Transition to clean energy grid needs commitment

DES MOINES — The continued integration of wind and solar into energy grids is a “no-brainer,” but will only come with a commitment to system-changing infrastructure, clean energy advocates said Wednesday.John Norris, who has served in energy regulation roles in Iowa and federal government, and Michael Goggin, vice president of Grid Strategies, a consulting firm that works to integrate clean energy into electric grids, said Wednesday during a webinar that while great gains have been made, there is even more room for energy grids to employ wind and solar energy.More than half Iowa’s electric generation — 57% — is supplied by wind energy, according to the Iowa Utilities Board, the state’s energy regulating body of which Norris is a former chair. The next-highest sources are coal, at 24%, and natural gas, at 12%. Other renewable sources — including solar…

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