Alliant Energy brings online first solar plant under 1-GW endeavour

US utility Alliant Energy Corp (NASDAQ:LNT) has kicked off commercial operations at a 50-MW solar park in Wisconsin, its first utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) farm that goes online under a 1-GW capacity deployment plan.

The Bear Creek solar park is located in the state’s Richland County and will be capable of generating enough electricity to supply roughly 13,000 homes, Alliant Energy said on Monday.

Built by engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Burns & McDonnell, the PV farm was installed as part of the utility’s Clean Energy Blueprint that envisages the construction of over 1 GW of utility-scale solar plants across 12 sites in Wisconsin. After Bear Creek, more plants are expected to begin operations later this year.

The Bear Creek project will bring around USD 200,000 (EUR 201,590) in combined shared revenue payments to Richland County and the town of Buena Vista per year over the power plant’s 30-year operational lifespan. Construction works were initiated in July 2021.

Alliant Energy aims to remove coal from its power generation fleet by 2040 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 1.008)

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