Power Supply

Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) serves as East-Central Iowa RECs (ECI REC) wholesale power supplier. CIPCO serves its member-owner cooperatives with a balanced, responsible energy portfolio consisting of wind, solar, hydro, natural gas, landfill gas, and coal.

A BALANCED, RESPONSIBLE ENERGY PORTFOLIO
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Pie chart of energy sources

Represents 3,209 GWh requirements for traditional load 2025 data

1. CIPCO invests in the development of renewable energy projects in several ways. We operate six small-scale solar arrays near communities we serve and retain the renewable energy certificates associated with each. We also contract with energy producers for the electricity output from wind, solar, hydro and methane gas from a landfill (converted into electricity). CIPCO cannot claim these resources as renewable within our supply portfolio as we have either sold to third parties or do not receive the renewable attributes associated with the electricity produced from these renewable power sources. By selling these attributes (RECs), we not only support other organizations in meeting their renewable energy goals, but we also generate revenue to help us lower our wholesale power rate to our 13 Member-owner cooperatives and associations.


2. A percentage of market purchases exist within the portfolio to meet additional supply needs not covered by CIPCO-produced generation or existing contracts. Weather volatility and unplanned operational events at power plants may also impact market purchases.

In 2016, ECI REC and CIPCO introduced Urbana Solar Acres into the overall power supply portfolio. (Areial view on the right.)

Click the button link below to view the live output of the Urbana Solar Acres.

 

 

Urbana Solar Acres Output
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Ariel view of Urbana Solar Acres

How does dependable electricity reach you, our members? Below is a graphic illustrating this process. (Click here to download this graphic.)

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Illustration of how electricity reaches you