DES MOINES, Iowa – (May 2, 2019) – MidAmerican Energy Company is awarding more than $100,000 to dozens of communities across Iowa through its annual effort to promote community-wide tree planting.

 

The company is providing $101,683 in “Trees Please!” community grant awards to 61 Iowa communities and organizations that submitted winning grant applications last fall. Checks are being delivered to winning communities.

 

The program funds tree-planting projects in public areas, such as parks and roadways. Since 1998, MidAmerican Energy has awarded more than $4 million in funding.

 

“Trees benefit our customers and communities when they are strategically chosen and planted. Properly located trees can reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling systems and provide long-term energy bill savings,” Tina Yoder, MidAmerican Energy director of energy efficiency, said.

 

Planting the right kinds of trees in the right places can help save energy. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, carefully-placed trees can save up to 25% of a typical home’s energy use. Strategically-placed trees can provide cooling shade in the summer and block cold winds in the winter.

 

More information
In the fall, cities and community organizations can submit Trees Please! grant applications to MidAmerican Energy to be considered for grants of $1,000 or more. The company selects grant recipients based on a project’s merits, benefits to the community, and the ability to obtain matching funds.

 

For more information, go to MidAmerican Energy’s "Plant Trees, Save Energy" page, email planttrees@midamerican.com, or call 800-434-4017.