MidAmerican Energy announced it is awarding $134,000 in grants from its “Trees Please!” program to 59 cities in Iowa. The program promotes strategic tree planting projects on public property to encourage reduced energy usage in public spaces. In the Des Moines metro, the cities of Altoona, Bondurant, Des Moines, Johnston, Pleasant Hill, Urbandale, Waukee, West Des Moines and Windsor Heights received grants. Other cities receiving 2025 grants include several affected by natural disasters over the past several years, including Minden, which was struck by a tornado last April, Sioux City, which was affected last year by flooding, and Marion, which sustained heavy tree losses from the 2020 derecho. “Strategically planting the right kinds of trees can provide long-term returns for a city, business or homeowner,” Erin Rasmussen, director of energy efficiency at MidAmerican, said in a prepared statement.”