By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

Iowa’s Supreme Court has ruled the Iowa Utilities Board should have considered whether operating coal plants is economical when it approved an emissions control plan from MidAmerican Energy in 2020.

Environmental advocates sued the Iowa Utilities Board for rejecting a report that said retiring some coal-fired power plants would be the most cost-effective way to meet state and federal pollution standards. The report suggested electric generation from wind turbines and solar installations could replace the power being produced at MidAmerican coal-fired plants near Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Ottumwa and Muscatine.

The Iowa Utilities Board ruled that evidence was irrelevant.

The Iowa Supreme Court ruling says the board is required by law to consider cost effectiveness, so the board must now redo its review of MidAmerican’s emissions control plans.

Governor Reynolds recently appointed two new members to the three-person Iowa Utilities Board and their terms start today (5/1).