Alliant Energy donates total of $42,500 to several United Way organizations

Alliant Energy has donated $42,500 to local United Way organizations in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This immediate assistance is part of our continued commitment to helping communities during this health crisis.

The aid will directly benefit some of the United Way organizations that are assisting with emergency relief efforts in communities that we serve in Iowa and Wisconsin.

“We have an ongoing commitment to the communities that we serve. We are demonstrating this commitment by acting quickly and providing immediate support to the United Way organizations that will assist our customers and the communities,” said Julie Bauer, Executive Director of the Alliant Energy Foundation. “We are continuing to help minimize the impact of the COVID-19 crisis.”

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the company’s support is addressing increasing needs and benefiting five United Way organizations, including:

• United Way of Dane County (Wisconsin)
• United Way of East Central Iowa (Iowa)
• United Way Blackhawk Region (Wisconsin)
• United Way of Dubuque Area Tri-States (Iowa)
• United Way of Sheboygan County (Wisconsin)

Last week, the company donated $100,000 to the coronavirus (COVID-19) relief efforts in Iowa and Wisconsin through its foundation. That support is helping organizations such as six Feeding America Food Banks, the American Red Cross and other emergency relief services in Iowa and Wisconsin to meet the current needs.

We are also encouraging current and retired employees to donate to local relief efforts and matching those gifts.

We will continue to work with community partners and monitor new information from government officials to evaluate community needs and use that info as a guide to future gifts.

In addition, we support the Hometown Care Energy Fund in Iowa and Wisconsin. This fund is supported annually with funds from Alliant Energy and voluntary contributions from customers to assist customers that need financial help. For information on the Hometown Care Energy Fund, call 1-800-255-4268 or visit alliantenergy.com and click on the ‘Bill Pay Options’ tab.

Alliant Energy temporarily suspends disconnects for non-payment; intends to waive late fees

Alliant Energy is temporarily suspending disconnections for all of Iowa and Wisconsin customers during the public health emergency related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. In addition, we plan to waive late fees in Iowa to help customers who are suffering financial hardships and will collaborate with partners and organizations in Wisconsin to offer a similar solution. In the midst of all the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus, worrying about continued access to utility service should not be anyone’s top concern.

This temporary suspension will alleviate customer concerns about continued access to their utility service and allows them to concentrate on the health of their families and businesses during this unprecedented and rapidly changing situation. This complements the recent directive extending the winter moratorium for residential customers.

While the ongoing COVID-19 situation may create financial stress and difficulty for some, we encouraging them to set up payment plans based on their ability to pay. This can be done online at the company’s new My Account site, which allows for fee-free credit card payments. The site, alliantenergy.com/myaccount, and the company’s mobile app (compatible with Apple and Android devices), are available 24/7, and provide customers fast, reliable access to up-to-date account information as well as the opportunity to report outages.

Another resource available to customers is 211. Via call, text or chat, customers can talk with local 211 community resource specialists to discuss a variety of services and resources that are available to help them through this difficult situation.

As company Chairman, President and CEO John Larsen shared in his message to customers last week, we are focusing on the safety and well-being of customers and employees while also adhering to established health protocols. “Protecting our workforce ensures we can continue serving our customers and provide the reliable service you count on,” Larsen stated in his message.

We take pride in doing everything we can to minimize risks and continue serving customers while living its Values to Do the right thing and Care for others. Earlier today, the company announced a $100,000 donation to help non-profits and assist with rising community needs.

While we do not know how long the state of emergency will last, by working together with state and local officials and industry leaders, heeding the advice of medical professionals and keeping safe social distances, we will continue to ensure the safety of our communities.

For more information about Alliant Energy, visit alliantenergy.com.

Media contact: Cindy Tomlinson, Manager of External Relations, cindytomlinson@alliantenergy.com | 608-458-3869 | 608-206-4646

Alliant Energy Foundation donates to COVID-19 relief

Alliant Energy is donating $100,000 to the coronavirus (COVID-19) relief efforts in Iowa and Wisconsin through its foundation. The immediate support will benefit non-profit organizations and directly assist community needs in response to the crisis. These efforts support our core value of safety and assures the well-being of customers, employees and communities.

“Our employees are working diligently to continue safe and reliable operations and working to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 crisis for our customers and the communities they live in. But we want to do more,” said John Larsen, Chairman, President and CEO of Alliant Energy.  “We are providing immediate support to organizations that help our customers and communities in these unsettling times, especially those most vulnerable.”

We worked with non-profit partners to understand needs of the communities and determine what support is most critical. Donations were the top need of the communities.

“We are committed to the health and safety of our customers and the communities they live in,” said David de Leon, President of Alliant Energy in Wisconsin. “We understand how this crisis is impacting our communities, and we want to help.”

The contributions will directly help several non-profits in Iowa and Wisconsin. We will continue to monitor the needs of communities as the situation changes.

Feeding America Food Banks

The Alliant Energy Foundation will donate $70,000 to be shared between six food banks in Iowa and Wisconsin, with $35,000 to each state. Food banks play a critical role to provide hundreds of partner agencies with the immediate support they need to help the most vulnerable communities and customers.  This includes emergency food boxes, mobile drive-thru pantry support and filling gaps usually provided by school lunch programs.

American Red Cross in Iowa and Wisconsin

A $20,000 donation will support the emergency response fund of the American Red Cross in Iowa and Wisconsin, with $10,000 going to each state. The coronavirus outbreak has increased the need for blood. This donation will benefit the organizations as the country experiences a national blood shortage.

Additional Support

A $10,000 donation will support organizations providing food and other critical services in specific communities. Also, when our employees and retirees donate to local relief efforts, the Alliant Energy Foundation will match their gifts up to $3,500 this year.

“This support is coming at a critical time,” said Michelle Orge, President and CEO of Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. “We’re being challenged to work in new ways and maintain the food and health safety of our clients. We’re grateful for partners like the Alliant Energy Foundation who are stepping up.”

We continue to serve customers and provide reliable service during the outbreak while monitoring new information from government officials and organizations.

“We are being proactive to ensure the safety of our communities and customers and the well-being of our employees,” said Terry Kouba, President of Alliant Energy’s Iowa energy company. “We know this situation is changing quickly, and we are acting rapidly to support our communities.”

We’ve activated our comprehensive pandemic emergency plan. We have made several changes to our work practices that include maintaining a social distance of at least six feet and the use of gloves when entering your home or business. We’ve postponed non-essential work, and we remain focused on all activities that continue to provide safe and reliable operations.

To read a letter to customers from John Larsen, Chairman, President and CEO of Alliant Energy, please see our earlier post or visit our website alliantenergy.com

A letter to Alliant Energy customers

To our valued customers,

We understand the concern and uncertainty you may be experiencing surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19). At Alliant Energy, safety is a core value. I want to assure you that the health and well-being of our customers, employees and communities is our top priority. Protecting our workforce ensures we can continue serving our customers and provide the reliable service you count on.

While we are accustomed to preparing for storms and seasonal viruses such as the flu, we recognize this situation is very different and changing quickly. We are monitoring new information from state and federal governments, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). We have also activated our comprehensive pandemic emergency plan and are acting swiftly to protect employees and customers.

We have made several changes to our work practices that include maintaining a social distance of at least six feet and the use of gloves when entering your home or business. Also, to maintain a healthy workforce, we are postponing non-essential work. We will remain focused on all activities that continue to provide safe and reliable operations.

We understand the ongoing COVID-19 situation may create financial difficulties for some customers, and we are here to help. Call us at 800-255-4268 to discuss your situation. You can also install our mobile app or visit our brand new My Account site 24/7 to obtain up-to-date account information. Sign up at alliantenergy.com/myaccount.

At Alliant Energy, we are doing everything we can to minimize risks and continue serving you while living our Values to Do the right thing and Care for others.

Thank you and continue to be safe,

John Larsen

Chairman, President, and CEO

 

Alliant Energy electrifies Highway 151 travel corridor in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

New Level-3, superfast chargers in Beaver Dam can bring a fully depleted electric vehicle (EV) battery back to 80% strength in the time it takes to get a bite to eat.

Alliant Energy unveiled a new electric car-charging station in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.

We unveiled a new charging station at the Park Village Shopping Center at the busy interchange of Highways 33 and 151. The station can charge four cars at one time. It has two Level-3 and two Level-2 chargers (see below for more information). Keller Real Estate Group, owner of the Park Village Shopping Center, donated the property for the charging station.

Drivers can charge an all-electric car to 80% power in about 40 minutes, about the time it takes for lunch or a quick shopping trip. Several electric car models can go up to 300 miles on a single charge. The average American drives 40 miles per day.

The charging station is one piece of our community support for Beaver Dam. We’ve been a part of this community for decades and have invested in Beaver Dam in significant ways. The company recently has:

• Provided a $25,000 grant for a downtown public space redevelopment
• Helped restore lights at Swan Park with a $4,000 matching grant following an act of vandalism
• Certified a shovel-ready industrial site to attract new businesses into the area
• Supported Moraine Park Technical College’s development of a Gas Technician Training program with an $80,000 grant for its Energy Education Center

About electric car chargers

The station includes two Level-3 chargers (left) and two Level-2 chargers (right).

• Level 3 – Also called “superfast” or “DC” (“direct current”), these can charge all-electric cars, i.e. those powered only by a battery.
• Level 2 – These are the most common chargers. They can be installed at businesses and homes and charge many types of electric cars, including plug-in hybrids, typically within several hours.
• Level 1 – Standard home wall outlets take longer to charge, and cars are typically plugged in overnight.
• Tesla superchargers – These chargers use a proprietary DC charger technology. They only charge Tesla-manufactured vehicles. Tesla vehicles can also use a standard Level-3 charger.

We offer rebates to residents and businesses for the purchase and installation of Level-2 charging stations. For more information visit alliantenergy.com/ev.