I saw on the I-Renew e-mail list that the Iowa Environmental Council has put out an action alert urging citizens to contact senators in support of SF 2083. It’s an important bill that would improve energy efficiency in this state.

The full text of the action alert, along with suggested wording for your communication with legislators, is after the jump. Of course it’s better to put things in your own words if you can.

SF 2083 Alert from our friends at the Iowa Environmental Council:

Call or Email Your Senator Today!

Tell your senator to make energy efficiency a priority; to vote for SF 2083.

Energy efficiency measures allow us to do more with less–to enjoy the same quality of life and energy-related services using less energy. And unlike burning fossil fuels to meet energy needs, energy efficiency does not pollute.  

Senate File 2083 will make energy efficiency a priority for Iowa. It will require all utility companies to use a planning tool that will help put energy efficiency first: utilities would compare the costs of energy efficiency, including environmental impacts like greenhouse gas emissions, against the costs of new or expanded fossil fuel generation.  

Energy efficiency is among the fastest, cleanest, and cheapest resources available and would see a boost under this bill. If this bill passes, we expect to see a significant increase in the amount of energy efficiency programs implemented. The bill also authorizes the Iowa Utilities Board to set energy savings goals for all utilities and lets utilities pool together to give more Iowans access to their energy efficiency programs.

Senate File 2083, which a senate subcommittee passed this week, now goes to the Senate Natural Resources & Environment Committee for its consideration. If it passes there, it will go to the full senate for a vote and then to the House for their consideration. But first steps first–If your senator is on the Natural Resources & Environment Committee, please contact him/her directly. If not, you can still take action by contacting the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Committee. We’ve provided their contact information for you.

Your voice matters. Please call or email today.

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Instructions:

Below is a sample of the kind of message you can write about why energy efficiency should be a priority for Iowa utility companies. Feel free to edit this text and make it your own. And DO CALL OR EMAIL TODAY, to ask your senator and/or the Chairperson and Vice Chair of the Iowa Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Environment, to vote YES for Senate File 2083.

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Message to Members of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee:

I am writing to request that you give Senate File 2083 your full support. This bill makes energy efficiency a priority for Iowa’s utility companies. Efficiency is a cleaner and cheaper solution for consumers and utilities, compared to putting more fossil fuels online.  Energy efficiency measures allow us to do more with less–to enjoy the same quality of life and energy-related services using less energy.  

Besides being cleaner and cheaper, energy efficiency is a good investment for Iowa.

Three major international financial institutions recently announced a set of principles, The Carbon Principles, to guide future lending and investment related to energy. These institutions include Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and Morgan Stanley, which have trillions of dollars of assets worldwide. The first Principle they listed was energy efficiency:

     Energy efficiency: “An effective way to limit CO2 emissions is to not produce them. The signatory financial institutions will encourage clients to invest in cost-effective demand reduction, taking into consideration the value of avoided CO2 emissions.”

Iowa needs also to invest in energy efficiency first.

Please vote yes for Senate File 2083, and make Iowa a winner economically and environmentally. Please also let me know how you voted, with a letter or an email.