How to stay safe if flooding occurs

With rain forecast for Dane and Iowa counties in Wisconsin affected by recent heavy rains and flooding, we are monitoring our service in these areas. We will only interrupt service in affected areas if it is necessary to protect customer, employee or public safety.

Here are a few reminders to stay safe.

• Call us to have both electric and natural gas service disconnected at the meter.
• Never walk through a flooded home or basement unless utility services are turned off. Even a small amount of water on the floor of your basement can put you at risk for electrocution.
• Standing water can snuff out pilot lights on hot water heaters and furnaces. If this occurs, natural gas may collect in your home, creating the risk of an explosion

Once the power is disconnected, it’s safe to begin clean up.

Before calling us to reconnect service:

• Electric: Have a licensed electrician inspect your electrical system. Electrical equipment and homes that have been flooded must be repaired and inspected by a licensed electrician.
• Natural Gas: Have your furnace and water heater inspected by a heating or appliance service and repair contractor. Gas appliance manufacturers recommend replacing appliance parts that have been under water.

We do not charge for turning off your service when flooding occurs, or turning it back on after the cleanup is done.

If you smell gas:

• Leave the property.
  • Do not attempt to locate gas leaks.
  • Do not use telephones of any type, including cordless, cell or landline.
  • Do not turn on or turn off any lights or electrical switches.
  • Do not operate any electrical device, including phones, garage door opener, radios, TVs, computers, or anything that creates a flame like matches or a lighter.

From a safe location, call 911 or Alliant Energy at 1-800-255-4268. Keep others away until the area is inspected, ventilated and safe.

For more information, visit alliantenergy.com/floodsafety

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

We released our Corporate Sustainability Report (CSR) today and have announced our goal to cut carbon emissions 80% and eliminate all existing coal from our 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.”

Our plans are to spend more than $2 billion on new renewables, which will double the number of our wind sites from six to 12. Through this new construction and additional purchase agreements, we will have more than 2,700 megawatts of wind power by 2021. Renewables will be over 30% of our energy mix by 2030.

These actions will enable us 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, our plans enable a 40% reduction by that time.

Other highlights detailed in the CSR 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.

Customers win in freeze of Alliant Energy Wisconsin rates

Our Wisconsin customers will see no increase to base electric and natural gas rates through 2020 under a verbal decision by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC).

The decision keeps base rates at 2017 levels while bringing the Riverside Energy Center, a new highly efficient natural gas generation facility, online in 2019. Reductions in operating costs, the addition of low-cost wind energy and savings from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act helped enable the freeze.

We reached agreement on the proposal with significant input and collaboration from several advocacy groups including the Citizens Utility Board and Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group.

The plan will be in effect 2019-2020, with no fuel-cost increase expected in 2019. We have held base electric and natural gas rates flat in six of the past eight years. Our retail electric rates are among the lowest in Wisconsin.

The written order is expected in the next several weeks.