Looking to the Future
Iowa is a renewable energy leader.
Sixty-five percent of the energy produced in the regional power market and distributed in Cedar Falls in 2024 was generated by renewable resources.
The renewable energy generated across the state benefits CFU customers even though all of the solar panels or wind turbines aren't located in Cedar Falls.
CFU is part of an energy market.
CFU provides power to customers two ways; purchasing electricity from the regional energy market or generating electricity through the plants CFU owns.
Today, most of the electricity we provide to customers is purchased through a regional energy market. The market is administered by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).
Think of the MISO energy market like a giant pool. The energy generated by nearly all wind turbines, solar panels and fuel-dependent plants in Iowa flows into the energy market pool daily. This includes our local Streeter Station power plant, natural gas turbines, solar array and our share of large power plants in western Iowa.
Members also purchase energy out of the pool to meet their communities' daily electric needs. Today that energy is largely renewable.
CFU is supportive of the wind and solar energy available in Iowa today and welcomes future additions. CFU operates a community solar garden and supports customers who add renewable generation. The electric utility has also made investments to upgrade transmission lines and substations and in joint owned projects across the state to support renewable energy.
Our community needs reliable and affordable energy.
While we welcome more renewable energy in the market, it remains important to provide reliable, affordable energy even when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing.
Traditional generation from fuel-dependent plants remains a key component in today's energy market and provide reliable, affordable energy when renewables are not available.
The good news is that CFU owns generating assets that help support the grid and control electric costs for customers. CFU maintains our local Streeter Station power plant, natural gas turbines and solar array. In addition, CFU owns shares of large power plants in western Iowa. Maintaining local generation helps keep rates low and the lights on. However, these assets are aging.
As we look to the future, CFU will continue to need traditional generation to provide reliable, affordable energy when renewables are not available.
CFU is advancing plans to build a new energy center in Cedar Falls. The new Viking Energy Center will enable CFU to deliver the next generation of energy - sustainable, reliable and affordable - positioning us for a strong future.