MidAmerican “Trees Please!” grants help cities save on energy costs

Company program provides energy savings for communities through tree planting projects

DES MOINES, Iowa (Mar. 19, 2026) – MidAmerican Energy is awarding $122,000 in “Trees Please!” grant funding to 58 Iowa cities, helping them reduce energy use while enhancing public spaces through strategic tree planting.

The company’s “Trees Please!” program promotes strategic tree planting projects on public property, encouraging reduced energy usage in spaces such as city buildings, schools and other community facilities.

“Planting the right trees in the right places can deliver long term benefits for cities, businesses and homeowners,” said Erin Rasmussen, director of energy efficiency. “Through MidAmerican’s ‘Trees Please!’ program, we can help our city partners reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool public buildings while creating lasting value for their communities.”

During summer months, leafy deciduous shade trees, such as maples, can help keep buildings cooler when planted near a south facing wall.

In winter, evergreen trees and shrubs, such as pines that retain their needles year round, can act as windbreaks when planted in the direction of prevailing winds, helping reduce heating needs.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of the energy a typical household uses.

Since the program began in 1998, MidAmerican has awarded more than $4.7 million in funding, which communities have used to plant more than 96,500 trees across Iowa.

2026 “Trees Please!” grants

Butler County Conservation Board	$1,000
City of Altoona	$1,000
City of Ankeny	$1,000
City of Atlantic	$2,500
City of Aurelia	$2,300
City of Ayrshire	$1,000
City of Bettendorf Trees Are Us	$1,000
City of Blencoe	$1,000
City of Bondurant	$1,000
City of Boyden	$1,000
City of Braddyville	$1,000
City of Bradgate	$1,000
City of Cedar Rapids	$5,000
City of Clarksville Trees Forever	$2,000
City of Colfax Park & Recreation Auxiliary Board	$1,300
City of Coralville-Parks & Recreation	$4,000
City of Correctionville	$1,000
City of Council Bluffs	$5,000
City of Dallas Center	$1,000
City of Davenport	$5,000
City of Denver	$3,000
City of Des Moines Forestry Division	$5,000
City of Eldridge	$3,000
City of Ely	$1,000
City of Floyd	$2,000
City of Grimes	$1,000
City of Hampton	$1,000
City of Independence	$2,500
City of Iowa City Forestry Division	$5,000
City of Johnston	$5,000
City of Lohrville	$1,000
City of Marion Tree Board	$5,000
City of Merrill	$1,000
City of Missouri Valley	$3,800
City of Modale	$2,000
City of Monroe	$1,000
City of Moville	$2,000
City of North Liberty Parks	$1,000
City of Norwalk	$1,500
City of Oskaloosa Trees Forever	$1,000
City of Plainfield	$2,000
City of Polk City Arbor League Committee	$1,500
City of Pomeroy	$1,500
City of Raymond	$2,100
City of Red Oak	$1,000
City of Rutland	$1,000
City of Sergeant Bluff	$1,000
City of Shelby	$2,000
City of Sioux City Parks	$5,000
City of University Heights	$1,000
City of Urbandale	$2,000
City of Valeria	$1,000
City of Waterloo Leisure Services	$5,000
City of Waukee	$1,000
City of West Des Moines	$5,000
City of Wilton	$1,000
Rotary Club of Northwest Des Moines	$1,000
Wright County Buildings & Grounds	$1,000

How to apply for “Trees Please!” grants
In the fall, cities and community organizations can submit grant applications to MidAmerican to be considered for grants of $1,000 or more. The company selects grant recipients based on a project’s merits, benefits to the community and the ability to obtain matching funds.

For more information, go to MidAmerican’s “Trees Please!” page at MidAmericanEnergy.com/trees-please, email planttrees@midamerican.com or call 800-434-4017.

About MidAmerican Energy Company
MidAmerican Energy, headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, serves 838,000 electric customers in Iowa, Illinois and South Dakota, and 811,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. Information about MidAmerican is available at MidAmericanEnergy.com and company social media channels.