Wisconsin Power and Light One Step Closer to Bringing More 'Green' Power to Customers
Alliant Energy is the parent company of two public utility companies--Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL)--and of Alliant Energy Resources, Inc. (AER), the parent company of Alliant Energy's non-regulated operations. (PRNewsFoto/ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION)
MADISON, WI UNITED STATES
WPL continues on the path to a greener future; on pace for 12% renewable energy by 2012
MADISON, Wis., July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT), today received unanimous approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to construct the Bent Tree Wind Farm in Freeborn County, Minnesota.
WPL asked the PSCW for approval to develop approximately 200 megawatts (MW) of emissions-free wind energy on the Bent Tree Wind Farm site - enough energy to power approximately 50,000 homes.
"We are very pleased with the PSCW's decision today," said Barbara Swan, President-WPL. "The development of the Bent Tree Wind Farm is a crucial step for our company as we continue down the path to a greener future. We are committed to finding emissions-free sources of energy to complement our existing baseload generation, as part of our overall mission to provide reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible power to our customers."
WPL has also filed Site Permit and Certificate of Need applications with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) and a route permit application with Freeborn County. A decision on these applications is expected later this summer. The 200 MW project will cost approximately $425 to $475 million, excluding allowance for funds used during construction.
"The addition of Bent Tree to our wind portfolio helps pave the way for WPL to provide 12% of our retail energy supply from renewable energy sources by 2012," adds Swan.
The Bent Tree Wind Farm will be WPL's second fully owned and operated wind project. Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, a 68 MW wind farm in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin began commercial operation in December 2008.
Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and 400,000 natural gas customers. Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electric and natural gas service is the company's primary focus. Wisconsin Power and Light, the company's Wisconsin utility subsidiary, serves approximately 450,000 electric and 175,000 natural gas customers. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.alliantenergy.com.
This press release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements can be identified as such because the statements include words such as approximately, continue, committed, expected, anticipates or other words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe future plans or strategies are also forward-looking statements. 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 regulatory actions or local government actions which delay, prevent or alter the proposed plans, including inability to obtain all necessary approvals and permits; unanticipated construction issues, delays or expenditures, including increased costs of labor, materials and equipment; failure of equipment and technology to perform as expected; current or future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries that could impede the implementation of WPL's plans; political conditions in WPL's service territories; changes to WPL's access to capital markets; and economic conditions in WPL'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 and WPL undertake no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
