ITC Midwest Awards $5,000 Grant to Southern Iowa Council of Governments
May 19, 2025 | ITC Midwest
GREENFIELD, Iowa (May 19, 2025) — ITC Midwest, in collaboration with the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC), has awarded a $5,000 Power of Connection grant to the Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG). This grant, part of a two-year commitment, will help fund the coordination of disaster assistance in Adair County following a series of devastating tornadoes.
SICOG stated these grant funds were beneficial in assisting them with hiring a Disaster Recovery Coordinator. The EF-4 tornado left a good portion of Greenfield in ruins. Nearly 150 homes and businesses were completely or mostly destroyed, and the city’s sewer and electrical systems were severely damaged. The rural areas suffered the destruction of many farms, homes, natural resources, wind turbines, and electrical power lines. The surrounding communities were also impacted due to the lack of temporary housing options. Local employers suffered from the loss of workforce, as many residents were displaced.
SICOG’s Coordinator has assisted residents and local officials in navigating through the recovery process. This includes FEMA and insurance claims, grant opportunities, and the preparation of planning documents for the future. A year later, due in a small part to the work of the coordinator, a third of the homes have been rebuilt, hundreds of trees have been planted, and the community is looking forward.
ITC Midwest has assets on the northern border of Adair County and rebuilt all the transmission lines in the area about 10 years ago.
“The Power of Connection grant provides crucial support for recovery efforts for the residents of Adair County and surrounding areas,” said ITC Midwest President Dusky Terry. “These funds will significantly aid in the region’s recovery and economic development, ultimately benefiting the entire ITC Midwest service territory and beyond.”
About the Power of Connection Program
The Power of Connection community grant program is an initiative of ITC Midwest and the Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC). This innovative economic development program is designed to pair rural communities seeking assistance with IRDC resource teams. Those teams drive both community conversations and solution development for problems or projects. Communities eligible for the Power of Connection program must have populations of under 10,000 and be outside of a metropolitan area. Power of Connection grant dollars cannot be used for construction, real estate, or equipment.
About ITC Midwest
ITC Midwest LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Holdings Corp., the nation’s largest independent electricity transmission company. ITC Midwest operates more than 6,600 circuit miles of transmission lines in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, and Wisconsin. ITC Midwest is headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and maintains regional operating facilities in Dubuque, Iowa City, and Perry, Iowa; and Albert Lea and Lakefield, Minnesota. For further information visit www.itcmidwest.com. ITC is a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry. For further information visit www.fortisinc.com.
Media Contacts:
Bill Menner, Executive Director, Iowa Rural Development Council
director@iowardc.org or 641-990-4757
Darcy Moulin, Lead Communications Specialist, ITC Midwest
dmoulin@itctransco.com or 319-297-6837