Clean Energy Blueprint FAQs

The Clean Energy Blueprint is our plan for accelerating our transition to produce more clean, renewable energy reliably, affordably and sustainably. This is especially important as we work to sustain the economic and environmental health of the communities we serve. Moving forward by expanding solar energy means reducing our long-term reliance on coal-powered generation. Clean energy is affordable and will deliver sustainable benefits to customers for decades to come.

It is a smart choice for our customers! This also positions us to achieve our carbon emission goals. There are several reasons we are accelerating our transition to solar now, including:

• Local solar projects will provide steady revenue to communities and create new jobs.
• The declining costs to build solar.
• Access to federal tax incentives.

By expanding our renewable resources now, we will be poised to thoughtfully transition to cleaner fuels, while continuing to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy for our customers.

In addition, the communities we serve will benefit from sustainable and innovative energy solutions now. Many large industrial customers and communities have their own corporate sustainability goals. Increasing renewable energy availability helps keep – and attract – businesses to the area and creates lower energy costs in the long run.

Find answers to solar-specific questions in a separate FAQ.

Yes. Solar and wind complement each other. Both generate electricity without requiring the need to import fossil fuels. Wind is typically stronger at night while solar provides the most energy in the heat of the day. Dispersing the electricity they generate across the region increases overall reliability. We also have natural gas-fired power plants that can meet energy needs when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing.

In Iowa, we plan to add up to 400 MW of solar by the end of 2024.

In Wisconsin, we plan to add nearly 1,100 MW of solar within the first half of 2024.

Visit our Iowa and Wisconsin solar pages for full details.

Investing in renewable energy generation now is more cost-effective for customers in the long term. With renewable energy, there are no fuel costs. They require less maintenance and labor. At the same time, this transition ensures ongoing safe and reliable delivery of the services customers count on most.

By investing in solar energy now, the long-term net result is more cost-effective for customers. Our plan is well-designed to reduce future costs of powering older coal facilities and aging distribution equipment. Solar and other clean energy resources are only part of the total cost of delivering energy. While clean energy resources will cost less in the long run, other costs will continue to fluctuate.

Investments are phased over time. Customers are likely to see an initial increase in their rates shortly after the new solar projects are fully operational. Over time, they’ll see lower costs than they would have compared to the cost of continuing to operate our coal generation. This is because solar energy has no associated fuel costs and has a lower cost to maintain and operate, lowering customer costs over time.

There will be some costs associated with plant closures. However, they will be lower in both the short- and long-term as our Clean Energy Blueprint helps customers avoid expenses and investments that would otherwise be required to keep these facilities operational.

The energy grid we’ve operated for more than a century was designed for large generating facilities delivering one-way energy to homes and businesses.

Today’s grid includes thousands of customer-owned solar and wind generating systems, which require two-way flow of electricity and information in order to provide customers more control of their energy use. The grid must be flexible and adaptable to accommodate new technologies, electric vehicles and the expanding array of interconnected web-enabled devices customers are using at ever-increasing levels — all while providing safe and reliable energy service to all customers.

Yes. In fact, upgrading our communications network with fiber allows us to create better, faster and stronger digital highways between our facilities. Just about everything connected to the energy grid will be digitally communicating with everything else, and it’s more data-intensive than ever before.

Moving power lines underground offers customers many benefits, including more reliability. When Mother Nature strikes, fallen trees, high winds and ice can damage the overhead power lines, creating outages. Once underground, the impact of weather is virtually eliminated, making power more reliable. In addition, once underground, the lines are more affordable to maintain over the long term.

We are guided by our purpose-driven strategy to serve customers and build strong communities. We are investing in communities by creating jobs and driving growth through the energy solutions we provide. We provide communities with resources, assistance and charitable donations. We partner with communities to identify their needs and help solve problems. Our investments strengthen communities and help make life better for others.

We partner with our customers and the communities we serve to identify and help solve problems. We also look at ways to create opportunities that help make life better through our grant and scholarship programs. Through our Community Grants, we support nonprofits and community partners in four major categories: Hunger and Housing, Workforce Readiness, Environmental Stewardship and Diversity, Safety and Wellbeing.