Friday, January 2, 2026
Dennis DeBuhr, Randy Hesse, Mark Stock are pictured near the solar panels at St. John’s Lutheran in Waukon. (Photo submitted)
Four churches and one municipal government in Allamakee County recently completed solar energy projects with the assistance of free energy planning services provided by the Allamakee Energy District.
The city of New Albin recently finished construction of an 83 kW ground-mounted solar photovoltaic array to help power its new Algaewheel wastewater treatment facility. The solar array was installed by Blue Sky Solar and financed by New Albin Savings Bank. The system is sized to generate approximately 100-110 percent of the facility’s annual electricity consumption.
George Blair, New Albin City Council member and mayor pro tem, emphasized both the economic and environmental rationale behind the project. 
“Solar is the cheapest form of energy — with or without subsidies,” Blair said. “The cost savings will reduce the infrastructure cost for the citizens of New Albin.” 
Blair also credited the Allamakee Energy District’s role in the decision-making process, noting the district’s guidance helped confirm solar was “a reasonable pursuit for our town and beyond.”
Christ Community Evangelical Free Church in New Albin also added a 9 kW solar array on its standing seam metal roof. The system was installed by Blake Electric and is expected to offset the majority of the church’s annual electricity use. Pastor Tommy Case said the decision was a straightforward one once the economics became clear. 
“Honestly, pursuing solar just made sense,” Case said. “When the Allamakee Energy District approached us with this opportunity and made us aware of the grant money available, it was apparent that this was a great option for our church. The potential savings were hard to argue with.” 
He added that future savings could support ministries, missions or other community needs as the congregation continues to grow.
In Waukon, Zion United Church of Christ completed a 31 kW roof-mounted solar array which was installed by Northeast Iowa Mechanical. St. John’s Lutheran Church in Waukon also added a 23 kW ground-mounted array installed by Novak Electric. 
“St. John’s Lutheran was motivated to invest in solar due to its rising electricity bills,” said church members Randy Hesse and Dennis DeBhur. “We’ll use the energy cost savings over time to help pay the building insurance and salaries.”  
Pastor Cathy Jurgens at Zion UCC said the Allamakee Energy District’s assistance was invaluable. 
“I had been wondering about looking into solar since I came to Waukon about five years ago,” Jurgens said. “But I had no idea how to even figure out what we needed or where to start.”
In Postville, St. Paul Lutheran Church completed a 61 kW ground-mounted solar array, also installed by Novak Electric. Pastor Lynn Noel described the project as part of a broader, long-term commitment to stewardship and efficiency. 
“Our primary goal was how we can become more efficient and be better stewards of our financial resources, particularly with rising energy costs and also be more conscientious about the impact on the environment,” Noel said. 
He noted that years of prior investments in LED lighting, efficient windows and HVAC upgrades helped prepare the congregation to make an informed, unanimous decision in support of solar.
Earlier in 2025, two additional nonprofits — First Presbyterian Church in Waukon and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Lansing — completed similar solar installations with the Allamakee Energy District’s assistance, bringing the total number of nonprofit solar projects which were supported by the district this year to seven.
Allamakee Energy District provided free solar site assessments, system sizing analyses and coaching to help each nonprofit understand project economics and access federal subsidies covering approximately 30-40 percent of total project costs. All systems are interconnected with Alliant Energy. Payback periods for the installations range from 5.5 to 8.25 years, with an average payback of 6.9 years.
Over the expected 25-year lifespan of the solar arrays, the seven nonprofit and municipal projects are collectively projected to generate nearly $1.3 million in energy cost savings. Those savings may be redirected to local missions, public services, staff support and reinvestment within the Allamakee County economy.
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