Iowa Becomes Latest State to Open Up Interstate Rights-of-Way for Siting Electric Transmission Lines
TNC Iowa worked as part of a coalition to help pass a state law allowing new electric transmission lines to be built along Iowa’s existing interstate highways. By limiting the need to acquire new land to build transmission infrastructure, this law will help the state meet its future electricity demands while protecting nature and people’s private property. TNC is working with the group that led the Iowa coalition, NextGen Highways, across the country to advance more of these types of laws that will allow transmission infrastructure to be built along existing rights-of-way.
"Opening highway rights-of-way for transmission lines is a major win for the state by increasing the accessibility of clean, reliable energy and avoiding infrastructure development in Iowa’s undisturbed natural landscapes. We’re excited to see this move forward and proud of all the partners who helped make it possible," says Emily Kavanagh, Climate & External Affairs Associate for TNC Iowa.
Read the press release below.
Iowa Becomes Latest State to Open Up Interstate Rights-of-Way for Siting Electric Transmission Lines
Legislation signed into law April 9 by Gov. Kim Reynolds will open up existing rights-of-way along Iowa’s interstate highways as possible sites for building electric transmission — a victory for protecting farms and other private property from overuse of eminent domain.
Several electric transmission lines are expected to be built in Iowa to meet the state’s future electricity needs. However, the siting of these lines can affect a significant number of landowners, resulting in an overuse of eminent domain and lengthy and costly disputes over land acquisitions.
Iowa now joins several states, including Wisconsin, Nevada, and Montana, in giving utilities and transmission developers the option to site projects along interstate rights-of-way. Senate File 2214, which passed both chambers of the Iowa Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support, will enable transmission developers to work with one landowner — the Iowa Department of Transportation — to site transmission infrastructure, limiting the need to acquire land from multiple landowners.
The state of Wisconsin implemented a similar policy in 2003, enabling the placement of more than 200 miles of transmission infrastructure in interstate rights-of-way and avoiding impacts to thousands of private landowners.
The policy change has drawn wide support from Iowa residents, electric utilities serving the state, and advocacy organizations focusing on energy, agricultural, and labor issues.
“Finding innovative policy reforms to build out our energy grid while preserving landowner rights has been critical this legislative session,” said Nick Boeyink, executive director of the Iowa Conservative Energy Forum. “This bill accomplishes both of these goals and positions Iowa to better meet the energy demand for its growing economy.”
Other organizations are celebrating the legislative win following engagement with the Iowa Department of Transportation on the issue over the last several years.
“Modernizing our aging electrical grid is a necessity for the future of rural Iowa. The Center for Rural Affairs supports SF 2214 because it reimagines our state’s highway corridors as vital energy arteries,” said Tod Bowman, Policy Associate at the Center for Rural Affairs and former Iowa State Senator. “This approach streamlines the development of a more resilient grid, ensuring that rural homes and businesses have access to reliable power without unnecessary delays or the fragmentation of private land.”
In public opinion polling conducted in Iowa last year on behalf of NextGen Highways, more than 80 percent of respondents said they would support placing transmission lines in highway and interstate corridors as an alternative to siting them on private land.
“When we asked Iowans what they thought about co-locating transmission in interstate highway rights-of-way, their answer was essentially, ‘Why wouldn’t you do this?’” said Randy Satterfield, NextGen Highways’ executive director. “States like Iowa are looking for straightforward options to build the energy infrastructure they need faster, and we’re excited that this legislation now adds co-location to that list of options.”
The policy win in Iowa follows legislation signed into law in Virginia earlier this month, which will kick off a process of study and recommendations for co-locating new electric transmission along that state’s highways.
NextGen Highways is an initiative that builds coalitions and works to advance common-sense policy reforms to transform highway rights-of-way into multi-purpose infrastructure corridors that support electric transmission, broadband deployment, and other critical infrastructure. Learn more at nextgenhighways.org.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we create innovative, on-the-ground solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. We are tackling climate change, conserving lands, waters and oceans at an unprecedented scale, providing food and water sustainably and helping make cities more resilient. The Nature Conservancy is working to make a lasting difference around the world in 83 countries and territories (39 by direct conservation impact and 44 through partners) through a collaborative approach that engages local communities, governments, the private sector, and other partners. For more news, visit our newsroom or follow The Nature Conservancy on LinkedIn.