By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Alliant Energy Corp. recently announced plans to bring its latest wind farm online either by late fall or early 2010, which company officials said would supply enough electricity to power approximately 50,000 homes per year.

“We are preparing for our customers’ and Iowa’s energy future,” said Kim Zuhlke, Alliant’s vice president of new energy resources. “The Whispering Willow Wind Farm aligns squarely with Governor (Chet) Culver’s vision that 25 percent of all the energy produced in Iowa comes from renewable sources by 2025.

“While the Whispering Willow Wind Farm is a great start, we are committed to maximizing Iowa’s wind energy potential. We will continue to seek environmentally-friendly alternative sources of energy to complement our baseload generation initiatives.”

According to the company’s annual environmental report, the Franklin County-based wind farm, located near Hampton, would generate the first 200 megawatts of a potential 500-megawatt wind development, which Alliant’s Interstate Power & Light (IPL) acquired from St. Louis-based Wind Capital Group, LLC in November 2007. Company officials said its first site, Whispering Willow-West, also located in Franklin County, would power another 100 megawatts of wind energy when its timing has been fully developed, which has not yet been finalized.

But Whispering Willow-West’s development is dependent upon factors such as Iowa Utilities Board approval, turbine availability and RPS needs, company officials added.

The report, released Sept. 8, said the Whispering Willow Wind Farm – which began construction in December 2008 – spans a combined 92,000 acres or approximately 144 square miles, with more than 400 landowners having signed land options. To date, the $400 million facility is the largest single wind farm in Iowa, with the potential to produce up to 500 megawatts of emissions-free energy when completely developed, and capable of powering approximately 125,000 homes.

Published on Oct. 7, 2009

“We are proud of the work our company has done to preserve the high quality of our Midwestern air, water and land resources,” said Bill Harvey, Alliant chairman, president and CEO.

Iowa is the second largest producer of wind energy in the nation, just behind Texas, with more than 1,100 working turbines spread over nearly 50 wind farms. Tom Aller, IPL president, said the Whispering Willow Wind Farm marks the company’s commitment to maximizing Iowa’s wind energy output potential.

“The Whispering Willow Wind Farm clearly strengthens Iowa’s position as a leader in renewable energy,” he said. “Iowans are working together to address our state’s future energy needs, while fostering economic opportunities that create jobs and grow our renewable economy.

“We appreciate the support that local government officials and the landowners have shown to our company in making the Whispering Willow Wind Farm a reality. We look forward to working with the landowners and government officials in north-central Iowa to fully develop this wind generation opportunity.”

Right now, Alliant purchases more than 375 megawatts of wind energy from 17 wind farms across Iowa, southern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Besides the Whispering Willow Wind Farm, Alliant has Cedar Ridge Wind Farm in Fond du Lac, Wisc., and Bent Tree Wind Farm in Freeborn County, Minn.

According to the American Wind Energy Assoc. (AWEA), the wind energy Alliant purchases ranks the company in the Top 10 among investor-owned utilities. In 2011, company officials said the amount of wind energy Alliant plans to provide its customers across Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin would increase to nearly 950 megawatts, accounting for 8 percent of Alliant’s overall energy mix.
In addition, IPL officials said they expect about 6 percent of its electricity would be produced from renewable energy sources through either purchased power agreements or company-owned generation.

IPL also recently proposed the addition of Sutherland Generating Station Unit 4 in Marshalltown, Iowa, a 630-watt facility, where IPL said it intends to own 350 of its megawatts. Slated to open in 2013, Sutherland would provide energy for about 472,500 homes and businesses, company officials estimated.

“It’s being designed with hybrid technology, allowing it to use switchgrass, corn stalks or other similar agriculturally-based products as fuel, reducing the amount of coal burned,” a company statement said. “An additional 19-megawatt equivalent of steam co-generation will be available for use by nearby industries.”