Alliant Energy Corp

Ongoing coal ash leachate discharge (arsenic, cobalt, lithium, molybdenum) directly upstream of Ottumwa, Iowa municipal drinking water intake; Alliant proposed routing untreated discharge to Des Moines River rather than implementing EPA-required zero-discharge treatment technology

Alliant Energy generates approximately 60% of its electricity from fossil fuels, primarily coal and natural gas. The company operates a generation fleet that includes the 1,215-megawatt Columbia Energy Center coal plant and multiple natural gas facilities. While Alliant has announced goals to eliminate coal from its generation mix by 2040, its current operational reliance on fossil fuels remains substantial.

Recent decisions have extended this reliance. In January 2025, Alliant announced a delay in converting its Sheboygan Edgewater generating station from coal to natural gas, postponing the retirement of a coal-fired unit. This move raises questions about the company's near-term transition timeline. Furthermore, Alliant continues to provide natural gas distribution service to hundreds of thousands of customers in Iowa and Wisconsin through its regulated utility operations, with ongoing investments in gas infrastructure.

The company's transition plan is incremental and extends decades into the future. While Alliant has retired some coal units, its current energy mix and asset base remain heavily tied to fossil fuel combustion for power generation and direct customer supply.

Alliant Energy operates a generation fleet that remains heavily reliant on coal-fired power plants. As of its most recent reporting, the company's Edgewater Generating Station in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and its Lansing Generating Station in Iowa are coal-burning facilities. The company has been the subject of multiple environmental enforcement actions related to this coal infrastructure.

In March 2025, several environmental groups filed a notice of intent to sue Alliant Energy's Iowa affiliate under the Clean Water Act, alleging the company's Ottumwa Generating Station has been discharging coal ash-polluted groundwater into the Des Moines River. This follows a 2013 settlement where the company agreed to stop burning coal at its Nelson Dewey facility in Wisconsin. ViolationTracker documents a history of environmental penalties for the company. Alliant Energy has announced a goal to eliminate coal from its generation mix by 2040, but its current operations and ongoing litigation demonstrate a continued, material reliance on coal power.