MidAmerican Energy is awarding $122,000 in “Trees Please!” grant funding to 58 Iowa cities, helping them reduce energy use while enhancing public spaces through strategic tree planting.
The company’s “Trees Please!” program promotes strategic tree planting projects on public property, encouraging reduced energy usage in spaces such as city buildings, schools and other community facilities.
The area cities getting the grants include: Davenport getting $5,000; Bettendorf getting $1,000; and Eldridge getting $3,000.
“Planting the right trees in the right places can deliver long‑term benefits for cities, businesses and homeowners,” said Erin Rasmussen, director of energy efficiency at MidAmerican. “Through MidAmerican’s ‘Trees Please!’ program, we can help our city partners reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool public buildings while creating lasting value for their communities.”
During summer months, leafy deciduous shade trees, such as maples, can help keep buildings cooler when planted near a south‑facing wall.
In winter, evergreen trees and shrubs, such as pines that retain their needles year‑round, can act as windbreaks when planted in the direction of prevailing winds, helping reduce heating needs.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of the energy a typical household uses.
Since the program began in 1998, MidAmerican has awarded more than $4.7 million in funding, which communities have used to plant more than 96,500 trees across Iowa.
In the fall, cities and community organizations can submit grant applications to MidAmerican 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’s “Trees Please!” page at MidAmericanEnergy.com/trees-please, email [email protected] or call 800-434-4017.
MidAmerican Energy, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, serves 838,000 electric customers in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota, and 811,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. Information about MidAmerican is available at MidAmericanEnergy.com and company social media channels.
