Alliant Energy announced plans Thursday to build up to 1,000 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2023 as part of a transition to clean energy sources.
That’s nearly 10 times the state’s current solar-generation capacity and would more than double the amount expected to come online within the next couple of years in large-scale solar farms now undergoing the permitting process or under construction.
If built, it would generate enough electricity to meet the annual needs of about 250,000 typical Wisconsin households.
The company did not specify how or where it would develop the solar energy or whether it plans to buy any of the half-dozen large solar farms now being developed in the state.
Alliant, which has pledged to cut 80 percent of its carbon emissions by 2050, said “changing economics, customer sustainability goals and better renewable technology” are driving the commitment to solar energy.
“We’re accelerating our transition to a clean energy future and putting renewable energy to work for our customers,” CEO John Larsen said in a statement. “For more than 100 years, our mission has been to deliver safe, reliable and affordable energy services.”