Electric Franchises

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

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

• Petition 

• Amended Petition 

• Abbreviated Petition 

• Extension of Franchise 

• Exhibit C - Instructions 

• Exhibit C - Overhead Transmission Line 

• Exhibit C - Underground Transmission Line 

• Exhibit C - Underground Bipolar HVDC Transmission Line 

• Exhibit C Instructions - Underground Bipolar HVDC Transmission Line 

• Exhibit C - Overhead Bipolar HVDC Transmission Line 

Other resources

• Electric Transmission Line Franchise Process

• IUB Electric Transmission Line Informational Meeting Handout 

• IUB Informational Meeting PowerPoint Presentation 

• File Written Comments, Objections or Letters of Support in an Open Docket

• Instructions for Filing an Objection, Letter of Support or Comments  

• Iowa Code chapter 478

• Attorney General's Office - Statement of Property Owners Rights 

• Common Questions on Eminent Domain 

Training handouts

• Checklist for Petition of New Electric Line Franchise

• Checklist for Petition of Extension of Electric Line Franchise

• Exhibit A Example 

• Exhibit B Example (New Construction)

• Exhibit B Example (Extension)

Contacting Iowa One Call

Iowa law requires a person 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. Review Iowa Code chapter 480, Underground Facilities Information for more information.

Iowa One Call manages:

• underground location service

• damage prevention

• One Call complaints

• violation enforcement by the Office of the Attorney General

After you contact Iowa One Call, the following will happen:

• Operators with underground facilities in the area where the excavation is planned will be notified. This includes natural gas and power utilities, communications companies, and cities and towns.

• Within 48 hours after being contacted, utilities will either mark their underground facilities with color-coded paint marks or flags, or tell the excavator they have no lines in the area.

If a contractor is performing excavation work for you, make sure that the contractor calls Iowa One Call two days prior to starting the project.

Visit the Iowa One Call webpage for more information about damage prevention and the law.

Review information about One Call Complaints and enforcement through the Attorney General's Office.

Searching for Electric Franchise Filings

All public filings and IUB orders about electric franchise filings (E-dockets) are available on the IUB'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 IUB 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.

Contacts

Electric Franchises

Kevin Yearington
Safety & Engineering Manager
Iowa Utilities Board
iub@iub.iowa.gov

Media Inquiries 

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