About

The Get Energized, Iowa! Challenge is a competition between four small Iowa towns to see which one can take the biggest steps to reduce energy consumption in residents’ homes in 2012.  Largely modeled after a competition that took place in Kansas, first in 2010 and then again in 2011, the GEI Challenge hopes to build upon an increasing body of social science research that shows that friendly competition can help motivate behavior change very effectively.  In this case those behavior changes that residents make – to add insulation, replace inefficient lightbulbs, add weatherstripping to doors and windows, and more – will save them money, delay need for expensive new electrical generation, and reduce their environmental impact.

The GEI Challenge has received generous support from the Iowa Power Fund, Iowa Energy Center, Belin Foundation and the Hubbell Foundation.  Principal organizers include the Iowa Policy Project, Center for Energy and Environmental Education at UNI and the Butler County Rural Electric Cooperative.