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Electric franchises

The IUC reviews and processes all petitions (applications) for electric transmission line franchises following Iowa Code chapter 478, Electric Transmission Lines, and IUC rules at 199 Iowa Administrative Code chapter 11, Electric Lines and chapter 25, Iowa Electrical Safety Code. 

A franchise is authorization from the IUC that allows a company to construct, erect, maintain and operate an electric transmission line. The granting of a franchise requires a finding by the IUC that the project:

  • is necessary to serve a public use,
  • represents a reasonable relationship to an overall plan of transmitting electricity in the public interest, and
  • meets all other legal requirements. 

Electric Transmission Line Franchise Forms 

Other resources

Training handouts

Searching for Electric Franchise Filings

All public filings and IUC orders about electric franchise filings (E-dockets) are available on the IUC's electronic filing system (EFS).

To search for franchise petition documents:

  • click the EFS link
  • select Search from the top navigation menu
  • scroll down to Document Search to open a document search screen
  • enter the E-docket number (E-XXXXX) for the electric franchise you are seeking
  • click the Search button for a list of all documents filed online with the IUC in that proceeding

If you do not know the specific docket number, go to EFS, then:

  • select Search from the top navigation menu
  • scroll down to Docket Search to open a docket search screen
  • select E - Electric Franchise or Extension from the Docket Type drop-down box
  • select the company name from the Primary Company drop-down box
  • click the Add button to add the company to the search parameters
  • lick the Search button to display a list of all E-dockets for that company

To narrow the search to a particular county, include the county name in the Docket Description field, surrounded by the percent sign (%) as a wild card character.

To find franchise records, perform a Franchise Search in EFS under the Search drop-down menu. Franchise records provide specific information about the franchise, including the docket number, primary company, issue and end dates, line voltage information, and more.

Utility locates required before digging!

Iowa law requires you to contact Iowa One Call at 811 or 800-292-8989 a minimum of two days (excluding Saturday, Sunday and state holidays) to have utility lines marked before starting excavation. Utility locates will help avoid damage to utility infrastructure. 

For important information about the requirements, see the IUC's Iowa One Call Law page. 

Contacts

Electric Franchises

Kevin Yearington
Safety & Engineering Bureau Chief
Iowa Utilities Commission
iuc@iuc.iowa.gov

Media Inquiries 

Don Tormey
Director of Communications 
Iowa Utilities Commission
515-725-7347
don.tormey@iuc.iowa.gov