Madison, Wisconsin — An electric utility serving a sizable portion of our part of northwest Iowa has introduced what they call their “Clean Energy Blueprint for Iowa,” a path for accelerating Alliant Energy’s transition to cleaner energy for customers.
The Blueprint outlines the company’s plans to increase the use of renewable resources, including solar power, add more battery storage and build out the connected energy network. The company’s new roadmap also includes plans to discontinue coal generation in Lansing by the end of 2022 while transitioning their Burlington Generating Station to natural gas in 2021.
The Clean Energy Blueprint is part of the company’s Powering What’s Next plan, which is guided by their Clean Energy Vision and purpose-driven strategy to serve customers and build stronger communities. Together, the near-term investments in the projects outlined in the Blueprint will help Iowa customers avoid more than $300 million in costs over the next 35 years.
Alliant Energy Chairman, President, and CEO John Larsen says that the company continues to lead the way toward a clean energy future for their customers. He says that investing in renewable energy, like wind and solar, benefits their customers, the communities they serve, and the environment. He says that Alliant’s Clean Energy Blueprint serves as a roadmap that creates new jobs for Iowans and revenue opportunities for communities around the state while providing reliable, sustainable energy solutions for decades to come.
A key part of the Clean Energy Blueprint, which aligns with changing consumer preferences for more renewable energy, includes adding up to 400 megawatts (MW) of solar by 2023. Company officials tell us near-term investment in renewables creates long-term savings for customers. When the 400 MW of solar is combined with the nearly 1,300 MW of owned-and-operated wind and the power generated by the company’s existing solar farms in Dubuque, Marshalltown and Cedar Rapids, as well as other renewable sources, nearly 50 percent of Alliant Energy’s Iowa generation portfolio will be from renewables.
With an eye toward contributing to a healthier environment, Alliant Energy plans to retire its 275 MW coal-fired Generating Station in Lansing by the end of 2022. This retirement allows the company to avoid significant investments that would otherwise be required to comply with changing environmental regulations. In addition, this action positions Alliant Energy to achieve its recently updated goals of a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030 and the elimination of all coal from their generation fleet by 2040.
Under the plan, Alliant Energy will also transition the Burlington Generating Station from coal to natural gas in 2021. This action ensures the company maintains a diversified energy mix providing energy availability and reliability that complements its wind and solar energy generation. Once complete, the facility will use less water and have significantly reduced carbon emissions.
The company also plans on augmenting its battery and solar systems. Click here for more info.
Alliant provides power in George, Little Rock, all of the smaller communities in Osceola County except for Sibley, a small area on the eastern side of O’Brien County, and a very small area north and west of Matlock, plus some rural areas around these towns; and they are the natural gas provider in a number of Lyon and Osceola County towns.
