At the beginning of May, Alliant Energy brought its Pleasant Creek Solar Project online in Linn County, Iowa. At 200 megawatts (MW) and spanning about 1,100 acres, the company announced that it is the biggest solar site in the state and will generate enough power for at least 40,000 residences per year. A NextEra Energy Resources subsidiary developed the project in two phases. The first 50 MW went into operation in March 2024, and the rest of the solar panels were added to the site in December.
The project is located near the Duane Arnold Energy Center in Palo. NextEra Energy shut down the state’s only nuclear plant in 2020 after Alliant Energy agreed to pay $110 million to shorten its power purchase agreement by 5 years. Alliant said that it would save Iowans $300 million across 21 years by replacing the nuclear energy with renewables like wind.
Now, the Pleasant Creek project will connect to the electric grid using the same substation that the Duane Arnold plant once used, which is why it was originally called Duane Arnold Solar during the development and construction phases. “The new name – Pleasant Creek Solar – pays homage to Pleasant Creek Lake, a man-made lake near the project site created when the Duane Arnold Energy Center was built. The lake served as an emergency water source for the generating plant,” explained Mayuri Farlinger, president of Interstate Power and Light Company and vice president of energy delivery for Alliant.
Photo Courtesy Alliant Energy
The Pleasant Creek project is not the only solar site Alliant has launched recently in the state. In December, the company launched the 50 MW Creston Solar Project, spanning 300 acres in Union County and generating enough power for about 11,000 residences per year. It also launched the 150 MW Wever Solar Project, covering 900 acres in Lee County and generating enough power for over 30,000 residences per year, making it the biggest solar project in the state until the launch of Pleasant Creek. “With over 326,000 hours worked and more than 420 peak craft, we proved that sustainability is about protecting both people and the planet,” reflected Jami Stone, construction project manager at Burns & McDonnell, which built the projects.
NextEra Energy Resources Director of Development Jonas van Stappen commented, “Pleasant Creek Solar is a testament to the positive impact that innovative renewable energy projects can have on local communities and the broader energy landscape. We are proud to have worked with Alliant Energy and the local community to bring this significant project to fruition.”
With the latest project, Alliant Energy operates around 400 MW of solar power and 1,400 MW of wind power in Iowa. Across Iowa and Wisconsin, Alliant has deployed 1,500 MW of solar power since 2022. Across Iowa, Wisconsin, and southern Minnesota, the company also purchases over 600 MW of wind power annually. Alliant’s clean energy generation supports customers across the state, including construction management company JP Cullen and Moraine Park Technical College, the anchor tenants of Pleasant Creek.
Alliant has committed to a renewable future. Its Clean Energy Blueprint for Iowa, released in 2020, emphasizes the need for battery storage and smart thermostats, making Pleasant Creek Solar just the beginning. Farlinger recently explained, “Pleasant Creek Solar exemplifies our ‘all of the above’ energy strategy, resulting in cost-effective energy resources that increase reliability for customers.”
