CEO’s Report: Stable rates, funding options

Last month, the Heartland Energy Board of Directors approved the 2025 Operating and Capital Budgets. The good news is Heartland’s rates will again remain stable, with no rate increase being implemented for 2025.

In the past, we have hosted a budget meeting to review these numbers with customers. However, due to low attendance at past meetings, we decided to forgo a separate meeting this year. Instead, Heartland Chief Financial Officer Mike Malone will provide a budget overview at the Winter Conference on November 7.

We will still provide your utility’s monthly load forecast, WAPA costs and corresponding Heartland cost estimates via email.  

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please let us know. If you would like to schedule an in-person meeting to review the financials, we will be happy to set that up. Communication is a key aspect of customer relations at Heartland, and we want to ensure you are receiving all the necessary information.

Funding options available

We continue working with Frontier Energy to monitor funding opportunities through the IRA, IIJA and any other sources relevant to our customers.

They host online meetings twice per month with Chief Communications Officer Ann Hyland sending out meeting agendas and links ahead of time. She also sends the recorded meetings out after for anyone who wasn’t able to attend.

Here are a couple opportunities Frontier has recently brought up that I feel would be valuable to our customers.

DOE ERA: The Department of Energy has $400 million in federal funds available for the Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas program. The program aims to improve the resilience, reliability and affordability of energy systems in communities with 10,000 or fewer people.

Applicants must propose projects that support at least one eligible activity such as increasing energy efficiency, siting or upgrading distribution lines, or improving cost-effectiveness of distribution systems, among others.

If this is an opportunity you are interested in pursuing, concept papers are due by February 27, 2025 and full applications are due August 28, 2025.

If you have a project in mind but aren’t sure if it would qualify, I encourage you to listen to the webinar and reach out to Frontier if you have any questions.

You can also learn more at Energy.gov.

DOE BUILT: This is an opportunity available directly to 501(c)(3) non-profits. DOE is offering grants up to $100,000 with a 20% cost share requirement for energy efficiency upgrades. This could include anything from upgrades to HVAC equipment, building insulation, lighting, windows, weatherization and more.

This is considered an “energy-efficiency first” grant, meaning applicants should present a clear plan for proposed energy upgrades, provide sufficient justification for the upgrade, and outline how their community will benefit from anticipated energy savings.

Submissions for this grant are due by November 12th, no later than 10:59 p.m. central time.

More information can be found here.

As always, should you have questions about these or any other programs, let us know. There are a multitude of funding programs. It can be very difficult to navigate eligibility, project qualifications and application requirements. Our partnership with Frontier Energy allows for a more manageable process to find the right funding opportunity for your project.