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Alliant Energy Submits Plans to Iowa Utilities Commission for the Addition of 1,000 MW of Wind Capacity

LCG, July 2, 2025--Alliant Energy today announced plans to add up to 1,000 MW of wind energy generating capacity in Iowa to meet demand and ensure reliable, affordable energy for its customers. The plans are included in a filing with the Iowa Utilities Commission (IUC), and the company anticipates a decision from the IUC in the first quarter of 2026.

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Invenergy Announces New Agreements with Meta for Renewable Energy to Support Data Center Operations

LCG, June 26, 2025--Invenergy today announced that they and Meta Platforms, Inc. have signed four new clean energy agreements that total an additional 791 MW of procured solar and wind capacity to support Meta's near-term operations, data center growth, and clean energy goals.

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Industry News

NRC Okays Cook Unit 1 Restart

LCG, Dec. 14, 2000--American Electric Power Co. Inc.'s problem with dirty ice is about to end. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission told the company yesterday that it could restart its 1,020 megawatt Cook Unit 1 nuclear power plant.

Both that reactor and the 1,090 megawatt Cook Unit 2 were shut down in September 1997 because an NRC investigation questioned the capabilities of plant emergency systems to meet design requirements. Dirty ice was the problem.

But ice in a nuclear power plant where electricity is generated by steam? A nuclear reactor has an ice condenser to rapidly absorb heat released in the event of loss of coolant or a steam line break and to provide water for long-term cooling. Each of Cook's two units has more than 2.5 million pounds of ice held in 1,944 cylindrical baskets that are 40 feet long.

NRC inspectors found the ice in both Cook units to be contaminated with debris that could, when the ice melted, interfere with pumps and conduits. It was eventually decided that the only course of action was to allow the ice to melt, fix the ice baskets, clean up the mess and start over with fresh ice.

The company restarted Unit 2 in June and hoped to get Unit 1 back on-line in the first quarter of next year. Yesterday, James Dyer, NRC Region III Administrator, said in a letter to AEP that "the NRC has completed the actions necessary prior to restart of Unit 1."

" This is great news. A dedicated Cook team has worked very hard to demonstrate to the NRC thatour plant, processes and people are ready to resume safe operation," said Bob Powers, AEP seniorvice president for nuclear generation. "There's always the potential that emergent maintenance itemscould impact the schedule, but if our progress continues at the current pace, we'll beat our firstquarter 2001 projection."

Once the reactor begins operation and reaches about 9 percent power, the output of the generatorwill be connected to the AEP transmission grid. An ascension to full power includes several holdpoints for additional system checks and tests, and is expected to take an additional 10 days. That could put Cook Unit 1 on-line by the end of the year.

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