Alliant Energy sets new goals: net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, elimination of coal by 2040

Alliant Energy announced some big clean energy goals in its 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report, released last week, which included the elimination of coal use by 2040 and net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

“It’s all part of our broader corporate and social responsibility efforts, which are guided by our strategy and designed to deliver on our purpose – to serve customers and build stronger communities,” John Larsen, Alliant Energy chairman, president and CEO, said. “By accelerating our Clean Energy Vision, we are supporting the economic development of the communities we serve and contributing to a healthier environment.”

While Alliant had been moving in this direction already, the new goals accelerate that vision. Now, by 2030, the company hopes to reach a 50 percent reduction in CO2 emissions — an increase of 10 percent. Its 2040 goal for coal elimination also speeds up that original timeframe by 10 years.

How the company will achieve this is laid out in Alliant’s Clean Energy Blueprint. That roadmap includes the retirement of a Wisconsin coal-fired facility and the first phase of solar construction, which will inevitably lead to 1,000 MW of solar production for the state by 2023. In Iowa, Alliant will invest more heavily in wind generation. Other efforts will include battery storage deployment, grid improvements, electric vehicles and energy efficiency efforts, among them.

This purpose-driven strategy, as Alliant has taken to calling it, will also incorporate social responsibilities, which include emphasizing matters such as safety, economic development, diversity in the workforce and emergency planning.