For Release 01-25-02

THREE IOWA ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE PRESTIGIOUS GOVERNOR'S ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS FOR AIR QUALITY

DES MOINES — Three Iowa organizations received an environmental excellence award for their air quality efforts from Gov. Tom Vilsack at a ceremony Jan. 22 in Des Moines.

The recognition is part of a program honoring Iowans for their leadership and innovation in protecting Iowa's natural resources. Twenty awards total were presented for other environmental media as well.

"These organizations serve as environmental leaders and models for each us to follow," Vilsack said. "Safeguarding Iowa's land, air and water is critical to our state, and I congratulate them for their outstanding work."

The awards program recognizes comprehensive environmental programs by organizations, along with special project awards in water quality, air quality, waste management, habitat restoration/development and energy efficiency/renewable energy. A special youth environmental citizenship award also was included. The 20 winners were chosen from more than 80 nominations. The three air quality winners include: Alliant Energy, Mirenco Inc., and Waverly Light and Power.

The ceremony took place at the State Capitol Building in Des Moines Jan. 22 at 4 p.m.

Award sponsors include the Governor's Office, the Department of Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Department of Economic Development, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Health and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

Alliant Energy (Cedar Rapids)

    In the world of fossil fuel fired power plants, keeping the air clean poses a huge challenge. Alliant Energy met the challenge head-on, and Iowans can breathe easier as a result.

    To reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, the general industry solution has been to extract emissions after combustion through an expensive, catalytic process. But Alliant took a science-and-technology approach, conducting an extensive study at the M.L. Kapp plant in Clinton, IA and developed a way to reduce NOx formation during combustion. As a result, the company’s Combustion Initiative reduced NOx emissions by 900 tons per year — more than 50 percent — and has improved thermal efficiency, which means less fuel is needed. The technology is now being expanded to other Alliant owned plants in Wisconsin. To learn more about Alliant Energy, go to www.alliantenergy.com.

Mirenco Inc. (Radcliffe)

    Diesel exhaust is a common pollution concern across the United States and one Iowa company has found a way to reduce emissions, improve performance and reduce fuel and engine maintenance costs.

    Mirenco Inc. of Radcliffe has made huge strides in making diesel engines more fuel-efficient and less harmful to the environment. Mirenco’s DriverMax technology automatically controls throttle position based on continuous analysis of vehicle exhaust. The technology has allowed one U.S. city to save more than 43,000 gallons of diesel fuel and reduce emissions by more than 11,000 pounds from its fleet of 130 public transit buses. Another new product, called “EconoCruise,” incorporates a global positioning satellite that reads the topography ahead of the vehicle, allowing the cruise control to take a proactive approach to the terrain ahead. To learn more about Mirenco, visit www.mirenco.com.

Waverly Light & Power (Waverly)

    As fossil fuels usage continues to cause increased air quality concerns, Waverly Light & Power has turned to a pollution-free power source as old as the earth and as abundant as the air itself — the wind.

    The company’s efforts to promote and build wind turbines have resulted in the company providing an astounding 4 percent of Waverly’s electrical power from wind generation. Instrumental in this endeavor has been WLP’s Iowa Energy Tags Program, through which companies and individuals can purchase tax-deductible tags that help pay for wind generation equipment and development. Anyone can purchase the tags including non-customers and non-residents. Each energy tag represents the environmental benefit of wind generation and savings of 5,300 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. Each tag is sold for $50, with the amount pledged to the Wind Generation Program. Waverly’s use of pollution free energy has prevented more than 5,000 tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants from entering the air. To learn more about energy tags visit www.waverlyia.com/WLP.