Iowa Senate News Release
For Immediate Release: June 26, 2017
DES MOINES – Senator Chaz Allen of Newton, a member of the Senate’s Commerce Committee and the Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee, has written a letter in response to Governor Kim Reynolds’s call for innovating the state’s energy policies.
“One of the priorities we share is creating more jobs for Iowans through a more innovative state energy policy,” Allen wrote in the letter. “That’s because Iowa’s economic future is tied to improving and developing our energy resources. I believe Iowa’s economy – especially in our smaller towns and rural areas — will benefit by increasing the state’s commitment to clean energy production and transmission.”
Allen said that he welcomed the new Governor’s promise to support bipartisan legislation to continue the momentum in Iowa that has produced thousands of jobs related to energy, including developments in the wind, solar, ethanol and biodiesel industries.
In his letter, Allen specifically cited several successful job-creation projects in his Senate district, which includes portions of eastern Polk County and most of Jasper County. The projects include TPI Composites (a wind blade manufacturer), Trinity Structural Towers (a wind tower manufacturer) and REG (a bio diesel plant), all in Newton; and Facebook (a data center) in Altoona.
Allen said one of the keys to expanding energy production in Iowa will be ensuring our state plays a bigger role in developing a skilled and innovative workforce to meet the demands of this new economy.
“Our universities and community colleges have done a good job of meeting the needs of businesses and utilities that are moving to renewable energy production and manufacturing. We need to make sure that they can continue to help Iowans get the skills they need to fill jobs in the future,” he said.
Allen concluded his letter by stating that “Iowans expect their Governor and legislators to take bold steps during the 2018 legislative session. I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to move Iowa forward to a vibrant, clean and secure energy future.”