Decorah Municipal Utility Initiative -- The Decorah Power Perspective

DRC Sponsor: Philip Iversen

Larry Grimstad and Andy Johnson serve as President and Treasurer, respectively, of the 501(c)(4) non-profit Decorah Power organization. They will be offering our members the Decorah Power perspective of the ongoing, community-driven initiative exploring the feasibility of transitioning Decorah's electric utility service from the investor-owned Allient Energy to a locally-owned municipal utility. The Decorah utility franchise agreement expires on May 31, 2018 giving the local community a chance to consider a municipal electric utility. Iowa Code permits communities to establish a municipal electric utility if it is in the public interest. Larry served as President and Chairman of Decorah Bank & Trust Company for 30 years, and he has been active in several community service boards and works to develop additional community-based clean energy and energy efficiency and local foods projects. Andy, a native of Decorah, presently serves as the Director of the Winneshiek Energy District. His college and graduate work focused on ecology and natural resources management and he served for many years in sustainable agriculture and natural resources management, first in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, then with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and most recently upon returning to the family farm near Decorah.