IPL to buy Iowa wind farm and turbines from Clipper

Interstate Power and Light (IPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy (NYSE: LNT) announced today that it is buying the Eclipse wind farm in western Iowa from developer Clipper Windpower.

IPL also announced plans to equip the facility with massive new turbines built by Clipper.

The Eclipse site near Adair, Iowa has the potential to produce as much as 200 megawatts (MW) of clean, wind-generated electricity.

IPL plans to file for approval of the Eclipse Wind Farm with the Iowa Utilities Board this summer. Pending regulatory approval, IPL expects to begin construction of the first 100 MW of development in 2009.

Commercial operation of the turbines is expected in late 2009.

IPL plans to utilize 2.5 MW Liberty-series turbines, the largest wind turbines yet built in the United States.

IPL says wind generation is an important part of its overall generation mix. Currently, the company has approximately 260 MW of wind energy under contract in its portfolio.

Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving approximately 1 million electric and over 420,000 natural gas customers. Interstate Power and Light, the company's Iowa utility subsidiary, serves 538,000 electric and 239,000 natural gas customers.