Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT) announced yesterday that it intends to develop 200 megawatts (MW) of wind power on recently acquired sites in Iowa, beginning in 2009.
IPL recently acquired the rights to a site near Hampton, Iowa, from Iowa Winds, LLC. The site is adjacent to property IPL acquired last November from Wind Capital Group, LLC. Together, the two sites, being called the Whispering Willow Wind Farm, have the potential of producing 500 MW of wind power, IPL says.
IPL says it expects the first 200 MW to be commercially operable in 2010, and a decision regarding the development of the wind farm’s additional 300 MW has not yet been made.
"We are preparing for our customers’ and Iowa’s energy future," says Kim Zuhlke, vice president of new energy resources for Alliant Energy. "The Whispering Willow Wind Farm aligns squarely with Governor Culver’s vision that 25 percent of all the energy produced in Iowa comes from renewable sources by 2025."
Currently, approximately 4%t of IPL’s electric energy is derived from wind power, according to a company release. Upon completion of Whispering Willow Wind Farm’s initial 200 MW, IPL expects that approximately 6% of its electricity will be produced from renewable energy sources through either purchased power agreements or company-owned generation.
About Alliant Energy
Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and more than 400,000 natural gas customers. Interstate Power and Light, the company’s Iowa utility subsidiary, serves 526,000 electric and 232,000 natural gas customers. Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company.
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