Alliant Energy's Sustainability Report Highlights Progress and Challenges in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Alliant Energy has made significant strides in reducing its carbon footprint, but remains far from its goal of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by midcentury. The company's corporate sustainability report, released on Tuesday, highlights its accomplishments in reducing carbon emissions by 42% since 2005, and its plans to invest in new solar power plants across Wisconsin. However, the report also reveals significant disparities between its territories, with nearly two-thirds of the electricity delivered in Wisconsin coming from fossil fuels, compared to less than half in Iowa.

Key Takeaways:

• Alliant Energy reduced its carbon emissions by 42% since 2005 and aims for a 50% reduction by the end of this decade, with a goal of complete elimination by 2050.
• The company generated more than three-quarters of its electricity from fossil fuel sources last year, highlighting the remaining challenges to achieving its sustainability goals.
• Renewable energy accounted for nearly 44% of sales in Iowa, but only 20% in Wisconsin, with nearly two-thirds of the electricity delivered in Wisconsin coming from fossil fuels.
• Alliant plans to completely eliminate coal-fired power by 2040 and invest nearly $1.5 billion in new solar power plants across Wisconsin, which is expected to cost up to $6.5 billion less than keeping the coal plants running.
• The company has already retired some 1,100 megawatts of coal-fired capacity, which has helped reduce water use by 66%, and aims to cut water use 75% by the end of the decade.
• Alliant will use shareholder money to fund efforts by state agencies and nonprofit organizations to plant trees across Wisconsin and Iowa, with the goal of planting more than 1 million trees over the next decade.

Statistics:

• 42% reduction in carbon emissions since 2005 (Alliant Energy)
• 50% reduction in carbon emissions by the end of this decade (Alliant Energy)
• 2050: Alliant's goal for complete elimination of greenhouse gas emissions (Alliant Energy)
• 44%: Renewable energy accounted for sales in Iowa (Alliant Energy)
• 20%: Renewable energy accounted for sales in Wisconsin (Alliant Energy)
• 2/3: Proportion of electricity delivered in Wisconsin from fossil fuels (Alliant Energy)
• 1,100 MW: Coal-fired capacity retired by Alliant since 2005 (Alliant Energy)
• 66%: Reduction in water use due to coal-fired plant retirements (Alliant Energy)
• 75%: Target for reducing water use by 2025 (Alliant Energy)
• $1.5 billion: Investment in new solar power plants across Wisconsin (Alliant Energy)
• $6.5 billion: Potential cost savings from closing coal plants (Alliant Energy)
• 1 million: Trees to be planted across Wisconsin and Iowa over the next decade (Alliant Energy)

Sources:

• "Alliant Energy's corporate sustainability report" (The Wisconsin State Journal, July 2021)
• "Project Drawdown" (nonprofit organization)
• "The Nature Conservancy" (conservation organization)
• "UW-Madison" (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• "The Wisconsin State Journal" (newspaper)