Muscatine Power and Water (MPW) leadership shared details of a recent near-miss safety incident following a weekend storm. A customer contacted the Muscatine County Joint Communications Center, as known as MUSCOM, to report a downed line and stated they had already moved the line out of the way. The line was later confirmed to be a fiber communications line and not an energized power line. If it had been a live electrical line, the situation could have resulted in serious injury or death.
“This incident is a powerful reminder of how dangerous downed lines can be,” General Manager Gage Huston said. “We urge customers to stay far away from any downed line and report it immediately to MUSCOM or MPW. Touching, driving over, or even coming too close to a live power line can have deadly consequences.”
Customers are reminded to always assume a downed line is energized and to keep a safe distance until trained crews arrive. Downed lines should be immediately reported to MPW at 563-263-2631; trained personnel will be dispatched to safely address the line.
Trustees also reviewed the results of the 2025 financial audit. MPW’s auditor, Eide Bailly LLP, reported that MPW again received a “clean” audit opinion. Eide Bailly representatives shared with Trustees that they are grateful for the cooperation and expertise of MPW’s accounting and finance team. The Board approved continued engagement with Eide Bailly to complete the 2026 audit. The full audited financials will be made available to the public at https://mpw.org/mpwnews-publications/.
A public hearing was held to review the potential issuance of up to $2 million in revolving loan debt through the State of Iowa for the Water Utility to complete Phase 1 of MPW’s lead service line replacement project. Staff reported that up to 49% of the loan is expected to be forgiven, and the remainder would be issued at a 0.25% effective interest rate over a 20-year term. No public comments were received. Staff will commence additional activities to initiate a loan agreement with the State.
MPW had a net loss for March of $987,000, which was $677,000 worse than planned. The loss was higher for two primary reasons:
- MPW’s Energy Adjustment Clause (EAC) credit stayed high at 0.72¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh). This credit went back to customers because MPW earned higher-than-usual margins on wholesale electricity during Winter Storm Fern in late January and early February. The credit totaled $535,000 for the month (even though no credit was expected). This lowered customers’ electric bills, but it also lowered the Electric Utility’s income for the month.
- A Unit 9 maintenance outage planned for April was pulled forward and started in March, which resulted in a shift of expenses from April to March.
Mark Roberts, director of finance and administrative services stated, “The structure of MPW’s EAC mechanism coupled with the positive wholesale margins will reduce customers’ electricity costs for at least the first half of 2026. The credit in March resulted in a bill reduction averaging about $5 per residential customer and reductions for other customers as well.”
In other Board business, the Trustees:
- Ratified payment of March expenditures and transactions of $21,275,676.84.
- Approved a revised Project Summary Form for the 2026 Administrative Office Remodel Project at a total cost, including contingency, of $474,000.
- Set May 28, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. set for receipt of bids on the 2026 Administrative Office Remodel Project.
- Received an update from MPW staff about first quarter progress implementing the Utility’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan and Key Performance Indicators for that period.
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Muscatine Power and Water (MPW) is a customer-driven, not-for-profit municipal utility, established by the community for the purpose of serving the community responsively, competitively, and responsibly. MPW provides reliable electricity, high quality water, and state-of-the-art communications services, including internet, video, and phone services, to homes and businesses throughout the Muscatine community at rates below state and national averages with outstanding customer service. MPW is locally controlled and operated for the benefit and betterment of the community.
