CFU Provides Reliable, Affordable and Sustainable Power

As a public power utility, CFU provides our community with reliable, affordable and sustainable power. 

Today, most of the electricity we provide to customers is purchased through a regional energy market. The energy generated by nearly all of the wind turbines, solar panels and fossil fuel plants in Iowa flows into the power market pool daily.  

This includes our local Streeter Station power plant, natural gas turbines, solar array and our share of large power plants in western Iowa.

Utilities, like CFU, purchase energy out of the pool to meet their communities' daily electric needs. 

Our community is fortunate to benefit from abundant wind energy in our region which is renewable and affordable. Today, 60% of the energy produced in the regional power market and distributed in Cedar Falls is generated from renewable resources.

While we welcome more renewable energy in the market, it remains important to provide reliable, affordable energy even when the sun isn't shining or the wind isn't blowing.

Traditional generation from fuel-dependent plants remains a key component in today's energy market and provides reliable, affordable energy when renewables are not available.

CFU maintains our traditional power plants and gas turbines to supplement the renewable energy on the market. However, these assets are aging.

Next Generation Energy

As we look to the future, CFU will continue to provide our community with low-cost renewable energy when it is abundant but will need traditional generation to quickly provide efficient backup energy. 

In 2025, CFU is evaluating building a local, flexible-engine energy center that can be fueled by natural gas and modified to include other alternative fuel sources. 

The unique flexibility of the energy center would allow for ultra-fast starts and stops to meet demand as needed and quickly adjust to the low-cost renewable energy supply on the market. Additionally, it is more efficient and produces lower emissions levels than our existing power plants. 

Look for more information on the next generation of energy at CFU in the coming months.