Erin Buchanan, Energy Services Coordinator at Cedar Falls Utilities, will present, “The Power of Local Priorities:  Energy Efficiency and Community Solar,” Thursday, November 2, at a noon brownbag at City Hall.

Cedar Falls Utilities (CFU) is owned by the community and enjoys some of the lowest utility rates in Iowa. CFU provides water, electricity, high speed internet and cable television services to the city of Cedar Falls.  As CFU’s Energy Services Coordinator, Erin Buchanan helps provide resources to customers seeking to use less energy, purchase wind-generated electricity, buy units in a community-owned solar garden, or install small-scale wind or solar systems.

Last year, Buchanan was named by Midwest Energy News as one of two Iowans on a list of 40 Under 40 “emerging leaders working on America’s transition to a clean energy economy.” In 2011, she was named a “rising star in public power” by the American Public Power Association. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, with a B.S. in mathematical decision sciences. She also holds an M.S. in statistics from Iowa State University.

This presentation is part of a Decorah Power Learning Series designed to investigate the opportunities and challenges involved in a Decorah municipal electric utility—a locally owned, city utility that would provide electricity services in the same way it provides water and sewer services.  With the support of the City Council, local citizens group Decorah Power is conducting a feasibility study with privately-raised funds. The study is expected to be completed before the end of the year.