MidAmerican Energy is helping communities across Iowa become greener and save on their energy bills through more than $100,000 in grants through its “Trees Please!” program.
The utility will award $112,635 in grant funding to 55 Iowa cities through its “Trees Please!” program. The funding program promotes tree planting projects in publicly owned community and school spaces in ways that encourage using less energy.
Grant recipients in the Quad Cities include:
- City of Bettendorf, $2,000
- City of Blue Grass, $1,000
- City of Davenport, $5,000
- City of Eldridge, $3,000
- City of Long Grove, $1,500
In a news release, MidAmerican said that beyond the environmental benefits and added beauty that trees provide, certain varieties of well-placed trees can reduce energy use. For example, leafy trees, such as maple trees that provide shade in the summer, can help keep a building cooler if planted near a south wall.
Evergreen trees and shrubs, such as pine trees that keep their needles year-round, can provide wind protection in the winter months if planted in the direction of prevailing winds, thus reducing heating usage.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, carefully positioned trees can reduce a typical household’s long-term energy usage by up to 25%.
For more information, go to MidAmerican’s “Trees Please!” page at MidAmericanEnergy.com, email [email protected] or call (800) 434-4017.
