15.120 The Iowa energy center.

1. The Iowa energy center is established within the authority with the following purposes:

a. To expand workforce and career opportunities for workers in the energy sector to ensure that the state is able to attract and train professionals to meet the state’s future energy needs.

b. To support technology-based development by encouraging public-private partnerships and innovative manufacturers to develop and bring to market new energy technologies.

c. To support rural and underserved areas and vulnerable populations by creating opportunities for greater access to energy efficiency expertise, training, programs, and cyber security preparedness for small utilities.

d. To support the expansion of natural gas infrastructure to rural and underserved areas of the state where the absence is a limiting factor to economic development.

e. To promote and fund research, development, and commercialization of biomass technology to benefit the state economically and environmentally by further realizing the value-added attributes of biomass in the development of bioenergy, biofuels, and biochemicals.

f. To encourage growth of the alternative fuel vehicle market, particularly for electric vehicles, and the infrastructure necessary to support the market.

g. To support efforts to modernize the electric grid infrastructure of the state to support increased capacity and new technologies.

2. a. A governing board is established consisting of the following members appointed by the governor:

(1) One member representing Iowa state university of science and technology, in consultation with the president of that university.

(2) One member representing the university of Iowa, in consultation with the president of that university.

(3) One member representing the university of northern Iowa, in consultation with the president of that university.

(4) One member representing private colleges and universities within the state, in consultation with the Iowa association of independent colleges and universities.

(5) One member representing community colleges, in consultation with the Iowa association of community college trustees.

(6) One member representing the economic development authority, in consultation with the director of the economic development authority.

(7) One member representing the state department of transportation, in consultation with the director of the department of transportation.

(8) One member representing the office of consumer advocate, in consultation with the consumer advocate.

(9) One member representing the utilities board, in consultation with the chair of the utilities board.

(10) One member representing rural electric cooperatives, in consultation with the Iowa association of electric cooperatives.

(11) One member representing municipal utilities, in consultation with the Iowa association of municipal utilities.

(12) Two members representing investor-owned utilities, one representing gas utilities, and one representing electric utilities, in consultation with the Iowa utility association.

b. The terms of the members shall begin and end as provided in section 69.19 and any vacancy shall be filled by the governor as provided for in this subsection. The terms shall be for four years and shall be staggered as determined by the director of the economic development authority.

c. The board shall oversee, approve, and provide direction concerning the programs established by the center and shall coordinate with the center and the director of the authority for the implementation of such programs. In overseeing the center and its programs, the board shall ensure that all ratepayer moneys remitted by the utilities board pursuant to section 476.10A are expended on programs and projects designed to provide benefits to gas and electric utility ratepayers.

d. The deliberations or meetings of the governing board shall be conducted in accordance with chapter 21.

e. The board, in consultation with center staff, shall adopt rules for the administration of the center and its programs pursuant to chapter 17A.

3. a. The center shall employ necessary support staff. The center staff shall be employees of the authority. Moneys appropriated to the center shall be used to sponsor grants and projects submitted on a competitive basis by Iowa businesses, colleges and universities, and private nonprofit agencies and foundations, and for the salaries and benefits of the employees of the center. The center may also solicit additional grants and funding from public and private nonprofit agencies and foundations.

b. The center shall prepare an annual report in coordination with the authority. The center shall submit the report to the general assembly and the legislative services agency by January 15 of each year.

4. The governing board shall oversee the center in the development of a budget, on the policies and procedures of the center, in the funding of grant proposals, and in matters relating to program planning and review. The center’s annual budget shall be approved by the board.

5. This section is repealed July 1, 2022.

2017 Acts, ch 169, §35, 49

Referred to in §15.108, 476.1A, 476.1B, 476.1C, 476.10A, 476.46