Alliant subsidiary will reduce green house gas emmissons

From a press release issued by Alliant Energy:

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – February 8, 2008 – Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT), proposed today to permanently reduce its generating fleet’s greenhouse gas emissions by retiring coal-fired generating units and switching the fuel source of other coal-fired units to natural gas when its proposed Sutherland Generating Station Unit 4 becomes operable in 2013. . . .

IPL expects that the generating station retirements and fuel switch at the Dubuque power facility will have no impact upon current employees.

“We, alone, have an obligation to serve our customers and this plan fulfills that obligation by providing our customers with safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy,” states Tom Aller, president of IPL. “Our proposal improves Iowa’s air quality and environment while providing a reliable energy supply to support the growth of Iowa’s economy. We are preparing Iowa for a bright energy future by confronting the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring a reliable energy supply today.”

As part of its greenhouse gas emissions reduction proposal, IPL will retire Lansing Generating Station’s coal-fired units 2 and 3. In addition, the company will permanently switch the fuel source of its Dubuque Generating Station Units from coal to natural gas. This will reduce these units’ maximum potential to emit CO2 by more than 800,000 tons per year. These potential changes in IPL’s generating fleet are contingent upon the company receiving all applicable regulatory approvals related to Sutherland Generating Station Unit 4’s site certification and ratemaking principles applications.

IPL estimates that its energy efficiency programs, which include the new five-year plan the company expects to file with the IUB later this year, will reduce customers’ electric usage by nearly 2 million megawatt-hours by 2013. As a result, IPL’s system-wide CO2 emissions are expected to be reduced by approximately 2.57 million tons per year compared to what those emission levels would be absent the company’s energy efficiency programs.

IPL recently received approval to build 200 MW of wind generation in Iowa by 2013 that will also serve to reduce the Company's system-wide CO2 emission levels by approximately 934,000 tons per year in 2013 from what those emissions levels would be absent this investment.