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Mayor proclaims clean energy week

T-R FILE PHOTO Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer proclaimed Clean Energy Week on Monday. Iowa is already utilizing clean energy - primarily through wind farms. Marshall County alone has two wind farms.

Marshalltown is promoting environmental conservation.

Mayor Joel Greer signed a proclamation Monday declaring it Clean Energy Week as a way to bring awareness to environmental issues. Marshalltown is joining cities across the nation to celebrate the week.

“I am a believer in the fact that our environment is hurting and we need to do something about it soon,” Greer said. “I attribute some of our bad weather events — the tornado, the derecho, the ice storm we had years ago and the drought — to the changing weather patterns that we have because of the environment”

This is the second time Marshalltown has recognized National Clean Energy Week. The major purpose of the week is to encourage businesses, policy makers and consumers to try to find ways to use renewable clean energy sources.

Clean energy is important because of the looming threat of climate change which scientists fear could have severe impacts on civilization if not curtailed.

Wind is already Iowa’s largest source of energy, with almost 30 wind farms across the state.

Marshall County hosts about two wind farms – one in Laurel and another near Vienna closer to the Tama County border.

Recently, wind energy passed coal as Iowa’s primary source of electricity, accounting for more than 40 percent of the state’s energy.

In 1983, Iowa became the first state in the nation to adopt a renewable portfolio standard, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. State regulators required Iowa’s two investor-owned electric utilities to own or to contract for a combined total of 105 megawatts of generating capacity that was powered by renewable energy.

Clean Energy Week is from Sept. 21 to Sept. 25 and is held annually.

“I’m hoping that it will make other people read up or be aware,” Greer said.

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Contact Thomas Nelson at 641-753-6611 or tnelson@timesrepublican.com

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