Alliant Energy announces new Upland Prairie Wind Farm

Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company continues moving toward a cleaner energy future with the start of major construction on its next wind farm in spring 2018. The company finalized an agreement with Apex Clean Energy for Upland Prairie Wind Farm. The 300-megawatt project is located in Clay and Dickinson counties in northwest Iowa.

“We are bringing more clean and cost-competitive wind energy to our customers,” said Doug Kopp, president of Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company. “If our second wind expansion project is approved, one third of our energy in Iowa will be from wind, starting in 2020.”

This project will add construction and other jobs, as well as tens of millions of dollars in additional property taxes to the local communities and lease payments to landowners.

“Apex wind projects are designed to meet the needs of forward-thinking utilities such as Alliant Energy,” said Mark Goodwin, president and CEO of Apex. “We share the same priorities, especially strong community partnerships.”

Alliant Energy received approval in 2016 to add up to 500 megawatts of wind energy. The company has requested a similar expansion from the Iowa Utilities Board again in 2017. The combined projects would represent a $1.8 billion investment and add up to 1,000 megawatts of new wind generation in Iowa. Together, that’s enough to power up to 430,000 Iowa homes a year.

Upland Prairie Wind Farm facts:

• Number of turbines: 121
• Size of project: 300 megawatts
• Annual energy output: enough for about 130,000 homes a year
• Local tax benefits: more than $40 million over the life of the project
• Landowner payments: approximately $45 million for the next 25 years

Let your nose be your guide

How do you raise awareness about natural gas leaks? Bring the smell directly to the people.

Alliant Energy’s scratch-and-sniff bill insert contains the smell of natural gas.

Alliant Energy is including a scratch-and-sniff bill insert containing the smell of natural gas in customers’ utility bills in the coming month. Under normal conditions, you may never be exposed to its smell. We’re sending out these special brochures so our customers can experience the odor in a safe way – it’ll help them better recognize a natural gas leak or emergency in the future.

“Because natural gas is colorless and has no scent, we add a strong odorant  to help you detect a possible gas leak,” said Richard Sublett, Senior Manager Compliance & Operational Performance.

The odorant, called mercaptan, contains sulfur, which mimics the smell of rotten eggs.

“Whenever anyone smells natural gas at their home or business, they should immediately leave the area and from a safe distance call 1-800-ALLIANT (1-800-255-4268),” Sublett said.

 

Alliant Energy crews to assist with Hurricane Irma response

Senica Fisher, line mechanic in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is one of roughly 200 workers preparing to head to Florida to help restore power to those affected by Hurricane Irma.

Alliant Energy trucks will hit the road early Tuesday morning to assist in the massive effort to restore power across Florida following Hurricane Irma.

In total, roughly 200 personnel from Iowa and Wisconsin have volunteered to spend the next two weeks away from their families to help the restoration efforts. This group includes line workers, safety staff, vehicle mechanics, support staff and managers.

Our personnel and contractors are joining more than 18,000 utility crews from across 30 states and Canada working to restore power to more than 6 million people.

In addition, tree trimmers and other contractors paused their work for our customers to lend their expertise to the recovery.

Florida utilities requested help through a national mutual assistance program among utilities. Typically, power companies close to an event respond. In this case, some local energy companies are already assisting with the response to Hurricane Harvey, and the damage from Hurricane Irma was so extensive that the request for help extended to energy companies in the Midwest.

Our customers have benefited from this assistance when major storms hit our area. The most recent examples occurred in Iowa with the ice storm of 2007 and the floods of 2008. The last time our crews were needed in other parts of the country was 2012 when Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast.

We balance providing help with the need to keep enough staff on hand in the event of storms here. Our customers do not pay for the costs of this mutual assistance. The costs are borne by the utilities that request help.

Updates on our efforts will be posted here and on our Facebook page.

Drive electric events next week in Madison, Dubuque and Cedar Rapids

Thinking about driving electric? Try it for free!

Hear from electric vehicle owners and see how EV technology has improved. Consumers are often surprised by:

• Instant torque
• Quiet and smooth ride
• Financial savings

National Drive Electric Week is September 9 to 16, 2017, and we will be offering ride and drive events for those wanting to learn more.

Ride, drive and learn at these three events:

• September 9, 2017 Farmers Market, Dubuque, Iowa
• September 14, 2017 Alliant Energy Headquarters, Madison, Wis.
• September 16, 2017 NewBo City Market, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

The event will showcase electric vehicles from local dealerships and owners, charging stations, and informational exhibits.

These events are among more than 200 taking place across the country during the fifth annual National Drive Electric Week, presented by Plug in America, the Sierra Club and the Electric Auto Association.

Rebates for installing home and workplace chargers are available to customers of Alliant Energy. Maps of charging stations are available at plugshare.com.