New Electric Generation and Solar Updates

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 2. New Thermal Generation Project Update.
  The City's Electric Utility provides electricity to just under 30K customers across the city including residential, small and large commercial, and industrial users. The Electric Utility is required to maintain enough generation capacity to meet its peak need, which is currently 166.3 MW. Failure to maintain that generation capacity costs quite a lot of money, and it is only estimated to get more expensive in future years. We are currently only short by a little bit of capacity, but a few factors make new generation high priority. First, our current equipment is old, and has been worn down by the burning of RDF. (This is one of the reasons the City is moving to a new waste disposal strategy.) Unit 7 is nearing the end of its lifespan, and so new thermal generation is needed in the near future. Secondly, energy use is only expected to increase, meaning new peaks and new requirements for capacity. An initial rough estimate for a new production facility was $84 million, but a more recent more accurate estimate suggests this project might cost closer to $190 million. Staff outline how a project like this might be financed, including a combination of savings from dropping RDF and small annual rate increases.
  
  
• 3.Solar Energy Project at Ames Municipal Airport.
  In addition to additional thermal generation, the City is considering a PPA (power purchase agreement) with a company that would potentially build a solar array on land near the airport. In order to lock in incentives before they expire, the company in question needs to meet certain deadlines by summer. Staff are asking Council to weigh in before proceeding with negotiations. 

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1

Planning Division Workplan

Bronwyn's Council Preview

 

YOU MAY VIEW THE MEETING ONLINE AT THE FOLLOWING SITES:
https://www.youtube.com/ameschannel12
https://www.cityofames.org/channel12
or watch the meeting live on Mediacom Channel 12

Usually some of the agenda items will have a period where members of the public may briefly speak to Council.
TO REACH THE MAYOR AND ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL:
Send email to MayorCouncil@AmesCityCouncil.org
(Note that emails to elected officials are generally subject to Iowa Open Records requests)

MEETING OF THE AMES CITY COUNCIL

This Ames City Council meeting is at 6:00 at City Hall. The council meeting agenda includes the following. Note that you can generally click on individual agenda items below to get the full staff report or other explanation.

• 15. Resolution setting April 28, 2026, as date of Public Hearing on a long-term lease with Xenia Rural Water District for portions of 900 S 500th Avenue (Mortensen and County Line Water Tower parcel).
  This is the draft of an agreement that will be on the April 28th agenda. This proposal would increase the amount of water that Xenia buys from the City of Ames. Included in the proposal is a long-term lease to allow Xenia to build a booster pump station on the parcel which is the site of the Mortensen/County Line water tower.
  
  
• 30. Hearing on City of Ames Budget.
  This hearing on the budget is required by State law. Council will vote on approval of the Adjusted '25/'26 Budget and Proposed '26/'27 Budget. The proposed City levy will be $10.27, and is estimated to generate $39,881,096 for the Fiscal Year 2026/2027.
  
  
• 34. Resolution approving $1,500 for the Ames: A Glimpse Inside Event 
  The "Glimpse Inside" event allows for public viewing of some homes, businesses, and institutional buildings with a goal of educating the public about the history of Ames and the value of historic preservation. Council is being asked to approve the allocation of $1,500 for this event, and choose the source for funding. (Last year, the funding was allocated from the Historic Preservation Commission's budget.
  
  
• 37. Planning Division Workplan.
  This is a regular update that Council receives from the Planning Department, including projects that are in the works, proposed (by staff or others), or on the horizon. Council is being asked to prioritize these projects to provide direction to Planning staff.

Thanks for reading,
Bronwyn Beatty-Hansen
Ames City Council, Ward 1