Alliant Energy plans acquisition of 675-MW solar bundle in Wisconsin

US utility Alliant Energy Corp (NYSE:LNT) intends to buy and advance a portfolio of solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Wisconsin totalling 675 MW, it said on Tuesday.

The portfolio covers the counties of Grant, Jefferson, Richland, Rock, Sheboygan and Wood and will be capable of producing enough power for about 175,000 homes per year, once operational. Most of the projects included in it are located in rural areas. The following table contains a list of the to-be-acquired assets.

The PV projects are expected to open more than 1,200 jobs during the construction phase. With their purchase, Alliant Energy will become the largest owner and operator of solar PV assets in Wisconsin, the utility noted. It will now submit a Certificate of Authority application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) for the acquisition, with a decision due in the first half of 2021.

At end-2019, Alliant Energy unveiled plans to install 1,000 MW of solar power capacity in Wisconsin by the end of 2023 under its “Powering What's Next” initiative. The acquisition of the 675-MW bundle is the first phase of that project, which will also back the utility’s goal to cut company-wide carbon emissions by 40% by 2030.

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