FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 25, 2009

 Contact:  Dusky Terry, (515) 362-7682; or cell: (515) 423-9582                
   Kathy Taylor, (515) 332-7726 or cell: (515) 890-1252 

DES MOINES – Member systems of Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) and Corn Belt Power Cooperative launched a statewide media campaign earlier today to draw attention to legislation being rushed through the U.S. House to combat global climate change.  A series of television, radio, and print ads are designed to engage Iowans in the debate about climate change and urge members of Congress to find a balanced solution.

"We know that we must find a way to have a clean environment and a healthy economy,” states Ken Kuyper, executive vice president and general manager, Corn Belt Power Cooperative.  “Iowa’s electric cooperatives are already doing that by investing in energy efficiency and adding renewable resources like wind energy.”

“But the cap and trade plan currently being pushed through Congress reaches too far, too fast,” adds Dennis Murdock, CIPCO executive vice president and CEO.  “The additional costs resulting from this plan will ultimately be paid for by Iowa families and small businesses in the form of higher electricity bills.”

AUDIO:
In the mad rush to fix climate change, we need to remember … Haste makes Waste. And the plan some politicians are pushing is downright scary… costing families thousands more a year and putting thousands of people out of work. Can we find a balanced solution? That gives us a healthy economy and a clean environment? We can. We have to. We need to find a balanced solution. For more information, go to “find a balanced solution dot com.”

A coalition of electric generation and transmission cooperatives developed and paid for this ad campaign.  The advertisements encourage Iowans to visit www.FindABalancedSolution.com to learn more about climate change and to find out how to contact their member of Congress.

Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) and Corn Belt Power Cooperative are both member-owned, not-for-profit electric generation and transmission cooperatives supplying electricity to member cooperatives serving more than 450,000 Iowans located in 87 counties.  The cooperatives serve a diverse territory including main street businesses, renewable fuel plants, suburban retail stores, manufacturing companies and rural farm families.  For additional information, visit our websites at www.cbpower.coop and www.cipco.net.