It looks like proposed MidAmerican Energy and Interstate Power & Light tariff changes for small power producers and cogeneration will get extra scrutiny before state regulators.

The Iowa Environmental Council and the Environmental Law and Policy Center were approved as intervenors this week in the tariff cases under review by the Iowa Utilities Board.

At issue is the rates MidAmerican and IP&L will pay for power produced from sources such as small wind installations, where most of the power is used by the owner, and some extra is purchased by the utility, and factories that have their own electrical generation facilities, and excess electricity is purchased by the utility.