Iowa's electricity prices decreased over the past year, while most other states experienced increases.

Why it matters: Keeping rates affordable is crucial as the state emerges as a hub for energy-intensive industries like AI-powered data centers and cryptocurrency mining.

• Clean energy advocates warn that the phase-out of wind and solar tax breaks could disrupt the movement and cause higher utility bills.

State of play: Iowa leads the country in the percentage of electricity it uses that's generated by wind, which can buffer against fossil fuel price spikes and promote pricing stability.

• DSM-based MidAmerican Energy attributes nearly $16 billion in wind and solar projects over the past two decades for helping to keep its rates affordable.

By the numbers: The nationwide average retail residential price for 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity rose from 16.41 cents to 17.47 cents between May 2024 and May 2025, per the latest available data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a gain of about 6.5%.

• Some states saw much larger increases, such as Maine (+36.3%), Connecticut (+18.4%) and Utah (+15.2%).
• Five states experienced decreases: Nevada (-17.7%), Hawai'i (-7%), Montana (-2.6%), Iowa (-0.5%) and North Dakota (-0.1%).

Zoom in: Iowa's average rate is 14.23 cents, the 15th lowest in the nation as of May, but higher than several neighboring states, including Missouri (12.97 cents) and Nebraska (13.18 cents), according to the data.

• Hawai'i (41.03 cents) and California (35.03 cents) had the highest rates.

What we're watching: U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) announced last week that he is blocking President Trump's nominees for the Treasury Department until he can be sure about the rules linked to the tax credit phase-out, which could be issued by Aug. 18.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show that the electricity rates are counted in cents (not dollars).

Trust between people has been declining for decades, but it's gotten even worse over the last five years, a 2025 Pew Research Center report says.

Why it matters: Trust in each other helps build a healthy society, per Pew. People are more likely to work with each other, give their neighbor a helping hand and even repay loans and respect contracts.

Driving the news: Tallgrass Festival, a local two-day event held this month by The Lyceum Movement, is tackling the topic "Who Can We Trust?" through panels, essays and conversations.

• Planned discussion topics include trust in media, religion and government, and include speakers like Elaine Godfrey from The Atlantic and Judge John Sandy of the Iowa Court of Appeals.

State of play: People living in wealthier, college-educated neighborhoods were more trusting of others, in comparison to those who were concerned about poverty and employment in their communities.

• Over the last five years, people who reported less financial well-being said they had more distrust. Increased political polarization and online media consumption may also be contributing to distrust, per Pew.

Zoom in: The Midwest has the highest trust of any region, with 38% saying most people can be trusted, per a survey conducted by Pew between 2023-24.

• 37% of Iowans surveyed said most people can be trusted, falling behind 41% in Minnesota and 44% in Nebraska.

What they're saying: Lyceum Movement director Nathan Beacom believes Midwesterners may be more likely to speak with their neighbors and build community.

• The Lyceum's goal for the festival is to create conversation, not conflict, Beacom says.

What's next: The festival is Aug. 15-16 at The Shop downtown and costs $60 for both days.

Go deeper

🚨 The Trump administration authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to help ICE officials with "alien processing" paperwork in 20 states, including in Iowa. (The Intercept)

💻 A Denver data center developer has acquired over 500 acres in Altoona. (Business Record)

☕️ Starbucks employees at the Merle Hay store will be the first in Iowa to vote on unionizing. (Des Moines Register)

📧 Hit reply and correctly guess by 4pm today the vendor where Jason had an early Iowa State Fair snack yesterday for a chance to win Caitlin Clark's "Highlights" card, courtesy of the "Layup Lines" newsletter.

• The winner will be named in tomorrow's newsletter.

Our Axios Des Moines members pulled back the curtain last night for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Des Moines Civic Center, the state's largest performing arts venue.

Zoom in: We went backstage, explored dressing rooms and wandered the catwalks of the 2,744-seat auditorium that hosts Broadway shows, concerts, and local performances.

Fun fact: The show with the largest number of people involved was "The Sound of Music" because of the number of child actors, tutors and parents that joined them in 2017.

• Plus: Even more kids rotated in to follow child labor laws.

What's next: "Paper Bag Confessions," a one-man play by Iowa native Doyle Smiens about coming out, is Saturday.

• Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge will perform Aug. 20 and Heart is Aug. 23.