Alliant Energy adding more wind in Iowa as it moves toward eliminating coal by 2050

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Alliant Energy recently released its Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR) that reveals the firm’s plans to eliminate coal from its energy mix by 2050. To compensate for the loss, Alliant will invest more than $2 billion on renewable energy sources, doubling its Iowa-based wind sites from 6 to 12.

The new wind farms will be owned by the utility and funded by rate basing. Alliant is based in Wisconsin but also serves Iowa. The farms will connect to existing transmission lines.

Scott Reigstad, a spokesman for Alliant says, “The wind resource in Iowa is very strong and the state has a higher performing wind resource than Wisconsin. This means that the same project in Iowa is capable of powering nearly 30 percent more homes and businesses than would a similar project in Wisconsin.”

Alliant notes that the moves will enable the firm to exceed voluntary goals for carbon reduction laid out by the United Nations Paris Accords but economic issues are also guiding the policy. While the accord calls for reducing carbon 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, Alliant’s plans are expected to result in a 40 percent reduction by that time.

Reigstad says, “Wind is very cost-effective for our customers – thanks to improvements in technology and tax benefits available for projects. Our company is also responding to customers, investors and other key stakeholders who want us to become cleaner and reduce CO2 emissions.”

According to the American Wind Energy Association, Iowa generates over 36 percent of its electricity from wind, ranking it first in the nation for wind generation by percentage. But stepping up investment in wind will not directly affect the closing of coal-fired plants.

“Most of our planned coal generating unit retirements have already occurred. By the end of 2018, we will have permanently retired approximately 30 percent of our fossil-fueled generation capacity since 2005. This includes over 1,000 megawatts of retired coal-fired generation units,” Reigstad said.

According to Alliant, “Through this new construction and additional purchase agreements, the company’s energy portfolio will have more than 2,700 megawatts of wind power by 2021. Renewables will be over 30 percent of Alliant Energy’s energy mix by 2030.”

In addition to laying out the move to more wind the CSR also includes more than $2.3 billion of planned capital expenditures to build smarter and more resilient energy infrastructure in the next five years and the closure of all coal ash ponds by the end of 2023.