Grant County Solar Project completion marks milestone in Wisconsin clean energy

By: Alliant Energy Corporation via Business Wire

May 31, 2024 at 08:22 AM EDT

The 200-MW project caps Alliant Energy’s historic solar buildout to benefit customers and communities

Alliant Energy announced it successfully completed constructing its Grant County Solar Project. The 200-megawatt (MW) solar array in Potosi, Wisconsin, can generate enough electricity to power more than 50,000 homes annually.

The project’s completion is the culmination of Alliant Energy’s multi-phase buildout of 12 utility-scale solar projects in Wisconsin totaling 1,089 MW. This investment in a more diverse energy generation mix created more than 2,700 jobs across all projects. It improves service reliability and enables Alliant Energy to power nearly 300,000 homes annually with zero-fuel-cost solar energy.

“The successful completion of the Grant County Solar Project is a milestone achievement on our journey toward a cleaner, more reliable and cost-effective energy future,” said Lisa Barton, president and CEO of Alliant Energy. “Investing in a diverse energy mix is just one way we add value for customers while sustaining the economic and environmental health of the communities we serve. Together, with our customers, local communities and construction partners, we are making Wisconsin’s energy future brighter than ever.”

Encompassing over 1,400 acres, the Grant County Solar Project site hosts more than 430,000 solar panels and features nearly 350 acres of native pollinator habitat. Alliant Energy expects the site will generate an estimated $30 million in new shared revenue for the county and town over the life of the project.

“I’ve seen the benefits of this solar project in the community firsthand,” said Dave Fritz, a local business owner and participating landowner. “Solar lease payments help local landowners like me diversify our income and preserve our land’s value for the future. In terms of economic impact, the Grant County Solar Project delivered on its promise of jobs and will benefit local taxpayers for decades thanks to the added shared revenue payments.”

Alliant Energy contracted with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC to construct the Grant County Solar Project. Construction began in September 2022, employing more than 700 workers. The influx of jobs helped maximize the local economic benefit of the project.

“Part of our commitment to an efficient and reliable energy future means making more renewable sources of energy accessible," said Anthony Pedroni, vice president of renewables and storage development at NextEra Energy Resources. "This solar energy project reflects the shared commitment we have with Alliant Energy to deliver cost-effective clean energy solutions that benefit communities and the environment.”

The announcement underscores Alliant Energy's role as a leader in the clean energy transition. In addition to being Wisconsin’s largest owner and operator of solar energy generation, Alliant Energy plans to develop nearly 275 MW of energy storage capacity to complement its renewable portfolio. This includes the 100-MW Grant County Battery Project that will also be located at the Grant County Solar Project site.

Through the investments outlined in the company’s Clean Energy Blueprint, Alliant Energy is diversifying its generation portfolio, improving energy security and working to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions from utility operations by 2050.

About Alliant Energy

Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) provides regulated energy service to 1 million electric and 425,000 natural gas customers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Alliant Energy's mission is to deliver energy solutions and exceptional service customers and communities count on – safely, efficiently and responsibly. Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL) are Alliant Energy's two public energy companies. Alliant Energy is a component of Bloomberg’s Gender-Equality Index and the S&P 500.

For more information, visit alliantenergy.com and follow Alliant Energy on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and X.

This release includes forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified because they include a word such as “expect” or other words or expressions of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe future plans or strategies, our Clean Energy Vision, transitioning our energy resources, planned resource additions and future emissions reductions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the statements. Actual results could be materially affected by the following factors, among others: The inability to obtain necessary equipment and labor in a timely manner; access to and cost increases of materials, equipment and commodities including due to tariffs, duties or other assessments, such as any additional tariffs resulting from U.S. Department of Commerce investigations into the sourcing of solar project materials and equipment from certain countries, labor issues or supply shortages, the ability to successfully resolve warranty issues or contract disputes, the ability to achieve the expected level of tax benefits based on tax guidelines and project costs, and the ability to efficiently utilize the renewable generation and storage project tax benefits for the benefit of customers; governmental actions that delay or reject the proposed generation construction plans, or that include terms that make the future generation construction plans uneconomical; unanticipated construction issues, delays or expenditures; failure of equipment and technology to perform as expected; political conditions in Alliant Energy’s service territories; changes to Alliant Energy’s access to capital markets; current or future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries; and economic conditions in Alliant Energy’s service territory. These factors should be considered when evaluating the forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof and Alliant Energy and Wisconsin Power and Light Company undertake no obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240531336183/en/

Contacts

Media contact: Tony Palese (608) 458-3132 | tonypalese@alliantenergy.com

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Grant County Solar Project completion marks milestone in Wisconsin clean energy

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