Proposed Wisconsin Power and Light Plant Rejected by State Regulators
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
Concerns remain about meeting Wisconsin energy needs
MADISON, Wis., Nov. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Public Service
Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) has rejected a proposal by Wisconsin Power and
Light Company (WPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT),
to expand its existing Nelson Dewey Generating Station in Cassville,
Wisconsin, to meet the future energy needs of its customers.
In a 3-0 oral decision, the PSCW denied WPL's Certificate of Public
Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) application. The PSCW stated that
construction and operation of Nelson Dewey Unit 3 would not be the lowest cost
option for customers. The PSCW also expressed concern regarding Nelson Dewey
3's potential greenhouse gas emissions and its impact upon the environment.
"Our company is extremely disappointed in the PSCW's decision today and
the opportunities lost with it," said Barbara Swan, President-WPL. "We will
need to evaluate the PSCW's decision prior to considering alternatives for our
long-term generation growth strategy in Wisconsin."
"However, today's decision does not relieve us of our legal obligation to
meet our customers rising energy needs, and we look forward to working with
our regulators to come up with a viable alternative to ensure that those needs
are met in a safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally responsibly
manner," added Swan. "We also want to express our gratitude for the support
our proposal received from the community of Cassville, labor, agriculture,
business, conservation groups and other political, economic and civic leaders
across the state."
The PSCW expects to issue its written order by December 15, 2008. The
written order will provide additional details concerning the decision. WPL
will have twenty days from the issuance of the written order to ask the PSCW
to reconsider its decision.
Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving
approximately 1 million electric and over 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
http://www.alliantenergy.com.
