Project Overview

Alliant Energy has earned an Envision Platinum Award for the Creston Solar Project in Creston, Iowa. Having already earned 13 Envision Platinum Awards, the company continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to advancing sustainable energy infrastructure and it continues to build on its successes by weaving in lessons learned from past projects to apply to future projects. The Creston Solar Project is a 50-megawatt (MW) solar energy generation initiative that includes a solar array spanning approximately 300 acres, a collector substation, and a 69 kilovolt (kV) overhead transmission line, allowing it to generate clean, renewable energy for customers and the community. This project is part of a four-project portfolio that represents a key component of Alliant Energy’s Clean Energy Blueprint, which serves as a roadmap to accelerate the company’s transition to renewable energy.

In response to growing demand for renewable energy with reduced carbon emissions, the Creston Solar Project will generate enough clean, low-cost energy to power thousands of homes, addressing both environmental and economic concerns. Additionally, it will serve as a significant source of new tax revenue for the City of Creston and Union County, Iowa.

Alliant Energy chose to use the Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework to drive alignment of its project development practices with its overarching sustainability strategy. Envision was designed to promote more sustainable, resilient, and equitable infrastructure projects. It is comprised of 64 sustainability and resiliency indicators (called credits) which are organized within five categories: Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience. Together, the categories and credits address materials, energy, conservation, community development, planning, collaboration, human well-being, mobility, and more. Achieving an Envision Platinum Award for the Creston Solar Project highlights and validates the project team’s exceptional commitment to sustainable energy infrastructure that supports people, planet, and prosperity.

The Creston Solar Project entered commercial operation in September 2024.

Quotes

“Congratulations to the entire Creston Solar Project team on earning an Envision Platinum Award,” said Kailey Eldredge, Verification Director at ISI. “This accomplishment demonstrates strong commitment to sustainability and helps to move the needle toward more responsible energy infrastructure development. We appreciate your contributions to a cleaner future for our communities.”

Burns & McDonnell (Engineering-Procurement-Construction Contractor)
“We worked closely with county and local stakeholders to thoughtfully adapt the project to reduce impacts to the Middle Platte River floodplain and responded to community input with transparency and respect,” says Jami Stone, Project Manager. “Our team’s commitment extended beyond the jobsite – from designing resilient, sustainable infrastructure to rolling up our sleeves and helping with tornado recovery efforts. We’re proud to have been part of a project that demonstrates how renewable energy construction projects deliver more than just power to the community.”

Alliant Energy
“We are proud to receive the Envision Platinum Award for our Creston Solar Project,” said Andrew Heidt, Manager of Strategic Projects at Alliant Energy. “The sustainable development, construction, and operation of the Creston Solar Project positively impacts the environment and boosts the local economy while delivering reliable, cost-effective energy to our customers and the communities we serve.”

Verified Sustainability Achievements

Supporting Sustainable Communities – The Creston Solar Project supports long-term clean energy goals for both Alliant Energy and the state of Iowa by diversifying energy generation among renewable sources, decreasing reliance on fossil fuels, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and enhancing regional energy security. Additional economic advantages of the project for the community include greater tax revenue, job creation, and increased land value for local landowners.

Prioritizing Renewable Energy – Over its 30-year operational lifespan, the Creston Solar Project will generate net positive renewable energy. This project supports Alliant Energy’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify energy sources, providing 50 MW of solar capacity to generate enough clean, low-cost energy to power approximately 11,000 homes each year.

Protecting Water Resources – The Creston Solar Project aims to protect and restore wetlands, waterbodies, and riparian areas by mitigating the potential for negative impacts during both construction and operation. The project team conducted extensive research to understand the local watershed context, identified potential contamination sources (such as herbicide use, sediment runoff, and petroleum spills), and developed robust mitigation measures to protect water quality and aquatic habitats. These include spill and leak prevention and response plans and best management practices for sediment and erosion control. Plus, the conversion of former agricultural land into prairie grassland will reduce agriculture pollutants like nitrogen and phosphorous.

Enhancing Ecological Functions – The project team designed a pollinator-friendly vegetation management plan to control invasive species and limit the use of herbicides, fertilizers, and pesticides. Alliant Energy has committed to expanding pollinator-friendly habitats in their renewable energy projects to encourage habitat diversity that supports wildlife and to help address an unsustainable global decline in pollinators. The vegetation will also filter pollutants and provide erosion control by encouraging more stormwater to percolate downward through the soil instead of flowing laterally across the site. Together, these efforts will enhance the overall health of the ecosystem and support its ecological functions.

Improving Air Quality – Alliant Energy has made a company-wide commitment to reduce air emissions from their portfolio of assets and improve overall ambient air quality. The Creston Solar Project supports this goal by replacing fossil fuel energy generation with solar energy generation. Solar energy generation does not produce direct air pollutants and will thereby reduce pollutant emissions – including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide – by over 99% when compared to fossil fuel energy generation.