Des Moines, Iowa — The electric utility that serves Sheldon and several other northwest Iowa communities is announcing that some of its trucks will, for the first time, run on their own product — electricity.
MidAmerican Energy says it is the first utility company in the state to try all-electric utility trucks. Company spokesman, Geoff Greenwood, says these are the large bucket trucks that allow them to get up in the air and work on power lines.
He says the Des Moines-based company has purchased three trucks and they will put them through their paces in the field before buying more.
Greenwood says the trucks have a 135-mile range.
He says they have fast chargers at their facilities where the trucks can be charged overnight. Greenwood says they don’t make much noise — which will make it easier for crews to communicate in the field. He says they will put out no emissions, which allows crews to train on them using an indoor facility. Greenwood says the cost of operating the trucks is something they are also reviewing.
Greenwood says the trucks are charging up with renewable energy from their own wind farms — which brings things full circle.
In our area, MidAmerican provides both gas and electric service in Sheldon, Archer, Germantown, Calumet, Sutherland, Granville, Newkirk, Hospers, Boyden, Hull, Rock Valley, Doon, Alvord, and Inwood. They also provide electric service only in Beloit, Carmel, Middleburg, Chatsworth, Ireton, Maurice, Carnes, and Gaza.
