Alliant Energy reducing carbon emissions 80 percent and eliminating coal by 2050

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliant Energy today released its Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR) and announced its goal to cut carbon emissions 80 percent and eliminate all existing coal from its energy mix by 2050. The CSR can be accessed at alliantenergy.com/sustainability.  

"Alliant Energy is acting today to create a better tomorrow for our customers and communities," said Alliant Energy Chairman and CEO Patricia Kampling. "We are transforming our energy fleet with an eye on customer cost, carbon reduction and providing cleaner and reliable power to the communities we serve."

Alliant Energy plans to spend more than $2 billion on new renewables, doubling its number of wind sites from six to 12. 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.

These actions will enable Alliant Energy to exceed carbon reduction goals pledged originally by the U.S. under the voluntary United Nations Paris Accord. While the Accord calls for reducing carbon 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, Alliant Energy's plans enable a 40 percent reduction by that time.

Other highlights detailed in the report include:

• Accomplishing gender parity on the Board of Directors with 50 percent of members being women.
• Over $2.3 billion planned capital expenditures to build smarter and more resilient energy infrastructure in the next five years.
• Fossil fuel generation water withdrawals reduced by 40 percent since 2005 with plans targeting a reduction of 75 percent by 2030.
• Closure of all coal ash ponds by the end of 2023.
• Dubuque solar garden is the first Envision® Platinum-rated solar project in the nation.
• Rebates to 155 residential and 33 commercial customers for electric vehicle charging stations and non-road electrification uses, such as forklifts.
• Community investment of $7.3 million and 93,000 volunteer hours in 2017, including $2 million for electric and heating bill assistance to families in need.

Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT), headquartered in Madison, Wis., provides regulated electric and natural gas service to 960,000 electric and 410,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver the energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on ? safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company are Alliant Energy's two public utility subsidiaries. Alliant Energy Corporation is a component of the S&P 500 and trades under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit alliantenergy.com.

This press release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified because they describe reducing carbon emissions, spending plans, or contain words such as "plans," "goal," or words of similar import. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Actual results could be affected by such factors as: state or federal regulatory or other government actions; ability to obtain adequate and timely rate relief to allow for, among other things, earning a return on rate base additions and the recovery of costs, including operating costs, transmission costs, environmental compliance and remediation costs, deferred expenditures, deferred tax assets, capital expenditures, and remaining costs related to EGUs that may be permanently closed; the impact to customer costs; the impact of customer- and third party-owned generation, including alternative electric suppliers, in our utility service territories on system reliability, operating expenses and customers' demand for electricity; the ability to utilize tax credits and net operating losses generated to date, and those that may be generated in the future, before they expire; future changes in environmental laws and regulations, including the Environmental Protection Agency's regulations for carbon dioxide emissions reductions from new and existing fossil-fueled electric generating units, and litigation associated with environmental requirements; current or future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries that could impede the implementation of Alliant Energy's plans; Alliant Energy's continued access to capital markets; political conditions in Alliant Energy's service territories; and economic conditions in Alliant Energy's service territory.

These factors should be considered when evaluating the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof and Alliant Energy undertakes no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

SOURCE Alliant Energy Corporation