Alliant Energy has agreed to delay cutting off power to former Agriprocessors workers, who feared they would lose heat in their Postville homes.

Many of the workers are in financial straits because they lost jobs at the meatpacking plant. The company declared bankruptcy last week, and it is struggling to maintain production. Its owner and several managers face criminal charges and fines in the wake of a large immigration raid there last May.

Many recent workers were newcomers, including scores from the island nation of Palau. Dozens have left town, but some who remain were worried that they would lose their power, said Jeff Abbas, a local radio station manager who has been trying to unknot the situation.

A few who lived in a building served by the local electric cooperative lost power, Abbas said. Volunteers helped them find warm places to stay.

Alliant Energy provides power and gas to most of Postville. Company spokesman Ryan Stensland said state regulators asked the company not to cut any Postville customers off for at least a week. The company granted the request.

“We’re trying not to pile on,” Stensland said. “We understand that people are out of work up there.” He said 330 Postville customers were behind in paying their power bills.

Larry Reed, general manager of the Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative, said his company shut off power last week to a few apartments in a building owned by local landlord Gabay Menahem. He said no other cutoffs were planned.

(LINK – Des Moines Register)