The three-member Iowa Utilities Commission is the policymaking body for the agency. IUC Commissioners are appointed by the governor and subject to confirmation by the senate.
Staggered six-year terms generally begin on May 1. Vacancies are filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as full-term appointments are made. Subject to confirmation by the senate, the governor also appoints a member as the Commission Chair of the IUC. The chairperson serves as the administrative head of the agency for a two-year term that begins and ends as provided in Iowa Code ยง 69.19.
Erik M. Helland, Chair
Erik Helland began his service on May 1, 2023, for a term that runs through April 30, 2029. Gov. Kim Reynolds also appointed Helland as Commission Chair through April 30, 2025.
Helland serves on several committees for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), including the Committee on Critical Infrastructure, NARUC's Washington Action Program, the Committee on Electricity and the Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative.
He previously worked at the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board and served four years in the Iowa Legislature. He earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and a law degree, both from Drake University.
He lives in Des Moines with his family.
Joshua J. Byrnes, Commissioner
Joshua Byrnes was appointed on November 30, 2020, for a term that runs through April 30, 2025.
Byrnes also serves as the president of the Organization of MISO States (OMS), which represents the collective interests of state and local utility regulators in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) region, serves as the treasurer for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), serves on the NARUC Committee on Gas and the NARUC Taskforce on Natural Gas Resource Planning, and is on the Executive Committee of the Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC).
Byrnes previously was General Manager of Osage Municipal Utilities and served six years in the Iowa House of Representatives, where he was Iowa House Transportation Chairman. He also had been appointed by Governor Reynolds to serve on the Iowa State Board of Education. He is a former CUSB Bank director and also has served on the Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities Board of Directors, American Public Power Associations DEED Board.
He attended Riceville public schools and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology from Luther College in Decorah and his Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Winona State University in Minnesota. He also took PhD coursework at Iowa State University.
He and his wife reside in rural Mitchell County and enjoy hobby farming along with their three children.
Sarah M. Martz, Commissioner
Sarah M. Martz began her service on May 1, 2023, to fill the remainder of a term that runs through April 30, 2027.
Martz serves on the Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the NARUC State Working Groups on Transmission and for Performance-Based Regulation, is the Iowa representative on the Southwest Power Pool's (SPP) Regional State Committee, and serves on the Regional Allocation Review Task Force (RARTF) at SPP.
She previously worked at Alliant Energy/Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) for 11 years in various roles: including optimizing power plants, researching solar performance in the Midwest, and piloting new technologies such as energy storage in Iowa communities. She also managed the electrical distribution engineering team for IPL. In 2022 she became Director of Engineering for the distribution system at Iowa State University's utility. She has managed large diverse teams of technical staff and has been involved with electric, gas, heating/cooling, and water utilities over her career.
Martz earned a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University and a Master's degree in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from the University of California, Irvine, and she holds a professional engineering license.
She and her husband live in Ames with their three children.
Communications Reminder
Any communications with individual members of the Iowa Utilities Commission on material issues in contested cases pending before the Commission may constitute a prohibited ex parte communication per Iowa Code ยง 17A.17. If you wish to comment on the record on a pending matter, the comments must be filed in the docket. You can do that by submitting written comments, objections, or letters of support on this Comments and Objections Form, which also can be found in the IUC's electronic filing system (EFS). You can also submit written comments via EFS under the Submit tab. Select "Submit Filing" and "Submit Filing As Guest," then complete the form. Comments made directly to Commissioners will not be filed in a docket or become part of the record. If you have a complaint or inquiry about a utility, contact IUC Customer Service at 877-565-4450 or customer@iuc.iowa.gov.