Fortnightly Magazine - October 2020

What a Derecho Is

Flattened, Iowa Recovers

This October’s Cover Story, on the Iowa Derecho, is hard to fathom in that the National Weather Service measured wind speeds at 140 miles per hour.

Iowa Derecho: Terry Kouba

Interstate Power and Light

“It was far and away the worst storm, the worst damage in the history of this company. With this derecho, we had no warning at all.”

Iowa Derecho: Dusky Terry

ITC Midwest

A derecho recently swept across Iowa with wind speeds reaching one hundred and forty miles per hour. In addition to widespread property damage, nearly six-hundred thousand Iowans were left without power and nearly forty percent of the state's crops were damaged or destroyed. Iowa rarely, if ever, witnessed a storm that left more devastation in its wake. PUF staff talked with Terry Kouba, President, Interstate Power and Light and Dusky Terry, President, ITC Midwest about this costly derecho and extensive restoration efforts.

 

Decarbonization: Patti Poppe

CMS Energy

“Utilities have an opportunity to orchestrate and optimize supply and demand. This orchestration formula is the path to a clean and lean energy future.”

Decarbonization: Steve Malnight

Duquesne Light Company

“T&D utilities are the center of where the decarbonization discussion is going to happen, because we’ve already seen the beginning of that transformation on the wholesale side.”

Decarbonization: Maria Pope

Portland General Electric

“As we build out a clean energy future, it’s a team sport. We’re working with customers to understand energy needs and have customer-sited generation and storage incorporated into the grid.”
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