How are Wisconsin utilities transitioning to clean energy and what does that mean for business?

By Rich Rovito

Alliant Energy follows a strategy of aggressively pursuing emerging technologies while delivering safe, sustainable methods of energy production to serve its customers and build stronger communities.

Through its utility subsidiaries, Alliant Energy provides regulated electric and natural gas service to about 970,000 electric and approximately 420,000 natural gas customers in Wisconsin and Iowa.

A focus on sustainability is engrained in Alliant Energy’s operations, said Barbara Tormaschy, vice president and treasurer of the company.

“From a company perspective, we recognize our responsibility to our stakeholders - the communities we serve, customers, employees and investors,” Tormaschy said. “We believe sustainability meets the needs of our stakeholders.”

Tormaschy will deliver the keynote address on the opening day of the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council’s virtual conference on Dec. 8-9. https://connect.wsbcweb.com/agenda/

“Our purpose is to serve customers and build strong communities, and doing that with sustainability is key,” Tormaschy said. “Customers are very interested in us providing them with cleaner energy. We’ve created Wisconsin and Iowa Clean Energy Blueprints that lay out our plans for transitioning to renewable energy, while continuing on our path toward our aspiration of having net zero carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity we generate by 2050.”

Alliant Energy has its headquarters in Madison and an additional general office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The company’s focus on sustainability has evolved over time and didn’t involve a sudden and dramatic shift in thinking, Tormaschy said.

“In Wisconsin, our company has been serving customers with safe, reliable and affordable energy for over 100 years. This history provides the foundation for our sustainability and while the focus has transitioned over time this is not a dramatic shift for us,” she said. “It’s something we’ve been working on for a long time. The cost of providing renewable energy has declined significantly over the last decade which allows us to accelerate our progress. Energy is an essential service our customers depend on, so we are very mindful of the importance of balancing customer costs with our Clean Energy Vision.”

As part of its clean energy transition, Alliant Energy is focusing on a cleaner energy mix and expanding cost-effective renewable resources while implementing alternative energy resources. In 2020, Alliant achieved its goal of having 30 percent of its energy mix come from carbon-free renewable resources, ten years earlier than originally projected.

Alliant Energy will continue to follow its Clean Energy Blueprints for accelerating the transition to renewable energy, which costs less to generate, creates job opportunities, reduces environmental emissions and supports healthy communities.

For more information on Alliant Energy’s clean energy plans, go to https://www.alliantenergy.com/poweringwhatsnext