The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) has been awarded a $200,000, two-year grant by the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), with funds from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE). The funds will be used to conduct a high-level assessment of the energy resilience posture of Iowa’s municipal electric utilities and to develop a “Comprehensive Iowa Municipal Energy Utilities Hazard Mitigation Plan” to remediate any assessment findings.

“Energy generation, transmission, and delivery by Iowa’s municipal utilities require a strategic approach that addresses the diverse security, technical, and environmental risks of the 21st century,” said Russell Saffell, IAMU’s Director of Member Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection. “Emerging threats from both manmade and natural hazards present significant challenges to utilities that are often understaffed, limited in response capability, and have aging or inoperable infrastructure. This grant will allow IAMU to assist municipal utilities by assessing current potential risks and helping to fix any vulnerabilities.”

IAMU will also provide technical expertise in emergency management, risk and hazard mitigation, business and operational continuity, cyber and physical security, and disaster recovery. The goal is to enhance energy resilience programs at Iowa’s municipal utilities and their respective service territories through a shared program manager approach from IAMU.

“We are pleased to dedicate funding for projects that support IEDA’s efforts to implement the Iowa Energy Plan,” said IEDA Director Debi Durham. “Through support of this project, our goal is to foster innovation and enhance the reliability and safety of Iowa’s energy systems.”