01-05-2025
New documentary focuses on Iowa's coal plants
A short documentary focusing on the public health and environmental impacts of MidAmerican Energy's five Iowa coal plants premieres Wednesday at Varsity Cinema.
Why it matters:" Iowa's Dirty Secret: The True Cost of Burning Coal" features testimony from residents, doctors and climate advocates, potentially shedding more light on a recent Reuters investigation that ranked the company among the dirtiest in the U.S.
Zoom in: Wednesday's event is sponsored by multiple environmental groups, including the Iowa Environmental Council, which has advocated for years for closing the plants.
The other side: The Reuters story blamed the plant for Omaha's 2023 summer air quality issues without accounting for broader pollution factors, including massive Canadian wildfires at the time, MidAmerican spokesperson Geoff Greenwood tells Axios.
retire its coal plants by 2049, he said.
