MADISON, Wis., Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Already a national leader in
utilizing renewable resources in its energy mix, Alliant Energy Corporation
(NYSE: LNT), confirmed plans today it will add 50 to 100 megawatts (MW) of wind
generation by the end of 2005 as part of the Forward Wind Energy Center near
Brownsville, Wis. The addition brings the company's total wind energy portfolio
to about 450 MW, utilizing more than six percent of the nation's current wind
energy capacity. Alliant Energy's renewable portfolio now stands at
approximately 580 MW, approaching 10 percent of its total capacity. (Logo: http://www.newscom.
com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020405/LNTLOGO ) The Forward Wind Energy Center has one of the best wind profiles in the state
of Wisconsin, and Alliant Energy's plans to contract energy from wind energy
developer Invenergy LLC will allow the project to reach an economy of scale with
optimum pricing to be passed on to customers. The project was solicited as part of a request for proposal issued in the
spring of 2004. It is moving forward in part due to the passage of the federal
Production Tax Credit (PTC) legislation, as well as Alliant Energy's commitment
to support Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle's Task Force on Energy Efficiency and
Renewables. "We support Governor Doyle's efforts with this addition of wind energy,
which is in line with the recommendation from the Task Force," stated Kim
Zuhlke, Vice President - New Energy Resources. "In addition, the passage of
the PTC legislation which we supported now allows wind to become more
competitive with fossil fuels. Alliant Energy plans for a diverse portfolio of
energy resources, and wind can represent a hedge against rising costs of other
fuels." The site will be located on an area of approximately 50 square miles in Dodge
and Fond du Lac Counties and will contain 133 wind turbines. The property is
located in territory served by Wisconsin Power & Light Company (WP&L), a
utility subsidiary of Alliant Energy. "Alliant Energy deserves to be commended for getting out in front of the
resource curve and embracing windpower development in Wisconsin," said
Michael Vickerman, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin, a clean energy group
in Madison. "As Alliant has discovered in the past 12 months, locally
available windpower projects are capable of producing clean electricity,
providing a hedge against fuel cost increases, and promoting rural economic
development without sending electric rates higher." Zuhlke stated that the increase is a step toward meeting the 100 MW renewable
portion of WP&L's utility generation plan announced in December 2003, which
provides for an additional 615 total megawatts in WP&L's service territory
by 2010. He stressed that the additional wind energy capacity is intended to
compliment the 300 MW, simple-cycle natural gas-fired Sheboygan Falls Energy
Facility which is scheduled to be complete in time for the 2005 summer peak
season. If approved by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, construction of
Forward Wind Energy Center will begin in June 2005. Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider that serves more than three
million customers worldwide. Providing its regulated customers in the Midwest
with electricity and natural gas service remains the company's primary focus.
Alliant Energy, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded
on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit
the company's web site at http://www.alliantenergy.com
. RENEW Wisconsin ( http://www.renewwisconsin.org
) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Madison, WI. RENEW promotes clean
energy strategies for powering the state's economy in an environmentally
responsible manner. SOURCE Alliant Energy Corporation
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