Anderson
Geri Huser
Gul Kremer-Okudan

Iowa Economic Development Authority Staff Present
Brian Selinger
Amber Buckingham
Lisa Connell
Deanna Triplett
Vicky Clinkscales
Betty Hessing
Terry Roberson*
Kanan Kappelman*
Staci Hupp-Ballard*
Emily Hockins*
Ryan Young*
MK Anderson*
Maicie Pohlman*
Alama Santizo*
Rob Christensen*

Others Present
Sarah Martz & Derek Wagner, Alliant Energy (Presenters)
Chaz Allen, Iowa Utility Association
Derek Folden, Iowa Finance Authority*
Brenda Biddle, Iowa Utilities Board*
Eric Richardson, Legislative Services Agency*
Sue Foecke, Iowa Senate Democrats*
Heather Hackbarth, Iowa Department of Management*
Karen Uhlenhuth, Midwest Energy News*

*Participated via Teams Webinar

Welcome & Introductions by Board Vice Chair Dan Nickey
Dan Nickey welcomed everyone to the November 18 IEC Board meeting

Roll Call
Betty Hessing did roll call and a quorum was established.

Consideration of September 30, 2021 Special Meeting Minutes
Motion by Rick Olesen
Motion: I move approval of the September 30, 2021 minutes
Second Jennifer Johnson
Voice Vote All ayes in favor Motion approved

Public Comment Period - No comments

Fiscal Update - Attachment Attachment A
Terry Roberson explained the FY22 financial and obligation information for the Iowa Energy Center’s Main Account (grant program) and the previous and new loan programs. Attachment A is the financial information through October 31, 2021. Mr. Roberson asked if there were any questions, no questions.

Legislative Update
Deanna Triplett stated we will be presenting a legislative agenda this year to extend the sunset of the Iowa Energy Center Board for an additional five years. Brian Selinger thanked Deanna Triplett for taking this to the legislature so we can continue to support and do some good projects.

Competitive Grant Program Update - Amber Buckingham
All of the grants that we awarded this fiscal year are now under contract except one. The University of Iowa had some issues with their contracting with their sub, but they have gotten that resolved so Debi Durham should be seeing that contract soon for her signature.
 
Amber Buckingham reported she has been doing site visits to all of the grantees that were awarded in 2019-2020. She’s eighty percent done with those visits and has four to finish in December. These site visits have been going very well, and we have received some feedback from Iowa State University that we’ve incorporated into our Policies and Procedures Handbook that will make things smoother for all of our grantees moving forward.

At our February 17, 2022 meeting, we should have 2-3 final reports from our earliest grantees—one from the energy group, one from the University of Northern Iowa and one from Baldridge Environmental Services IEC Grant.

Program Policies & Procedures Handbook - Attachment B
Amber Buckingham stated that every year the IEC Board has to approve the Policies & Procedures Handbook based on the Administrative Code. In August, the Grant Committee met to discuss potential changes to the Policies & Procedures Handbook for the fourth round of grant applications. Some of the changes include updating the reporting requirement, updates to the disbursement procedures and updates to the scoring matrix for both the preapplication and full application. We did that to provide clarity to the applicants so they can have a better idea of how we are scoring them. One big change is we decreased the total fiscal allocation from $4M to $2 5M because we are dealing with a decreasing amount of funds moving forward. All of those changes were approved by the Grant Committee and our staff recommendation would be to approve the changes to the Iowa Energy Center’s Grant Program Policies & Procedures Handbook.

Motion by Debi Durham
Motion: I move to approve the changes to the Iowa Energy Center Grant Program Policies and Procedures Handbook
Second Jennifer Johnson
Roll Call Yes 8 No 0
Motion approved

Grant Modification Request from Baldridge Environmental Services - 21-IEC-003 - Attachment C
Amber Buckingham explained she had a grant modification request to 21-IEC-003, which is Mobile Power for Rural Wastewater Treatment and Community Resilience This is one that we approved in the last round of grant funding. After the last in-person Board meeting, Baldridge Environmental Services were talking with Iowa State and they are looking to incorporate the current ISU microgrid into their project, so they would like to use that as a test run to learn some best practices before they construct a new second generation microgrid. This will improve the project overall and they are looking to be able to provide year around power versus seasonal power to these wastewater treatment facilities. The first change is they are changing their project partner from the University of Iowa to Iowa State University. The second piece of the modification request is to simplify their budget categories—combining all of the equipment items into one equipment line item. They would also like to move some of the budget around to increase the electrical contractor line item to $20,000 from $15,000, decrease $10,000 of the remote monitoring budget line item, and increase another $5,000 to the installation for salaries and wages for the project. The total amount requested doesn’t change—it’s still at $122,500.

IEDA staff considers the requested changes to the scope of work to be substantial enough to require Board approval. Staff recommends approving the amendment to 21-IEC-003, updating the scope of work, budget and project partners.

Motion by Debi Durham
Motion:  I move to approve the amendment to 21-IEC-003
Second Rick Olesen
Roll Call Yes 8 No 0
Motion approved

Energy Infrastructure Revolving Loan Program (EIRLP) - EIRLP Update -
Brian Selinger gave the EIRLP update for Stephanie Weisenbach, who could  not be at meeting. The first loan cycle for the new Energy Infrastructure Revolving Loan Program just closed out. We did not have any fully submitted applications, but we did have a couple that got started. They needed more time to work through their project plan so we envision that they will come back around this next cycle. The second round will have a deadline of January 20, 2022, with potential awards being considered at the February 17, 2022 Board meeting.

Stephanie Weisenbach has put so much effort to market and get this opportunity out there. Thanks to Rick Olesen for getting Stephanie Weisenbach invited into the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives managers meeting, so Stephanie was able to present to the REC’s, given that they are an eligible loan recipient. She’s talking with Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities and Troy DeJoode’s team in getting to their conference in the future, since they are eligible. Thank you to Dan Nickey for giving Ms Weisenbach the opportunity to present on November 30 at an upcoming webinar to many large businesses. It’s a webinar the University of Northern Iowa is doing in conjunction with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Pollution Prevention Program and the Environmental Protection Agency. Ms Weisenbach has talked with a Farm Bureau group, and we’ve connected with ABI. Stephanie Weisenbach is willing to connect with any group if Board members know of any. We also have a program fact sheet that lEDA’s Communications team helped us on. We will see some projects coming our way in the very near future.

Decorah Solar + Battery Storage Project - Sarah Martz & Derek Wagner - Alliant Energy - Attachment D
Brian Selinger stated this is a project that IEDA is so proud of and so glad we could be supportive in providing grant funds to this. We’ve been in collaboration with Sarah Martz and Derek Wagner and team for quite some time Brian Selinger introduced Sarah Martz, Manager of Distribution Engineering for Interstate Power & Light, our Iowa branch under Alliant Energy, and Derek Wagner, Manager of Restoration Power Quality for Interstate Power & Light and he also covers the Wisconsin side. Sarah Martz and Derek Wagner made a presentation on their Decorah Solar + Battery Storage project.

Other Business
Dan Nickey turned it over to Brian Selinger to give an Energy Office update

Energy Office Updates
Brian Selinger stated this was Rick Olesen’s final meeting with us, as in February Rick will be retiring. Brian Selinger gave a sincere thank you to Rick Olesen for his time of serving on the Iowa Energy Center Board and the Grant Committee and his insights to re-purposing the Loan Committee. We wish him and his family nothing but the best. Debi Durham added that Rick has been with us from the beginning of this transition and his leadership has been so valuable to us and she is truly going to miss him. Rick Olesen thanked Brian and Debi for their kind words, and he stated that Debi and Brian run a great show at the IEDA and the Iowa Energy Center Office. Mr. Olesen stated he hopes with this new infrastructure bill that the Iowa Energy Center is maintained, the IEC Board is maintained, and we can access and leverage some of those federal funds to serve and support the Iowa Energy Plan and that IEC will be able to administrate some of those funds. I hope that’s in the works and that we can have continued activities m support of Iowa’s member owners and rate payers.

Brian Selinger stated he’s been in conversations with Rick Olesen’s colleagues, the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, in working on identifying Rick’s replacement. They will work through the Governor’s Boards and Commissions process so hopefully we will have Rick’s replacement soon and possibly by the February Board meeting. The other Board vacancy is the other investor-owned seat that Tim Whipple formerly held. Brian Selinger is working with Chaz Allen of the Iowa Utility Association, to identify someone for that seat. We should have a full complement of Board members soon, but Brian Selinger will keep the Board posted.

Brian Selinger stated staff is working on the Iowa Energy Center’s Annual Report which is due January 15, 2022. This report will be provided to the IEC Board once it is done. Brian Selinger stated we listed the 2022 IEC Board meetings for you so you can get them on your calendars.

2022 IEC Board Meetings
February 17, 2022, May 12, 2022, August 11, 2022, and November 17, 2022, all at 1:00 p.m. at IEDA, 1963 Bell Avenue, Suite 200, Des Moines or via Teams Webinar

Vice Chairperson Nickey asked for a motion to adjourn
Motion by Rick Olesen
Motion: I move to adjourn
Second Valerie Newhouse
Voice Vote All ayes

Adjournment 1:46 pm

Respectfully Submitted,

Betty Hessing, Administrative Assistant

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