Apr 30, 2025 - News

New documentary focuses on Iowa's coal plants

Jason Clayworth

A photo of a coal plant. — Immediately shutting down coal facilities like Walter Scott Jr. Energy Center in Council Bluffs could create power outages and impact essential services to places like hospitals, MidAmerican Energy said. Photo: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

A short documentary focusing on the public health and environmental impacts of MidAmerican Energy's five Iowa coal plants premieres Wednesday at Varsity Cinema.

Why it matters: "Iowa's Dirty Secret: The True Cost of Burning Coal" features testimony from residents, doctors and climate advocates, potentially shedding more light on a recent Reuters investigation that ranked the company among the dirtiest in the U.S.

Zoom in: Wednesday's event is sponsored by multiple environmental groups, including the Iowa Environmental Council, which has advocated for years for closing the plants.

The other side: The Reuters story blamed the plant for Omaha's 2023 summer air quality issues without accounting for broader pollution factors, including massive Canadian wildfires at the time, MidAmerican spokesperson Geoff Greenwood tells Axios.

MidAmerican is committed to "safe, reliable and affordable" energy and plans to retire its coal plants by 2049, he said.

If you go: 7pm Wednesday at Varsity Cinema in DSM.

Tickets are free but must be secured in advance of the show.

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New documentary focuses on Iowa's coal plants

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