Iowa, known for its sprawling plains and cornfields, is home to 3.2 million people and an even higher population of hogs. With nearly 56 thousand square miles, Iowa ranks 32nd in population density of the United States. Like many other states, the name Iowa is derived from the language of the native people who first inhabited the land, in this case the Dakota Sioux.
Iowa is already seeing significant effects from climate change which are expected to worsen in the coming years. Temperatures in Iowa have risen more than 1 degree (F) over the last century. In particular, hotter, warmer weather leaves Iowa vulnerable to destructive flooding as the state is bordered by the Missouri river to the west and the Mississippi river to the east. The Iowa Policy Project found that precipitation in the state has been increasing steadily since the 1970s at a rate of about 1.25 inches per decade, which is the largest increase across the US. The resulting flooding is dangerous for residents and damaging to Iowa’s economy. Damage to the transportation infrastructure and water management systems alone could exceed $480 million per year (according to 2015 dollar values) by the end of this century.
Iowa’s farmers are also on the front lines of the climate battle. As drought and flooding threaten their crops and extreme heat threatens their health, Iowa farmers across the political spectrum have begun to demand climate solutions. In fact, many have begun developing solutions themselves. A movement is growing among farmers to transition from traditional farming, which strips soil of carbon, to regenerative farming, which focuses on sequestering carbon within soil. The benefits from these practices are multi-faceted, as they reduce net emissions and build resiliency in the agricultural sector amidst threats to the food supply from climate change.
Iowa is also making strides in its renewable resource development. In 2023, three-fifths of the state’s total electricity net generation came from renewables. Iowa is the second largest wind power producer in the nation, after Texas, with wind power accounting for 59% of electricity produced in 2023. In 2019, wind exceeded coal for the first time. Other renewables including solar, hydroelectric and biomass accounted for a combined 3% electricity generation. Two solar farms of 150 megawatt capacity are scheduled to open by the end of 2024. In 2023, natural gas contributed 15% of electricity generation. The state has had no nuclear power since 2020, when its single nuclear plant closed due to storm wind damage. Coal has reduced significantly in the state: in 2018, Iowa ranked 5th for coal use for electricity generation, dropping to 13th in 2023.
In 1983 Iowa became the first state in the nation to adopt a renewable portfolio standard, and has since far exceeded its RPS goals of 105 megawatts total renewable generating capacity.
While Iowa state lacks a comprehensive climate action plan, in August 2021, the Iowa Environmental Council, announced its vision for Iowa to reach 100% clean power generation by 2035. In the meantime, Iowa City has developed goals to include the reduction of emissions to 80% of 2005 levels by 2050 and Des Moines has ambitions to go carbon-free by 2035.
Iowa is one of five states that declined to participate in the EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program (The other four states are Florida, Kentucky, South Dakota and Wyoming). However, large metro areas in the states were still eligible to apply for some of their state’s allocated funding, and three cities in Iowa submitted their own applications: Cedar Rapids, Des Moines-West Des Moines, and Iowa City. This resulted in two plans released March 1, 2024: the Central Iowa Priority Climate Action Plan, and the East Central Iowa Priority Climate Action Plan.
CREDIT: IOWA PBS
