Alliant Energy 10-K 2023-12-31
Filed 2024-02-16. 24 sections, 737K characters. Original on sec.gov · Markdown · JSON
Cover and table of contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023
or
☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to

Name of Registrant, State of Incorporation, Address of Principal Executive Offices, Telephone Number, Commission File Number, IRS Employer Identification Number
ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION
(a Wisconsin Corporation)
4902 N. Biltmore Lane
Madison, Wisconsin 53718
Telephone (608) 458-3311
Commission File Number - 1-9894
IRS Employer Identification Number - 39-1380265
INTERSTATE POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
(an Iowa corporation)
Alliant Energy Tower
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Telephone (319) 786-4411
Commission File Number - 1-4117
IRS Employer Identification Number - 42-0331370
WISCONSIN POWER & LIGHT COMPANY
(a Wisconsin corporation)
4902 N. Biltmore Lane
Madison, Wisconsin 53718
Telephone (608) 458-3311
Commission File Number - 0-337
IRS Employer Identification Number - 39-0714890
This combined Form 10-K is separately filed by Alliant Energy Corporation, Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company. Information contained in the Form 10-K relating to Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company is filed by each such registrant on its own behalf. Each of Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company makes no representation as to information relating to registrants other than itself.
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Alliant Energy Corporation, Common Stock, $0.01 Par Value, Trading Symbol LNT, Nasdaq Global Select Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Alliant Energy Corporation - Yes ☒ No ☐
Interstate Power and Light Company - Yes ☒ No ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company - Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Alliant Energy Corporation - Yes ☐ No ☒
Interstate Power and Light Company - Yes ☐ No ☒
Wisconsin Power and Light Company - Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrants were required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Alliant Energy Corporation - Yes ☒ No ☐
Interstate Power and Light Company - Yes ☒ No ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company - Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Alliant Energy Corporation - Yes ☒ No ☐
Interstate Power and Light Company - Yes ☒ No ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company - Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, accelerated filer, non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Alliant Energy Corporation - Large Accelerated Filer ☒ Accelerated Filer ☐ Non-accelerated Filer ☐ Smaller Reporting Company ☐ Emerging Growth Company ☐
Interstate Power and Light Company - Large Accelerated Filer ☐ Accelerated Filer ☐ Non-accelerated Filer ☒ Smaller Reporting Company ☐ Emerging Growth Company ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company - Large Accelerated Filer ☐ Accelerated Filer ☐ Non-accelerated Filer ☒ Smaller Reporting Company ☐ Emerging Growth Company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
Alliant Energy Corporation ☐
Interstate Power and Light Company ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (§ 15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.
Alliant Energy Corporation ☒
Interstate Power and Light Company ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.
Alliant Energy Corporation ☐
Interstate Power and Light Company ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant's executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).
Alliant Energy Corporation ☐
Interstate Power and Light Company ☐
Wisconsin Power and Light Company ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Alliant Energy Corporation - Yes ☐ No ☒
Interstate Power and Light Company - Yes ☐ No ☒
Wisconsin Power and Light Company - Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by nonaffiliates as of June 30, 2023:
Alliant Energy Corporation - $13.2 billion
Interstate Power and Light Company - $0
Wisconsin Power and Light Company - $0
Number of shares outstanding of each class of common stock as of January 31, 2024:
Alliant Energy Corporation, Common Stock, $0.01 par value, 256,100,293 shares outstanding
Interstate Power and Light Company, Common Stock, $2.50 par value, 13,370,788 shares outstanding (all outstanding shares are owned beneficially and of record by Alliant Energy Corporation)
Wisconsin Power and Light Company, Common Stock, $5 par value, 13,236,601 shares outstanding (all outstanding shares are owned beneficially and of record by Alliant Energy Corporation)
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Proxy Statement relating to Alliant Energy Corporation’s 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareowners are, or will be upon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEFINITIONS
The following abbreviations or acronyms used in this report are defined below:
| Abbreviation or Acronym | Definition | Abbreviation or Acronym | Definition | ||||||||
| 2024 Alliant Energy Proxy Statement | Alliant Energy’s Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareowners | GAAP | U.S. generally accepted accounting principles | ||||||||
| AEF | Alliant Energy Finance, LLC | GHG | Greenhouse gases | ||||||||
| AFUDC | Allowance for funds used during construction | IPL | Interstate Power and Light Company | ||||||||
| Alliant Energy | Alliant Energy Corporation | IRS | Internal Revenue Service | ||||||||
| ARO | Asset retirement obligation | ITC | ITC Midwest LLC | ||||||||
| ATC | American Transmission Company LLC | IUB | Iowa Utilities Board | ||||||||
| ATC Holdings | Interest in American Transmission Company LLC and ATC Holdco LLC | KWh | Kilowatt-hour | ||||||||
| ATI | AE Transco Investments, LLC | MDA | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | ||||||||
| CA | Certificate of authority | MGP | Manufactured gas plant | ||||||||
| CAA | Clean Air Act | MISO | Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. | ||||||||
| CCR | Coal combustion residuals | MW | Megawatt | ||||||||
| CO2 | Carbon dioxide | MWh | Megawatt-hour | ||||||||
| Corporate Services | Alliant Energy Corporate Services, Inc. | N/A | Not applicable | ||||||||
| CPCN | Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity | Note(s) | Combined Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements | ||||||||
| CSAPR | Cross-State Air Pollution Rule | OIP | Alliant Energy Omnibus Incentive Plan | ||||||||
| CWIP | Construction work in progress | OPEB | Other postretirement benefits | ||||||||
| DAEC | Duane Arnold Energy Center | PPA | Purchased power agreement | ||||||||
| DCP | Alliant Energy Deferred Compensation Plan | PSCW | Public Service Commission of Wisconsin | ||||||||
| Dth | Dekatherm | Receivables Agreement | Receivables Purchase and Sale Agreement | ||||||||
| EGU | Electric generating unit | SEC | Securities and Exchange Commission | ||||||||
| EPA | U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | U.S. | United States of America | ||||||||
| EPS | Earnings per weighted average common share | VEBA | Voluntary Employees’ Beneficiary Association | ||||||||
| FERC | Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | VIE | Variable interest entity | ||||||||
| Financial Statements | Consolidated Financial Statements | West Riverside | West Riverside Energy Center and Solar Facility | ||||||||
| FTR | Financial transmission right | Whiting Petroleum | Whiting Petroleum Corporation | ||||||||
| Fuel-related | Electric production fuel and purchased power | WPL | Wisconsin Power and Light Company |
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements contained in this report that are not of historical fact are forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbors from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified as such because the statements include words such as “may,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “projections,” “estimate,” or other words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe future financial performance or plans or strategies are forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such statements. Some, but not all, of the risks and uncertainties of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL that could materially affect actual results include:
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the direct or indirect effects resulting from cybersecurity incidents or attacks on Alliant Energy, IPL, WPL, or their suppliers, contractors and partners, or responses to such incidents;
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the impact of customer- and third party-owned generation, including alternative electric suppliers, in IPL’s and WPL’s service territories on system reliability, operating expenses and customers’ demand for electricity;
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economic conditions in IPL’s and WPL’s service territories;
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the impact of energy efficiency, franchise retention and customer disconnects on sales volumes and operating income;
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the impact that price changes may have on IPL’s and WPL’s customers’ demand for electric, gas and steam services and their ability to pay their bills;
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changes in the price of delivered natural gas, transmission, purchased electricity and delivered coal, particularly during elevated market prices, and any resulting changes to counterparty credit risk, due to shifts in supply and demand caused by market conditions, regulations and MISO’s seasonal resource adequacy process;
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IPL’s and WPL’s ability to obtain adequate and timely rate relief to allow for, among other things, the recovery of and/or the return on costs, including fuel costs, operating costs, transmission costs, capacity costs, deferred expenditures, deferred tax assets, tax expense, interest expense, capital expenditures, and remaining costs related to EGUs that may be permanently closed and certain other retired assets, decreases in sales volumes, earning their authorized rates of return, and the payments to their parent of expected levels of dividends;
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the ability to obtain deferral treatment for the recovery of and a return on prudently incurred costs in between rate reviews;
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the ability to obtain regulatory approval for construction projects with acceptable conditions;
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the ability to complete construction of renewable generation and storage projects by planned in-service dates and within the cost targets set by regulators due to cost increases of and access to materials, equipment and commodities, which could result from tariffs, duties or other assessments, such as any additional tariffs resulting from U.S. Department of Commerce investigations into and any decisions made regarding the sourcing of solar project materials and equipment from certain countries, labor issues or supply shortages, the ability to successfully resolve warranty issues or contract disputes, the ability to achieve the expected level of tax benefits based on tax guidelines, project costs and the level of electricity output generated by qualifying generating facilities, and the ability to efficiently utilize the renewable generation and storage project tax benefits for the benefit of customers;
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WPL’s ability to obtain adequate and timely rate relief to allow for the recovery of and/or the return on costs of solar generation projects that exceed initial cost estimates;
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the impacts of changes in the tax code, including tax rates, minimum tax rates, adjustments made to deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes impacting the availability of and ability to transfer renewable tax credits;
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the ability to utilize tax credits generated to date, and those that may be generated in the future, before they expire, as well as the ability to transfer tax credits that may be generated in the future at adequate pricing;
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disruptions to ongoing operations and the supply of materials, services, equipment and commodities needed to construct solar generation, battery storage and electric and gas distribution projects, which may result from geopolitical issues, supplier manufacturing constraints, labor issues or transportation issues, and thus affect the ability to meet capacity requirements and result in increased capacity expense;
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inflation and higher interest rates;
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the future development of technologies related to electrification, and the ability to reliably store and manage electricity;
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federal and state regulatory or governmental actions, including the impact of legislation, and regulatory agency orders and changes in public policy;
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employee workforce factors, including the ability to hire and retain employees with specialized skills, impacts from employee retirements, changes in key executives, ability to create desired corporate culture, collective bargaining agreements and negotiations, work stoppages or restructurings;
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disruptions in the supply and delivery of natural gas, purchased electricity and coal;
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weather effects on utility sales volumes and operations;
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changes to the creditworthiness of, or performance of obligations by, counterparties with which Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL have contractual arrangements, including participants in the energy markets and fuel suppliers and transporters;
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the impact of penalties or third-party claims related to, or in connection with, a failure to maintain the security of personally identifiable information, including associated costs to notify affected persons and to mitigate their information security concerns;
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impacts that terrorist attacks may have on Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s operations and recovery of costs associated with restoration activities, or on the operations of Alliant Energy’s investments;
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any material post-closing payments related to any past asset divestitures, including the transfer of renewable tax credits and the sale of Whiting Petroleum, which could result from, among other things, indemnification agreements, warranties, guarantees or litigation;
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continued access to the capital markets on competitive terms and rates, and the actions of credit rating agencies;
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changes to MISO’s resource adequacy process establishing capacity planning reserve margin and capacity accreditation requirements that may impact how and when new and existing generating facilities, including IPL’s and WPL’s additional solar generation, may be accredited with energy capacity, and may require IPL and WPL to adjust their current resource plans, to add resources to meet the requirements of MISO’s process, or procure capacity in the market whereby such costs might not be recovered in rates;
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issues associated with environmental remediation and environmental compliance, including compliance with all environmental and emissions permits and future changes in environmental laws and regulations, including the CCR rule, CSAPR and federal, state or local regulations for GHG emissions reductions from new and existing fossil-fueled EGUs under the CAA, and litigation associated with environmental requirements;
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increased pressure from customers, investors and other stakeholders to more rapidly reduce GHG emissions;
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the ability to defend against environmental claims brought by state and federal agencies, such as the EPA and state natural resources agencies, or third parties, such as the Sierra Club, and the impact on operating expenses of defending and resolving such claims;
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the direct or indirect effects resulting from breakdown or failure of equipment in the operation of electric and gas distribution systems, such as mechanical problems and explosions or fires, and compliance with electric and gas transmission and distribution safety regulations, including regulations promulgated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration;
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issues related to the availability and operations of EGUs, including start-up risks, breakdown or failure of equipment, availability of warranty coverage and successful resolution of warranty issues or contract disputes for equipment breakdowns or failures, performance below expected or contracted levels of output or efficiency, operator error, employee safety, transmission constraints, compliance with mandatory reliability standards and risks related to recovery of resulting incremental operating, fuel-related and capital costs through rates;
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impacts that excessive heat, excessive cold, storms, wildfires, or natural disasters may have on Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s operations and construction activities, and recovery of costs associated with restoration activities, or on the operations of Alliant Energy’s investments;
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Alliant Energy’s ability to sustain its dividend payout ratio goal;
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changes to costs of providing benefits and related funding requirements of pension and OPEB plans due to the market value of the assets that fund the plans, economic conditions, financial market performance, interest rates, timing and form of benefits payments, life expectancies and demographics;
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material changes in employee-related benefit and compensation costs, including settlement losses related to pension plans;
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risks associated with operation and ownership of non-utility holdings;
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changes in technology that alter the channels through which customers buy or utilize Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s or WPL’s products and services;
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impacts on equity income from unconsolidated investments from changes in valuations of the assets held, as well as potential changes to ATC’s authorized return on equity;
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impacts of IPL’s future tax benefits from Iowa rate-making practices, including deductions for repairs expenditures, allocation of mixed service costs and state depreciation, and recoverability of the associated regulatory assets from customers, when the differences reverse in future periods;
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current or future litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries;
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reputational damage from negative publicity, protests, fines, penalties and other negative consequences resulting in regulatory and/or legal actions;
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the direct or indirect effects resulting from pandemics;
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the effect of accounting standards issued periodically by standard-setting bodies;
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the ability to successfully complete tax audits and changes in tax accounting methods with no material impact on earnings and cash flows; and
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other factors listed in MDA and Item 1A Risk Factors.
Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL each assume no obligation, and disclaim any duty, to update the forward-looking statements in this report, except as required by law.
Available Information. Alliant Energy routinely posts important information on its website and considers the Investors section of its website, www.alliantenergy.com/investors, a channel of distribution for material information. Information contained on Alliant Energy’s website is not incorporated herein by reference.
WEBSITE ACCESS TO REPORTS
Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL make their periodic and current reports, and amendments to those reports, available, free of charge, on Alliant Energy’s website at www.alliantenergy.com/investors on the same day as such material is electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL are not including the information contained on Alliant Energy’s website as a part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this report.
PART I
This report includes information relating to Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL (as well as AEF and Corporate Services). Where appropriate, information relating to a specific entity has been segregated and labeled as such. Unless otherwise noted, the information herein excludes discontinued operations for all periods presented. The terms “we,” “our” and “us” used in this report refer collectively to Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL.
Item 1. BUSINESS
A. GENERAL
Alliant Energy maintains its principal executive offices in Madison, Wisconsin. Alliant Energy operates as a regulated investor-owned public utility holding company, and its purpose-driven strategy is to serve its customers and build stronger communities. Alliant Energy’s primary focus is to provide regulated electric and natural gas service to approximately 1,000,000 electric and approximately 425,000 natural gas customers in the Midwest through its two public utility subsidiaries, IPL and WPL. The primary first tier wholly-owned subsidiaries of Alliant Energy are as follows:
1) IPL - is a public utility engaged principally in the generation and distribution of electricity and the distribution and transportation of natural gas to retail customers in select markets in Iowa. IPL provides utility services to incorporated communities as directed by the IUB and utilizes non-exclusive franchises, which cover the use of public right-of-ways for utility facilities in incorporated communities for a maximum term of 25 years. At December 31, 2023, IPL supplied electric and natural gas service to approximately 500,000 and 225,000 retail customers, respectively, in Iowa. IPL also sells electricity to wholesale customers in Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa. IPL is also engaged in the generation and distribution of steam for two customers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
2) WPL - is a public utility engaged principally in the generation and distribution of electricity and the distribution and transportation of natural gas to retail customers in select markets in Wisconsin. WPL operates in municipalities pursuant to permits of indefinite duration and state statutes authorizing utility operation in areas annexed by a municipality. At December 31, 2023, WPL supplied electric and natural gas service to approximately 500,000 and 200,000 retail customers, respectively. WPL also sells electricity to wholesale customers in Wisconsin.
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3) CORPORATE SERVICES - provides administrative services to Alliant Energy, IPL, WPL and AEF.
4) AEF - Alliant Energy’s non-utility holdings are organized under AEF, which manages a portfolio of wholly-owned subsidiaries and additional holdings, including the following distinct platforms:
ATI - currently holds all of Alliant Energy’s interest in ATC Holdings. ATC Holdings is comprised of a 16% ownership interest in ATC and a 20% ownership interest in ATC Holdco LLC. ATC is an independent, for-profit, transmission-only company. ATC Holdco LLC holds an interest in Duke-American Transmission Company, LLC, a joint venture between Duke Energy Corporation and ATC, that owns electric transmission infrastructure in North America.
Corporate Venture Investments - includes various minority ownership interests in regional and national venture funds, including a global coalition of energy companies working together to help advance the transition towards a cleaner, more sustainable, and inclusive energy future, by identifying and researching innovative technologies and business models within the emerging energy economy.
Non-utility Wind Farm - includes a 50% cash equity ownership interest in a 225 MW non-utility wind farm located in Oklahoma.
Sheboygan Falls Energy Facility - is a 347 MW, simple-cycle, natural gas-fired EGU near Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, which is currently leased to WPL through 2039. Refer to Note 10 for additional information on WPL’s Sheboygan Falls Energy Facility lease.
Travero - is a diversified supply chain solutions company, including a short-line rail freight service in Iowa; a Mississippi River barge, rail and truck freight terminal in Illinois; freight brokerage services; wind turbine blade recycling services; and a rail-served warehouse in Iowa.
Development-ready Sites - includes various rail-served and ready-to-build manufacturing and industrial sites throughout Iowa and Wisconsin, with access to various airports, interstate freeways and Alliant Energy’s electric services.
B. INFORMATION RELATING TO ALLIANT ENERGY ON A CONSOLIDATED BASIS
1) HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT - Alliant Energy’s core purpose is to serve customers and build stronger communities. We constantly strive to attract, retain and develop a diverse and qualified workforce of high-performing employees, and create and foster an environment of inclusion and belonging for all employees.
Employees - At December 31, 2023, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL had the following full- and part-time employees:
| Total | Number of | Percentage of Employees | |||||||||||||||
| Number of | Bargaining Unit | Covered by Collective | |||||||||||||||
| Employees | Employees | Bargaining Agreements | |||||||||||||||
| Alliant Energy | 3,281 | 1,755 | 53% | ||||||||||||||
| IPL | 1,116 | 774 | 69% | ||||||||||||||
| WPL | 1,045 | 868 | 83% |
The majority of IPL’s bargaining unit employees are covered by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 204 (Cedar Rapids) collective bargaining agreement, which expires August 31, 2024. All of WPL’s bargaining unit employees are covered by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 965 collective bargaining agreement, which expires May 31, 2026.
Safety - Safety is integral to our company’s culture. It is one of our Values - “Live safety. Everyone. Always. Our first priority is that nobody gets hurt.” Alliant Energy is committed to providing a safe environment for our employees, visitors, customers, contractors, vendors and the communities in which we live and work.
We focus on the proactive management of our safety performance. Our comprehensive behavioral safety-based program consists of leading indicators, lagging indicators and targeted focus programs. We utilize a formal safety management system to capture and track best practices, near misses, job site briefings, safety observations, safety conversations and any unsafe conditions. This system provides the insights needed to help drive a positive safety culture and help ensure compliance with safety rules, processes and procedures. We also use this system to broadly share lessons learned in support of shaping the mindsets and behaviors needed to help prevent similar events from occurring elsewhere. Collectively, this information is used to evaluate the safety performance of the executive and management teams related to their goals, and safety metrics are factored into short-term incentive awards.
We maintain executive and local safety leadership teams to establish our safety vision, strategy and priorities, and ensure education and recognition of employee actions that improve our safety culture. This leadership provides strong support for sustained growth of both employee and public safety programs and initiatives.
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Public safety is equally important as we interact with our customers to provide energy to their homes and businesses. We offer awareness campaigns, natural gas and electric public safety presentations, and free online resources and training programs and guidance to assist local emergency responders.
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Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
You should carefully consider each of the risks described below relating to Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL, together with all of the other information contained in this combined report, before making an investment decision with respect to our securities. If any of the following risks develop into actual events, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected, and you may lose all or part of your investment.
Risks Related to Business Operations
A cyber attack may disrupt our operations or lead to a loss or misuse of confidential and proprietary information or potential liability - We operate in an industry that requires the continuous use and operation of information and telecommunications systems. We face threats from use of malicious code (such as malware, viruses and ransomware), employee theft or misuse, advanced persistent threats, vulnerabilities (such as the log4j and MOVEit vulnerabilities), fraud attempts, and phishing attacks. Incidents of ransomware attacks have been increasing in frequency and magnitude. Emerging artificial intelligence technologies may be used to develop new hacking tools, exploit vulnerabilities, obscure malicious activities, and increase the difficulty detecting threats. Cyber attacks targeting electronic control systems used at our generating facilities and for electric and gas distribution systems could result in a full or partial disruption of our electric and/or gas operations. We have relied on a global supply chain for certain components of our operating and technology systems, which may increase our exposure to cyber attacks. Any disruption of these operations could result in a loss of service to customers and a significant decrease in revenues, as well as significant expense to repair system damage and remedy security breaches. Due to the evolving nature of cyber attacks and cybersecurity, our current safeguards to protect our operating systems and information technology assets may not always be effective. We rely on third parties for software to protect against cyber attacks and we are at risk if such third parties are targets of cyber attacks. Measures taken to avoid, detect, mitigate or recover from cybersecurity breaches or incidents may be insufficient or become ineffective, and there are no assurances that cybersecurity breaches or incidents will not impact our business, operations and financial condition. If the technology systems were to fail or be breached by a cyber attack or a computer virus, and not be recovered in a timely fashion, we may be unable to fulfill critical business functions and confidential data could be compromised, adversely impacting our financial condition and results of operation.
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In addition, we use information technology systems to collect and retain sensitive information, including personal information about our customers, shareowners and employees. In some cases, we outsource administration of certain functions to vendors that have been or could be targets of cyber attacks. Any theft, loss and/or fraudulent use of customer, shareowner, employee or proprietary data as a result of a cyber attack could subject us to significant litigation, liability and costs, as well as adversely impact our reputation with customers and regulators, among others.
Demand for energy may decrease - Our results of operations are affected by the demand for energy in our service territories. Energy demand may decrease due to many things, including economic conditions, proliferation of customer and third party-owned generation, technological advances that reduce the costs of renewable energy and storage solutions for our customers, government policies, such as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA Act), which incentivize customer and third party-owned generation, loss of service territory or franchises, energy efficiency measures, technological advances that improve energy efficiency, third-party disrupters, loss of wholesale customers, loss of customers that pursue their own renewable projects to achieve specific sustainability goals, and the adverse impact of tariffs on our customers. The loss of sales due to lower demand for energy may increase our rates for remaining customers, as our rates must cover our fixed costs. Increased customer rates may cause decreased demand for energy as customers move to customer and third party-owned generation and implement energy efficiency measures to reduce costs. The loss of customers, the inability to replace those customers with new customers, and the decrease in demand for energy could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Our strategy includes large construction projects, which are subject to risks - Our strategy includes constructing renewable generating facilities, energy storage facilities, natural gas-fired generating facilities and large-scale additions and upgrades to our electric and gas distribution systems and generating assets. These construction projects are subject to various risks. These risks include: the inability to obtain necessary regulatory approvals and permits in a timely manner; adverse interpretation or enforcement of permit conditions; changes in applicable laws or regulations; changes in costs of materials, equipment, commodities, fuel or labor including due to inflation, tariffs, labor issues, or supply shortages; delays caused by construction accidents or injuries; shortages in materials, equipment, or qualified labor; changes to the scope or timing of the projects; general contractors, subcontractors, or equipment not performing as required under their contracts; the inability to agree to contract terms or disputes in contract terms; the inability to successfully resolve warranty claims; poor initial cost estimates; work stoppages; adverse weather conditions; government actions; legal action; unforeseen engineering or technology issues; limited access to capital or other financing arrangements; and other adverse economic conditions. We outsource certain business functions to third-party suppliers and service providers, and substandard performance by those third parties could harm our business, reputation and results of operations. We may not be able to recover all costs for the projects in rates and face increased risk of potential impairment of our project investment if a construction project is not completed or is delayed, or final costs exceed expectations or the costs approved by our regulators. For example, WPL has notified the PSCW that its solar generating facility developments have exceeded the approved costs. We may not be able to meet capacity requirements to comply with electric demand planning reserve margins if a construction project is not completed or is delayed. Inability to recover costs, or inability to complete projects or recover costs in a timely manner, could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Supply chain disruptions could negatively impact our operations and implementation of our strategy - Our operations and strategy depend on the global supply chain to procure the equipment, materials and other resources necessary to provide services in a safe and reliable manner and construct new utility infrastructure. The global supply chain has experienced, and is expected to continue to experience, disruptions due to a multitude of factors, such as geopolitical issues, supplier manufacturing constraints, labor issues, transportation issues, resource availability, long lead times, tariffs, tighter credit markets, inflation, pandemics and weather. These disruptions have impacted, and are expected to continue to impact, our ability to receive critical materials, supplies and services in a timely and economic manner. This could have an adverse impact by increasing costs and delaying the construction, maintenance or repair of items that are needed to support normal operations or are necessary to our construction projects to implement our strategy. Inability to recover higher costs, or inability to complete projects in a timely manner, could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Our utility business is seasonal and may be adversely affected by the impacts of weather - Electric and gas utility businesses are seasonal businesses. Demand for electricity is greater in the summer months associated with higher air conditioning needs and winter months associated with higher heating needs. Demand for natural gas depends significantly upon temperature patterns in winter months due to heavy use in residential and commercial heating. As a result, our overall operating results in the future may fluctuate substantially on a seasonal basis. In addition, we have historically generated less revenues and income when temperatures are warmer in the winter and/or cooler in the summer. Thus, mild winters and/or summers could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
We face risks associated with operating electric and natural gas infrastructure - The operation of electric generation and distribution infrastructure involves many risks, including start-up risks, breakdown or failure of equipment, fires developing from our power lines, transformers, energy storage facilities, or substations, dam failure at one of our hydroelectric facilities, the dependence on a specific fuel source, including the supply and transportation of fuel, the risk of performance below expected or contracted levels of output or efficiency, members of the public or contractors coming into contact with our infrastructure, public and employee safety, operator error and ruptured oil and chemical tanks. The operation of our natural gas distribution and transportation infrastructure also involves many risks, such as leaks, explosions, mechanical problems, members of the
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public or contractors coming into contact with our infrastructure, and employee and public safety. In addition, the North American electric transmission grid is highly interconnected and, in extraordinary circumstances, disruptions at particular points within the grid could cause an extensive power outage in our service territories. Increased utilization of customer- and third party-owned generation technologies could also disrupt the reliability and balance of the electricity grid. Further, the electric transmission system in our utilities’ service territories can experience constraints, limiting the ability to transmit electricity within our service territories. The transmission constraints could result in an inability to deliver electricity from generating facilities, particularly wind and solar generating facilities, to the national grid, or to access lower cost sources of electricity.
These risks could cause significant harm to employees, customers and the public, including loss of human life, significant damage to property, adverse impacts on the environment and impairment of our operations, all of which could result in substantial financial losses to us. We are also responsible for compliance with new and changing regulatory standards involving safety, reliability and environmental compliance, including regulations under the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and the Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration. Failure to meet these regulatory standards could result in substantial fines. Lastly, we have obligations to provide electric and natural gas service to customers under regulatory requirements and contractual commitments. Failure to meet our service obligations, and failure of IPL’s solar generating facilities to achieve a certain level of output, could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Storms or other natural disasters may impact our operations in unpredictable ways - Storms and other natural disasters, including events such as floods, tornadoes, windstorms like the 2020 derecho in Iowa, blizzards, ice storms, extreme hot temperatures, extreme cold temperatures, fires, wildfires, solar flares or pandemics may adversely impact our ability to generate, purchase or distribute electric energy and gas or obtain fuel or other critical supplies. In addition, we could incur large costs to repair damage to our generating facilities and electric and gas infrastructure, or costs related to environmental remediation, due to storms or other natural disasters. The restoration costs may not be fully covered by insurance policies and may not be fully recovered in rates, or recovery in rates may be delayed. Storms and natural disasters may impact our customers and the resulting reduced demand for energy could cause lower sales and revenues, which may not be replaced or recovered in rates, or rate recovery may be delayed. Any of these items could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Threats of terrorism and catastrophic events that could result from terrorism may impact our operations in unpredictable ways - We are subject to direct and indirect effects of terrorist threats and activities. Generation, transmission and distribution facilities, in general, have been identified as potential targets of physical or cyber attacks. Physical attacks on transmission and distribution facilities that appeared to be terrorist-style attacks have occurred. Our gas distribution system could also be the target of terrorist threats and activities. The risks posed by such attacks could include, among other things, the inability to generate, purchase or distribute electric energy or obtain fuel sources, the increased cost of security and insurance, the disruption of, volatility in, or other effects on capital markets, and a decline in the economy and/or energy usage within our service territories, all of which could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the cost of repairing damage to our facilities and infrastructure caused by acts of terrorism, and the loss of revenue if such events prevent us from providing utility service to our customers, could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to fully recover costs related to commodity prices - We have natural gas and coal supply and transportation contracts in place for some of the natural gas and coal we require to generate electricity. We also have transportation and supply agreements in place to facilitate delivery of natural gas to our customers. Our counterparties to these contracts may not fulfill their obligations to provide natural gas, coal, financial settlements or collateral to us due to financial or operational problems caused by natural disasters, severe weather, economic conditions, labor shortages, employee strikes, transportation issues, pandemics, physical attacks or cyber attacks. If we were unable to obtain enough natural gas or coal for our electric generating facilities under our existing contracts, or to obtain electricity under existing or future purchased power agreements, we could be required to purchase natural gas or coal at higher prices, need to secure higher cost delivery of natural gas or coal, be forced to curtail the operation of our natural gas-fired or coal-fired generating facilities, be forced to purchase electricity from higher-cost generating resources in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. (MISO) energy market and/or be required to purchase replacement capacity to comply with electric demand planning reserve margins. We may be obligated to pay for coal deliveries under our contracts even if our coal-fired generating facilities do not operate enough to fully utilize the amounts of coal covered by the contracts. If, for natural gas delivery to our customers, we were unable to obtain our natural gas supply requirements under existing or future natural gas supply and transportation contracts, we could be required to purchase natural gas at higher prices from other sources. Natural gas market prices have been volatile in the past and could be volatile in the future due to additional future regulations, increased demand including due to increased liquified natural gas demand from foreign countries, limited global suppliers of natural gas, periods of extremely cold temperatures or disruption in supply caused by major storms or pipeline explosions. Our utility business also operates wind and solar generating facilities that sell electricity in the MISO energy market. If MISO energy market prices result in unfavorable pricing for wind or solar energy, this may reduce the energy market revenue produced by those facilities and result in higher electricity costs that would need to be recovered from customers. We may not be able to pass on all of the changes in costs to our customers, especially at WPL where we do not have an automatic retail electric fuel cost adjustment
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clause to timely recover such costs and where electric fuel cost recovery may be limited if WPL earns in excess of its authorized return on common equity. Increases in prices and costs due to disruptions that are not recovered in rates fully or not recovered in a timely manner, may adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Energy industry changes could have a negative effect on our businesses - We operate in a highly regulated business environment. The advent of new and unregulated markets has the potential to significantly impact our financial condition and results of operations. Further, competitors may not be subject to the same operating, regulatory and financial requirements that we are, potentially causing a substantial competitive disadvantage for us. Changes in public policy, such as new tax incentives that we cannot take advantage of or efforts to deregulate the utility industry, could provide an advantage to competitors. Changes in technology could also alter the channels through which electric customers produce, store, buy or utilize power, which could reduce the revenues or increase the expenses of our utility companies. Increased competition in our primary retail electric service territories may have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
We face risks related to non-utility operations - We rely on our non-utility operations for a portion of our earnings. If our non-utility holdings do not perform at expected levels, we could experience an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Laws and Regulations
Our utility business is significantly impacted by government legislation, regulation and oversight - Our utility financial condition is influenced by how regulatory authorities, including the IUB, the PSCW and FERC, establish the rates we can charge our customers, our authorized rates of return and common equity levels, and the costs that may be recovered from customers. Our ability to timely obtain rate adjustments to earn authorized rates of return depends upon timely regulatory action under applicable statutes and regulations, and cannot be guaranteed. IPL and WPL may not receive an adequate amount of rate relief to recover all costs and earn their authorized rates of return, rates may be reduced, rate refunds may be required, rate adjustments may not be approved on a timely basis, costs may not be otherwise recovered through rates, future rates may be temporarily frozen, laws or rules may limit the ability to file rate adjustments or the period covered by a rate adjustment, regulatory decisions may limit the ability to defer recovery of and a return on prudently incurred costs in between rate reviews, certain rate base items may not receive a full weighted average cost of capital, and authorized rates of return on capital may be reduced. As a result, we may experience adverse impacts on our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, our operations are subject to extensive regulation primarily by the IUB, the PSCW and FERC. We are also subject to oversight and monitoring by organizations such as the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the Midwest Reliability Organization, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, MISO and the Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration. The impacts on our operations include: our ability to site and construct new energy facilities, such as renewable energy or battery storage projects, and recover associated costs; our ability to decommission generating facilities and recover related costs and the remaining carrying value of these facilities and related assets; changes to MISO’s resource adequacy process establishing seasonal capacity planning reserve margin and capacity accreditation requirements that may impact how and when new generating facilities such as IPL’s and WPL’s additional solar generation may be accredited with energy capacity, and may require IPL and WPL to adjust their current resource plans, to add resources to meet the requirements of MISO’s seasonal resource adequacy process, or procure capacity whereby such costs might not be recovered in rates; the impact of the lack of availability of existing and new generating facilities has on our accredited capacity for such facilities pursuant to MISO’s seasonal resource adequacy process; IPL’s ability to achieve certain aggregate summer capacity factors under the consumer protection plan for its up to 400 MW of solar generation projects; the rates paid to transmission operators and how those costs are recovered from customers, including our ability to continue to use a transmission rider in Iowa; our ability to site, construct and recover costs for new natural gas pipelines; our ability to recover costs to upgrade our electric and gas distribution systems; the amount of certain sources of energy we must use, such as renewable sources; our ability to purchase generating facilities and recover the costs associated therewith; our ability to sell utility assets and any conditions placed upon the sale of such assets; our ability to enter into purchased power agreements and recover the costs associated therewith; the allocation of expenditures by transmission companies on transmission network upgrades and our ability to recover costs associated therewith; reliability; safety; the issuance of securities and ability to use other financing arrangements for our renewable energy projects; accounting matters; and transactions between affiliates. These regulatory authorities and organizations are also empowered to impose financial penalties and other sanctions, including requirements to implement new compliance programs. Failure to obtain approvals for any of these matters in a timely manner, or receipt of approvals with uneconomical conditions, may cause us not to pursue the construction of such projects, or to record an impairment of our assets, or may cause a delay in construction of such projects such that we are not able to meet new demand growth, and may have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. Our regulators or legislatures could change regulations or laws to permit third parties to provide renewable energy directly to our customers without being treated as a utility, potentially causing a competitive disadvantage for us. Changes to these regulations could materially increase our costs or cause us to reconsider our strategy, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Provisions of the Wisconsin Utility Holding Company Act may limit our ability to invest in or grow our non-utility activities and may deter potential purchasers who might be willing to pay a premium for our stock.
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Our utility businesses are subject to numerous environmental laws and regulations - Our utilities are subject to numerous federal, regional, state and local environmental laws, regulations, court orders, and international treaties. These laws, regulations and court orders generally concern emissions into the air, discharges into water, use of water, wetlands preservation, remediation of contamination, waste disposal and containment, disposal of coal combustion residuals, hazardous waste disposal, threatened and endangered species, and noise regulation, among others. Failure to comply with such laws, regulations and court orders, or to obtain or comply with any necessary environmental permits pursuant to such laws and regulations, could result in injunctions, fines or other sanctions. Environmental laws and regulations affecting power generation and electric and gas distribution are complex and subject to continued uncertainty and could be changed by the current or future Presidential or Gubernatorial Administrations. These laws and regulations have imposed, and proposed laws and regulations could impose in the future, additional costs on our utility operations. We have incurred, and will continue to incur, capital and other expenditures to comply with these and other environmental laws and regulations. Changes in or new development of environmental restrictions may force us to incur significant expenses or expenses that may exceed our estimates. Our future plans and existing operations may be impacted by changing expectations, including heightened emphasis on environmental and social justice concerns related to supporting an equitable transition to cleaner energy and a low-carbon economy. There can be no assurance that we would be able to recover all or any increased environmental costs from our customers. Failure to comply with the laws, regulations and court orders, changes in the laws and regulations and failure to recover costs of compliance may adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Actions related to global climate change and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions could negatively impact us - We have established GHG reduction goals and continue to review our strategy and our role in supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. However, the ability to achieve our GHG reduction goals and implement our strategy is subject to uncertainties as to how climate change concerns will ultimately impact us and various factors that may be out of our control. These uncertainties include transition risks related to laws and regulations, technology and business operations, or economic and market conditions. In addition, there are physical risks associated with adapting to changing climate conditions and extreme weather events. Further, assessment of the science to evaluate and limit global temperature rise continues to evolve. We could incur costs or other obligations to comply with future GHG regulations, and could become the target of legal claims or challenges, because generating electricity using fossil fuels emits GHGs. Further, investors may determine that we are too reliant on fossil fuels, reducing demand for our stock, which may cause our stock price to decrease, or not buy our debt securities, which may cause our cost of capital to increase. We could face additional pressures from customers, investors or other stakeholders to more rapidly reduce GHG emissions on a voluntary-basis, including faster adoption of lower GHG emitting technologies and management of excess renewable energy credits. The pace and feasibility to fully achieve decarbonization is also contingent on the future development and full-scale deployment of emerging energy technologies and supporting infrastructure, as well as electrification of other economic sectors. We may not be able to recover all costs for projects to reduce GHG emissions in rates if regulators determine that the pace of GHG emissions efforts or new technologies are not prudent. The extent of the EPA’s proposed rules to regulate GHG emissions at fossil-fuel fired electric generating units and specific impacts, including state plans to implement the emissions reductions, remains uncertain. There could also be changes by the current or future Presidential or Gubernatorial Administrations. Various legislative and regulatory proposals to address climate change at the national, state and local levels continue to be introduced. Potential future requirements to reduce GHGs from the energy and manufacturing sectors could affect our operations in various ways. Regulation or legislation mandating GHG emissions reductions or other clean energy standards affecting utility companies could materially increase costs, causing some electric generating units to be uneconomical to operate or maintain. We are vulnerable to potential risks associated with transition to a lower-carbon economy that may extend to our supply chain and natural gas operations. Regulation of oil and gas production could affect our upstream supply of natural gas for electricity generation and to provide directly to our residential and business customers from our local distribution company. This could result in rapid increased demand for alternative non-fossil energy sources and economy-wide electrification. Changes to regional and local climate trends such as the frequency, seasonality, and severity of weather conditions could directly and indirectly impact our company. Acute and chronic physical risks could disrupt our operations or affect our property. Furthermore, it could affect the timing of peak demand and overall energy consumption of our customers. We cannot provide any assurance regarding the potential impacts of climate change or related policies and regulations to reduce GHG emissions on our operations, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Changes to certain tax elections, tax regulations and future taxable income could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations - We have significantly reduced our federal and state income tax obligations through tax planning strategies and the utilization of bonus depreciation deductions for certain expenditures for property. These tax planning strategies and bonus depreciation deductions have reduced taxable income, which in turn has generated large tax credit carryforwards. We plan to utilize all of these tax credit carryforwards in the future to reduce our income tax obligations. If we cannot generate enough taxable income in the future to utilize all of the tax credit carryforwards before they expire due to lower than expected financial performance or changes to tax regulations, we may incur material charges to earnings. The IRA Act allows for the sale or transfer of eligible renewable tax credits to other taxpayers. We plan to sell a substantial amount of our eligible renewable tax credits. The inability to sell renewable tax credits at reasonable terms, or if renewable tax credits that we generate or sell are determined to not be eligible or eligible at a different rate, could materially impact our tax credit carryforward position or result in liability to purchasers of the tax credits. Repeal or amendment of the IRA Act, or portions of the IRA Act, could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, our tax liability is determined by our taxable income multiplied by the current tax rates in effect. If the federal or state tax rates are increased,
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we may experience adverse impacts to our financial condition and results of operations until those rates are reflected in our regulatory filings.
Our utility business currently operates wind and solar generating facilities, which generate production tax credits that are eligible to be used to reduce our federal tax obligations. The amount of production tax credits we earn is dependent on the level of electricity output generated by our qualifying generating facilities and sold to an unrelated buyer, and the applicable tax credit rate. A variety of operating and economic parameters, including transmission constraints, the imbalance of supply and demand of energy resulting in unfavorable pricing for wind or solar energy, adverse weather conditions and breakdown or failure of equipment, could significantly reduce the production tax credits generated by our wind or solar facilities resulting in a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our utility business is developing battery storage facilities, which are expected to generate investment tax credits. Investment tax credits are dependent on the tax capitalized costs of the qualifying generating facilities and the applicable tax credit rate. If there is a disagreement on the qualifying costs or whether the facility qualifies for higher levels of investment tax credits, the amount of investment tax credits awarded may be significantly reduced, possibly adversely impacting our financial condition and results of operations.
The IRA Act introduced new labor requirements that are required to qualify for the full value of renewable tax credits. Failure to meet these requirements on renewable projects that began construction after January 28, 2023 could result in a significant reduction in the amount of renewable tax credits, which could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Economic, Financial and Labor Market Conditions
We are subject to employee workforce factors that could affect our businesses - We operate in an industry that requires specialized technical skills. Further, we must build a workforce that is innovative, customer-focused and competitive to thrive in the future in order to successfully implement our strategy. We have seen and anticipate a steady pace of retirements due to our aging workforce. The labor market for our employees is very competitive, increasing the likelihood that we may lose critical employees or have difficulty hiring qualified employees for critical roles and not have enough time to adequately train employees to prepare for upcoming retirements. It may be difficult to hire and retain such a skilled workforce due to labor market conditions, such as low unemployment rates in our service territories, the length of time employees need to acquire the skills, and general competition for talent. The competitive employment market also increases the amounts we pay our employees in critical positions. We are also subject to collective bargaining agreements covering approximately 1,800 employees. Any work stoppage experienced in connection with negotiations of collective bargaining agreements could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations as well as our ability to implement our strategy.
We are subject to limitations on our ability to pay dividends - Alliant Energy is a holding company with no significant operations of its own. The primary sources of funds for Alliant Energy to pay dividends to its shareowners are dividends and distributions from its subsidiaries, primarily its utility subsidiaries. Our subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have no obligation to pay any amounts to Alliant Energy, whether by dividends, distributions, loans or other payments. The ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make distributions to Alliant Energy and, accordingly, our ability to pay dividends on Alliant Energy common stock will depend on regulatory limitations, earnings, cash flows, capital requirements and general financial condition of our subsidiaries. Our utilities have dividend payment restrictions based on the terms of regulatory limitations applicable to them. If we do not receive adequate dividends and distributions from our subsidiaries, then we may not be able to make, or may have to reduce, dividend payments on Alliant Energy common stock.
We are subject to risks related to inflation - We have recently experienced a significant increase in inflation. The impact of supply chain disruptions and other factors continue to create uncertainty in near-term economic conditions, including whether inflation will continue and at what rate. Increases in inflation raise our costs for labor, materials and services. Inflation may also cause interest rates to increase, increasing our cost of capital. Failure to timely recover these increased costs in rates may adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. Further, increased costs due to inflation will directly and indirectly increase customer costs, which may decrease demand for energy or impact our customers’ ability to pay their bills, which could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
We may incur material post-closing adjustments related to past asset and business divestitures - We have sold certain non-utility subsidiaries such as Whiting Petroleum Corporation (Whiting Petroleum). We may continue to incur liabilities relating to our previous ownership of, or the transactions pursuant to which we disposed of, these subsidiaries and assets. Any potential liability depends on a number of factors outside of our control, including the financial condition of Whiting Petroleum, certain of its partners, and/or their assignees. Any required payments on retained liabilities, guarantees or indemnification obligations with respect to Whiting Petroleum or other past and future asset or business divestitures could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
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We are dependent on the capital markets and could be negatively impacted by disruptions in the capital markets - Successful implementation of our strategy is dependent upon our ability to access the capital markets. We have forecasted capital expenditures of approximately $9 billion over the next four years. Disruption, uncertainty or volatility in the capital markets could increase our cost of capital or limit our ability to raise funds needed to operate our businesses. Disruptions could be caused by Federal Reserve policies and actions, currency concerns, inflation, economic downturn or uncertainty, monetary policies, a negative view of the utility industry or our company, failures of financial institutions, U.S. debt management concerns, U.S. debt limit and budget debates, including government shutdowns, European and worldwide sovereign debt concerns, other global or geopolitical events, or other factors. Increases in interest rates will cause the cost of capital to increase and may cause the price of our equity securities to decline. Any disruptions in capital markets could adversely impact our ability to implement our strategy.
We rely on our strong credit ratings to access the credit markets. If our credit ratings are downgraded for any reason, such as worsening credit metric impacts, negative changes to our regulatory environment, or general negative outlook for the utility industry, we could pay higher interest rates in future financings, the pool of potential lenders could be reduced, borrowing costs under existing credit facilities could increase, our access to the commercial paper market could be limited, or we could be required to provide additional credit assurance, including cash collateral, to contract counterparties. If our access to capital were to become significantly constrained or costs of capital increased significantly due to lowered credit ratings, prevailing industry conditions, regulatory constraints, volatility of the capital markets, inflation or other factors, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our pension and other postretirement benefits plans are subject to investment and interest rate risk that could negatively impact our financial condition - We have pension and other postretirement benefits plans that provide benefits to many of our employees and retirees. Costs of providing benefits and related funding requirements of these plans are subject to changes in the liabilities of the plans and market value of the assets that fund the plans. The funded status of the plans and the related costs reflected in our financial statements are affected by various factors, which are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty, including economic conditions, financial market performance, interest rates, life expectancies and demographics. Recessions and volatility in the domestic and international financial markets have negatively affected the asset values of our pension plans at various times in the past. Poor investment returns or lower interest rates may necessitate accelerated funding of the plans to meet minimum federal government requirements, which could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY
We operate in an industry that requires the continuous use and operation of information and telecommunications systems. In addition, we use information technology systems to collect and retain sensitive information, including confidential and proprietary information about our businesses, and personal information about our customers, shareowners and employees.
Cybersecurity risks are identified through the enterprise risk management (ERM) program as key risks we face. These risks could include use of malicious code, employee theft or misuse, advanced persistent threats, vulnerabilities, fraud attempts, and phishing attacks that could cause, among others, an information technology system failure, or breach or loss of sensitive information. The potential impact of cybersecurity risks on our business operations, results of operations or financial condition is discussed in the “Risks Related to Business Operations” section of Item 1A “Risk Factors.” We have not had any material cybersecurity breaches or incidents and have not incurred any material expenses, penalties or settlement costs related to any cybersecurity breaches or incidents. However, measures that we take to avoid, detect, mitigate or recover from cybersecurity breaches or incidents may be insufficient or become ineffective, and there are no assurances that cybersecurity breaches or incidents will not impact our business operations and strategy, results of operations and financial condition.
We maintain a cybersecurity program that includes development and implementation of policies, procedures and tools designed to help ensure availability of critical information technology and telecommunication systems and safeguard sensitive information. The cybersecurity program is assessed against industry standards, including the Center for Internet Security critical security controls. This assessment is conducted by a third party periodically and internally at least annually. We are also required to comply with cybersecurity standards under the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection and by the Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration. We also periodically collaborate with law enforcement experts, external assessors, consultants, industry peers and other third parties in connection with understanding market and threat conditions used to identify, assess and mitigate cybersecurity risks.
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The cybersecurity program includes:
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a dedicated cybersecurity team;
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information technology and telecommunication systems implemented with segmentation and multiple levels of access controls;
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a security operations center that continuously monitors information technology and telecommunications systems;
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an incident response team composed of individuals from the information technology, operations, accounting, finance, legal, and communications departments, as needed, which is activated to respond to cybersecurity incidents;
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periodic drills and exercises to address risks and prepare for extraordinary scenarios, including industry collaboration on incident preparation, such as GridEx drills hosted by NERC, participation in a full activation drill at least annually, and several tabletop drills during the year;
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periodic drills with the full executive team, including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Accounting Officer (CAO), Chief Information Officer (CIO) and General Counsel;
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periodic information security awareness training and phishing simulations for employees and contractors who access our networks;
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periodic security assessments of evolving risks and threats that lead to strengthening of cybersecurity measures;
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implementation of automation solutions to strengthen detection and response capabilities; and
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maintenance of cyber liability insurance.
We also address cybersecurity risks associated with third-party service providers, including those in our supply chain or who have access to our customer and employee data or our information technology systems. Third-party risks are included in the ERM program and the cybersecurity program. Diligence is performed on third parties that have access to information technology systems, data or facilities that house such systems or data. High-risk vendors are identified and continually monitored for cybersecurity threat risks. Additionally, third parties that have access to information technology systems, data or facilities that house such systems or data, agree by contract to manage their cybersecurity risks, provide notification in the event of a cybersecurity incident, and be subject to cybersecurity audits.
Our cybersecurity program is overseen by our Senior Vice President and CIO, who has nearly two decades of experience in information technology, having previously held CIO roles with other organizations, as well as experience in the utility sector. The CIO oversees a team dedicated to the support of cybersecurity tools and the overall cybersecurity program. The CIO reports to the Executive Vice President and CFO. The CIO provides periodic briefs regarding prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents, as well as risks, threats and the threat landscape to the Board and executive management, including the CEO, CFO and CAO. These briefs are used to help continuously improve our cybersecurity program and to inform risk assessments as part of the ERM program.
The full Board of Directors is responsible for oversight of our key cybersecurity risks. The Board retains direct oversight of cybersecurity matters to best utilize the experiences and expertise of all Board members. Management, including the CIO, provides reports approximately quarterly to the Board regarding risks, threats, the threat landscape, assessments of and improvements to the cybersecurity program and internal response preparedness.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
Alliant Energy - As a holding company, Alliant Energy doesn’t directly own any significant properties other than the stock of its subsidiaries. The principal properties of those subsidiaries are as follows:
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IPL and WPL
Electric - At December 31, 2023, IPL’s and WPL’s facilities by primary fuel type were as follows:
| IPL | Generating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In-service | Capacity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name of Facility and Location | Dates | in MW (a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshalltown Generating Station (Units 1-3); Marshalltown, IA | 2017 | 656 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Emery Generating Station (Units 1-3); Mason City, IA | 2004 | 533 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshalltown Combustion Turbines (Units 1-3); Marshalltown, IA | 1978 | 162 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burlington Generating Station (Unit 1); Burlington, IA | 1968 | 160 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prairie Creek Generating Station (Unit 4); Cedar Rapids, IA | 1967 | 114 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burlington Combustion Turbines (Units 1-4); Burlington, IA | 1994-1996 | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Gas | 1,661 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Upland Prairie (121 Units); Clay and Dickinson Cos., IA | 2019 | 299 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Whispering Willow - North (81 Units); Franklin Co., IA | 2020 | 201 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Whispering Willow - East (121 Units); Franklin Co., IA | 2009 | 200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Golden Plains (82 Units); Winnebago and Kossuth Cos., IA | 2020 | 200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| English Farms (69 Units); Poweshiek Co., IA | 2019 | 172 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Richland (53 Units); Sac Co., IA | 2020 | 131 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Franklin County (60 Units); Franklin Co., IA | 2012 | 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Wind | 1,302 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ottumwa Generating Station (Unit 1); Ottumwa, IA (b) | 1981 | 348 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| George Neal Generating Station (Unit 4); Sioux City, IA (c) | 1979 | 166 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| George Neal Generating Station (Unit 3); Sioux City, IA (d) | 1975 | 143 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prairie Creek Generating Station (Units 1 and 3); Cedar Rapids, IA | 1958-1997 | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisa Generating Station (Unit 1); Louisa, IA (e) | 1983 | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Coal | 723 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lime Creek Combustion Turbines (Units 1-2); Mason City, IA | 1991 | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Oil | 71 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dubuque Solar Facility; Dubuque, IA | 2017 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marshalltown Solar Facility; Marshalltown, IA | 2020 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Solar | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battery Storage; various locations in IA | 2019-2023 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Battery Storage | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total capacity | 3,774 |
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| WPL | Generating | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In-service | Capacity | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Name of Facility and Location | Dates | in MW (a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Riverside Energy Center (Units 1-3); Beloit, WI | 2004 | 530 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Riverside Energy Center (Units 1-3); Beloit, WI (f) | 2020 | 508 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Neenah Energy Facility (Units 1-2); Neenah, WI | 2000 | 299 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Fond du Lac Combustion Turbines (2 Units); Fond du Lac, WI (g) | 1994 | 164 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Gas | 1,501 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bent Tree (122 Units); Freeborn Co., MN | 2010-2011 | 201 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kossuth (56 Units); Kossuth Co., IA | 2020 | 152 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cedar Ridge (41 Units); Fond du Lac Co., WI | 2008 | 68 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Forward Wind Energy Center (37 Units); Dodge and Fond du Lac Cos., WI (h) | 2008 | 59 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Wind | 480 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Columbia Energy Center (Units 1-2); Portage, WI (i) | 1975-1978 | 606 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Edgewater Generating Station (Unit 5); Sheboygan, WI | 1985 | 406 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Coal | 1,012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wood County Solar Facility, Wood Co., WI | 2022 | 150 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Onion River Solar Facility, Sheboygan Co., WI | 2023 | 150 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Springfield Solar Facility, Dodge Co., WI | 2023 | 100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wautoma Solar Facility, Waushara Co., WI | 2023 | 99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Crawfish River Solar Facility, Jefferson Co., WI | 2023 | 75 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Paddock Solar Facility, Rock Co., WI | 2023 | 65 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bear Creek Solar Facility, Richland Co., WI | 2022 | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| North Rock Solar Facility, Rock Co., WI | 2022 | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Albany Solar Facility, Green Co., WI | 2023 | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Beaver Dam Solar Facility, Dodge Co., WI | 2023 | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cassville Solar Facility, Grant Co., WI | 2023 | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Riverside Solar Facility, Beloit, WI (f) | 2021 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Customer- and Community-hosted Solar; various locations in WI | 2021-2022 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Solar | 896 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prairie du Sac Hydro Plant (8 Units); Prairie due Sac, WI | 1914-1940 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kilbourn Hydro Plant (4 Units); Wisconsin Dells, WI | 1926-1939 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Hydro | 24 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Battery Storage; various locations in WI | 2022-2023 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Battery Storage | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total capacity | 3,922 |
(a)Based on the summer installed generating capacity included in MISO’s resource adequacy process for the planning period from June 2023 through May 2024, except for wind facilities, solar facilities and battery storage, which are based on nameplate capacity.
(b)Represents IPL’s 48% ownership interest, which is operated by IPL.
(c)Represents IPL’s 25.695% ownership interest, which is operated by MidAmerican Energy Company.
(d)Represents IPL’s 28% ownership interest, which is operated by MidAmerican Energy Company.
(e)Represents IPL’s 4% ownership interest, which is operated by MidAmerican Energy Company.
(f)Represents WPL’s 73.8% ownership interest, which is operated by WPL.
(g)Represents Units 2 and 3, which WPL owns. WPL also operates, but does not own, South Fond du Lac Combustion Turbines Units 1 and 4.
(h)Represents WPL’s 42.64% ownership interest, which is operated by Invenergy Services, LLC.
(i)Represents WPL’s 53.5% ownership interest, which is operated by WPL.
IPL and WPL own overhead electric distribution line, underground electric distribution cable and substation distribution transformers, substantially all of which are located in Iowa for IPL and Wisconsin for WPL.
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Gas - IPL’s and WPL’s gas properties consist primarily of mains and services, meters, regulating and gate stations and other related transmission and distribution equipment. IPL’s and WPL’s gas distribution facilities include gas mains located in Iowa and Wisconsin, respectively.
Other - IPL’s other property includes steam service assets. Refer to Note 10 for information regarding WPL’s lease of the Sheboygan Falls Energy Facility from AEF’s Non-utility Generation business.
Corporate Services - Corporate Services’ property included in “Property, plant and equipment, net” on Alliant Energy’s balance sheet at December 31, 2023 consisted primarily of computer software, and the corporate headquarters building located in Madison, Wisconsin.
AEF - AEF’s principal properties included in “Property, plant and equipment, net” on Alliant Energy’s balance sheet at December 31, 2023 were as follows:
Non-utility Generation - Includes the Sheboygan Falls Energy Facility, a 347 MW, simple-cycle, natural gas-fired facility near Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin that was placed in service in 2005 and is leased to WPL. The summer installed generating capacity included in MISO’s resource adequacy process for the planning period from June 2023 through May 2024 for the Sheboygan Falls Energy Facility was 297 MW.
Travero - Includes a short-line rail freight service in Iowa; a Mississippi River barge, rail and truck freight terminal in Illinois; wind turbine blade recycling services; and a rail-served warehouse in Iowa.
Development-ready Sites - includes various rail-served and ready-to-build manufacturing and industrial sites throughout Iowa and Wisconsin, with access to various airports, interstate freeways and Alliant Energy’s electric services.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
None. SEC regulations require Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL to disclose information about certain proceedings arising under federal, state or local environmental provisions when a governmental authority is a party to the proceedings and such proceedings involve potential monetary sanctions that Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL reasonably believe will exceed a specified threshold. Pursuant to the SEC regulations, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL use a threshold of $1 million for purposes of determining whether disclosure of any such proceedings is required. Applying this threshold, there are no environmental matters to disclose for this period. Refer to Note 17(c) for discussion of legal and administrative proceedings before various courts and agencies with respect to matters arising in the ordinary course of business.
Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
None.
INFORMATION ABOUT EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
The executive officers of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL for which information must be included are the same; however, different positions may be held at the various registrants. None of the executive officers for Alliant Energy, IPL or WPL listed below are related to any member of the Board of Directors or nominee for director or any other executive officer. All of the executive officers have no definite terms of office and serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. The executive officers of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL as of the date of this filing are as follows:
| Name | Age as of Filing Date | Registrant | Positions | |||||||||||||||||
| John O. Larsen | 60 | Alliant Energy | Mr. Larsen has served as a director since February 2019, and as Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board since January 2024. He previously served as Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) since February 2023, as Chair of the Board, President and CEO from July 2019 to February 2023, and as President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) from January 2019 to July 2019. | |||||||||||||||||
| IPL and WPL | Mr. Larsen has served as a director since February 2019, and as Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board since January 2024. He previously served as Chair of the Board since July 2019, and as CEO from January 2019 to February 2023. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Lisa M. Barton | 58 | Alliant Energy | Ms. Barton has served as President and CEO and as a director since January 2024. She previously served as President and COO since February 2023, as Executive Vice President (VP) and COO of American Electric Power Company, Inc. (AEP) from January 2021 to November 2022, as Executive VP - Utilities of AEP from January 2020 to December 2020, and as Executive VP - Transmission of AEP from 2011 to 2019. | |||||||||||||||||
| IPL and WPL | Ms. Barton has served as CEO since February 2023, and as a director since January 2024. |
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| Name | Age as of Filing Date | Registrant | Positions | |||||||||||||||||
| Robert J. Durian | 53 | Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL | Mr. Durian has served as Executive VP and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) since February 2020. He previously served as Senior VP and CFO since February 2019; and as Senior VP, CFO and Treasurer from January 2018 to February 2019. | |||||||||||||||||
| David A. de Leon | 61 | Alliant Energy and IPL | Mr. de Leon has served as Senior VP since January 2019. | |||||||||||||||||
| WPL | Mr. de Leon has served as President since January 2019. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Terry L. Kouba | 65 | Alliant Energy and WPL | Mr. Kouba has served as Senior VP since January 2019. Mr. Kouba plans to retire effective May 1, 2024. | |||||||||||||||||
| IPL | Mr. Kouba has served as President since January 2019. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Mayuri N. Farlinger | 41 | Alliant Energy and WPL | Ms. Farlinger has served as Vice President since January 2022. She previously served as Director of Operations from January 2020 to December 2021, as Director of Revenue Management from February 2019 to January 2020, and as Manager - Customer Support Center, Billing Integrity from May 2018 to February 2019. | |||||||||||||||||
| IPL | Ms. Farlinger has served as Vice President since January 2022. She was selected to become President of IPL effective May 1, 2024. | |||||||||||||||||||
| Raja Sundararajan | 49 | Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL | Mr. Sundararajan has served as Executive VP since June 2023. He previously served as Executive VP - External Affairs of AEP since July 2022, as Senior VP - Regulatory and Customer Solutions of AEP from July 2021 to July 2022, and as President and COO of AEP Ohio from January 2019 to July 2021. | |||||||||||||||||
| Benjamin M. Bilitz | 48 | Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL | Mr. Bilitz has served as Chief Accounting Officer and Controller since December 2016. |
PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS’ COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Common Stock Data - Alliant Energy’s common stock trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “LNT,” and the closing sales price at December 31, 2023 was $51.30.
Shareowners - At December 31, 2023, there were 20,547 holders of record of Alliant Energy’s common stock, including holders through Alliant Energy’s Shareowner Direct Plan. Alliant Energy is the sole common shareowner of all 13,370,788 and 13,236,601 shares of IPL and WPL common stock, respectively, currently outstanding. As a result, there is no established public trading market for the common stock of either IPL or WPL.
Dividends - In November 2023, Alliant Energy announced an increase in its targeted 2024 annual common stock dividend to $1.92 per share, which is equivalent to a quarterly rate of $0.48 per share, beginning with the February 2024 dividend payment. The timing and amount of future dividends is subject to an approved dividend declaration from Alliant Energy’s Board of Directors, and is dependent upon earnings expectations, capital requirements, and general financial business conditions, among other factors.
Common Stock Repurchases - A summary of Alliant Energy common stock repurchases for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 was as follows:
| Total Number | Average Price | Total Number of Shares | Maximum Number (or Approximate | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| of Shares | Paid Per | Purchased as Part of | Dollar Value) of Shares That May | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Period | Purchased (a) | Share | Publicly Announced Plan | Yet Be Purchased Under the Plan (a) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 1 to October 31 | 5,338 | $49.75 | — | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 1 to November 30 | 3,685 | 49.32 | — | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| December 1 to December 31 | 25 | 51.16 | — | N/A | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9,048 | 49.58 | — |
(a)All shares were purchased on the open market and held in a rabbi trust under the DCP. There is no limit on the number of shares of Alliant Energy common stock that may be held under the DCP, which currently does not have an expiration date.
Item 6. [RESERVED]
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This MDA includes information relating to Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL, as well as AEF and Corporate Services. Where appropriate, information relating to a specific entity has been segregated and labeled as such. The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements and Notes included in this report. Unless otherwise noted, all “per share” references in MDA refer to earnings per diluted share. In addition, this MDA includes certain financial information for 2023 compared to 2022. Refer to MDA in the combined 2022 Form 10-K for details on certain financial information for 2022 compared to 2021.
OVERVIEW
Mission, Purpose and Strategy
Alliant Energy’s mission is to deliver affordable energy solutions and exceptional service that its customers and the communities it serves count on - affordably, safely, reliably, and sustainably. This mission aligns with Alliant Energy’s purpose - to serve customers and build stronger communities - which guides it through the ever-changing dynamics of the economy and the energy industry. Alliant Energy takes its responsibility as a corporate citizen seriously and remains a careful steward of the environment and supports the communities in its service territories. Alliant Energy’s mission and purpose are supported by a strategy focused on meeting the evolving expectations of customers while providing an attractive return for investors, and pursuing emerging technologies and safe, sustainable methods of energy production. This strategy includes the following key elements:
Providing affordable energy solutions for customers - Alliant Energy’s strategy focuses on affordable energy solutions that support retention and growth of its existing customers and attract new customers to its service territories.
Key Highlights -
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Alliant Energy’s Clean Energy Blueprint, also known as the roadmap for its transition to cleaner energy, continues to add clean energy resources in Iowa and Wisconsin. As a result, Alliant Energy directly reinvests in the communities it serves through the addition of skilled jobs, economic development and increased tax revenue. In Wisconsin, WPL completed 639 MW of solar generation in 2023, adding to the 250 MW of solar generation placed in service in 2022, and expects to add another 200 MW of solar generation in 2024, resulting in approximately 1,100 MW of solar generation resources in aggregate. In Iowa, IPL expects to complete 400 MW of solar generation by the end of 2024. Completion of these projects is expected to result in approximately 1,500 MW of additional zero-fuel cost solar generation resources for Alliant Energy in aggregate by the end of 2024. The execution of Alliant Energy’s strategy is expected to result in cost benefits for its utility customers by continuing to add renewable energy projects that generate fuel cost benefits and renewable tax credits that are provided to its electric customers.
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Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL currently expect to utilize various provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 to enhance tax benefits expected from wind, solar and battery storage projects in Iowa and Wisconsin, including transferring certain future tax credits from such projects to other corporate taxpayers. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is expected to result in more cost benefits for IPL’s and WPL’s customers, higher rate base amounts, and improvements in long-term cash flows over the life of the solar, battery storage and wind repowering projects. Refer to Note 1(c) for discussion of $98 million of proceeds from renewable tax credits transferred to other corporate taxpayers in 2023.
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Reductions in Iowa corporate income tax rates resulting from tax reform enacted in 2022 are expected to provide cost benefits to IPL’s electric and gas customers in the future.
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IPL maintaining flat base rates for its retail electric and gas customers in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
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Significant fuel cost reductions achieved in 2021, 2022 and 2023 as a result of shortening the term of IPL’s DAEC PPA by 5 years, and beginning in 2023 with the May 2023 retirement of Lansing.
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Issuance of new long-term debt at historically low interest rates for IPL ($300 million of 3.1% senior debentures due 2051) and WPL ($300 million of 1.95% green bonds due 2031) in 2021 and WPL ($600 million of 3.95% green bonds due 2032) in 2022.
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In 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Clean Energy selected the Columbia Energy Storage Project, a first of its kind in the U.S., 20 MW CO2-based long-duration energy storage system at the retiring coal-fired Columbia site, for award negotiations to receive up to $30 million in grant funding. Alliant Energy, with support from various project partners, currently expects to submit project plans to the PSCW in 2024 after award negotiations with the DOE are finished. Any grant proceeds would reduce the cost of the project for WPL’s customers.
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Levelized cost recovery mechanism for the remaining net book value of Edgewater Unit 5, which helps reduce customer costs.
Making customer-focused investments - Alliant Energy’s strategic priorities include making significant customer-focused investments toward cleaner and more reliable, resilient, and sustainable customer energy solutions. Alliant Energy’s strategy drives a capital allocation process focused on: 1) transitioning its generation portfolio to meet the growing interest of customers for reliable and sustainable sources of energy, 2) upgrading its electric and gas distribution systems to strengthen safety, reliability and resiliency, as well as enable distributed energy solutions in its service territories, and 3) enhancing its customers’ and employees’ experience with evolving technology and greater flexibility.
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Key Highlights (refer to “Customer Investments” for details) -
-
Development and acquisition of additional renewable energy, including approximately 1,100 MW of solar generation at WPL with in-service dates in 2022-2024, approximately 275 MW of battery storage at WPL with in-service dates in 2024 and 2025, and approximately 400 MW of solar generation at IPL with in-service dates in 2024. In addition, IPL and WPL continue to evaluate additional opportunities to add more renewable generation, including repowering of existing wind farms and additional solar generation and distributed energy resources, including community solar and small-scale energy storage systems.
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Plans to construct and/or acquire additional renewable, battery and natural gas resources to meet the requirements of MISO’s seasonal resource adequacy process establishing capacity planning reserve margin and capacity accreditation requirements effective with the 2023/2024 MISO Planning Year.
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Requested PSCW approval to construct improvements at the natural gas-fired Neenah Energy Facility and Sheboygan Falls Energy Facility, which would increase the capacity and efficiency of the EGUs. A decision from the PSCW is currently expected by the second quarter of 2024.
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Improving reliability and resiliency with more underground electric distribution, and enabling distributed energy solutions with higher capacity lines. Currently, approximately 27% of Alliant Energy’s electric distribution system is underground.
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Alliant Energy continues to partner with its commercial and industrial customers to help develop renewable solutions to enhance their sustainability initiatives, including various customer- and community-hosted solar facilities in Iowa and Wisconsin. Four such facili
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Item 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk are reported in “Other Matters - Market Risk Sensitive Instruments and Positions” in MDA.
Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareowners and the Board of Directors of Alliant Energy Corporation:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Alliant Energy Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of income, equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes and the schedules listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 16, 2024, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
Regulatory Accounting - Impact of rate regulation on the financial statements - Refer to Notes 1, 2, and 3 to the financial statements
Critical Audit Matter Description
Alliant Energy Corporation, through its wholly-owned subsidiaries Interstate Power and Light Company and Wisconsin Power and Light Company, is subject to rate regulation by regulatory agencies. Management has determined it meets the requirements under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America to prepare its financial statements applying the Regulated Operations Topic 980 of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standards Codification.
The Company’s rates are subject to regulatory rate-setting processes and periodic earnings oversight. The regulation of rates is premised on the full recovery of prudently incurred costs and a reasonable rate of return on invested capital. Regulatory assets represent incurred costs that have been deferred and are probable of recovery in future customer rates. Regulatory liabilities represent obligations to make refunds to customers or amounts collected in rates for which the costs have not yet been incurred. The Company’s regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities are recognized in accordance with the rulings of the regulatory agencies. A change in these rulings may result in a material impact on results of operations and the amount of certain assets and liabilities in the financial statements. Future regulatory rulings may impact the carrying value and accounting treatment of certain regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities.
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We identified the impact of rate regulation as a critical audit matter due to the significant judgments made by management to support its assertions about certain impacted account balances and disclosures and the high degree of subjectivity involved in assessing the impact of relevant future regulatory orders on the financial statements. Management judgments include assessing the likelihood of the recovery of incurred costs and refund of obligations to customers in future rates. Given that management’s accounting judgments are based on assumptions about the outcome of future decisions by the regulatory agencies, auditing these judgments required specialized knowledge of accounting for rate regulation and the rate-setting process due to its inherent complexities.
How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit
Our audit procedures related to the regulatory filings by management and the uncertainty of future decisions by the regulatory agencies included the following, among others:
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We tested the effectiveness of management’s controls over the evaluation of certain regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities, including the monitoring and evaluation of regulatory developments that may affect the likelihood of recovering costs in future rates or of a future reduction in rates.
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We inspected and evaluated the Company’s analysis supporting the probability of recovery for certain regulatory assets or refund to customers or future reduction in customer rates for regulatory liabilities not yet addressed in a regulatory order to assess management’s assertions.
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We inquired of management regarding current events impacting the Company and inspected minutes of the board of directors and other committees of the Company and evaluated whether matters were identified that may have an impact on certain recorded regulatory assets and liabilities.
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We read relevant regulatory orders, interpretations, filings made by the Company or its stakeholders, and other publicly available information issued by the regulatory agencies that pertain to the Company. We evaluated the external information and assessed whether there are matters in such information that would be contradictory to management’s assertion of probability of recovery of certain regulatory assets or refund of regulatory liabilities.
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We inspected minute
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Item 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s management evaluated, with the participation of each of Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Disclosure Committee, the effectiveness of the design and operation of Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the quarter ended December 31, 2023 pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Based on their evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
There was no change in Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2023 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting - The management of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL are responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.
Because of the inherent limitations of internal control over financial reporting, misstatements may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of the internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s management assessed the effectiveness of their respective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 using the criteria set forth in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on these assessments, Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s management concluded that, as of December 31, 2023, their respective internal control over financial reporting was effective.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, Alliant Energy’s independent registered public accounting firm, has audited Alliant Energy’s internal control over financial reporting. That report is included herein. This report does not include an attestation report of IPL’s and WPL’s independent registered public accounting firm regarding its assessment of IPL’s and WPL’s internal control over financial reporting.
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
To the Shareowners and the Board of Directors of Alliant Energy Corporation:
Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Alliant Energy Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.
We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, of the Company and our report dated February 16, 2024, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company’s 2023 financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
February 16, 2024
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Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, no director or officer of Alliant Energy, IPL or WPL adopted or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement, as each term is defined in Item 408(a) of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
None.
PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The directors of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL are the same, and therefore, the information required by Item 10 relating to directors and nominees for election of directors is the same for all registrants. The information required by Item 10 relating to directors and nominees for election of directors at the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareowners, the timely filing of reports under Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, audit committees and audit committee financial experts, and Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s Code of Conduct is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information in the 2024 Alliant Energy Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s fiscal years. The code of ethics, also referred to as the Code of Conduct, of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL are the same. Information regarding executive officers of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL may be found in Part I of this report under the caption “Information About Executive Officers.”
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The directors and executive officers of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL for which compensation information must be included are the same. Therefore, the information required by Item 11 for each of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information in the 2024 Alliant Energy Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s fiscal years.
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
Information regarding Alliant Energy’s equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2023 was as follows:
| (A) | (C) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Number of securities to be | (B) | Number of securities remaining available | ||||||||||||||||||
| issued upon exercise of | Weighted-average exercise | for future issuance under equity | ||||||||||||||||||
| outstanding options, | price of outstanding options, | compensation plans (excluding | ||||||||||||||||||
| Plan Category | warrants and rights | warrants and rights | securities reflected in column (A)) | |||||||||||||||||
| Equity compensation plans approved by shareowners | 1,217,445 (a) | $52.66 | 7,714,741 (b) | |||||||||||||||||
| Equity compensation plans not approved by shareowners (c) | N/A | N/A | N/A (d) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1,217,445 | $52.66 | 7,714,741 |
(a)Represents performance shares, performance restricted stock units and restricted stock units granted under the 2020 OIP, all of which are paid out in shares of Alliant Energy’s common stock. The performance share and performance restricted stock unit awards included in column (A) of the table reflect an assumed payout at the maximum performance multiplier of 200%. Also included are restricted stock units granted under the 2020 OIP, which vest at the expiration of a three-year time-vesting period.
(b)All of the available shares under the 2020 OIP may be issued as awards in the form of shares of Alliant Energy’s common stock, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units and other stock-based or cash-based awards. As of December 31, 2023, there were performance shares and restricted stock units (performance- and time-vesting) outstanding under the 2020 OIP, the only plan under which such equity awards are currently granted.
(c)As of December 31, 2023, there were 379,006 shares of Alliant Energy’s common stock held under the DCP, which is described in Note 13(c).
(d)There is no limit on the number of shares of Alliant Energy’s common stock that may be held under the DCP.
The remainder of the information required by Item 12 for Alliant Energy, and the information required by Item 12 for each of IPL and WPL, is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information in the 2024 Alliant Energy Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s fiscal year.
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Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by Item 13 for each of Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information in the 2024 Alliant Energy Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s fiscal years.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
ALLIANT ENERGY
The information required by Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference to the relevant information in the 2024 Alliant Energy Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of Alliant Energy’s fiscal year.
IPL AND WPL
Each of IPL’s and WPL’s Audit Committee of the Board of Directors has adopted a policy that requires advance approval of all audit, audit-related, tax and other permitted services performed by the independent registered public accounting firm. The policy provides for pre-approval by the Audit Committee of specifically defined audit and non-audit services after the Audit Committee is provided with the appropriate level of details regarding the specific services to be provided. The policy does not permit delegation of the Audit Committee’s authority to management. In the event the need for specific services arises between Audit Committee meetings, the Audit Committee has delegated to the Chairperson of the Audit Committee authority to approve permitted services provided that the Chairperson reports any decisions to the Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. The principal accounting fees billed to Alliant Energy by its independent registered public accounting firm, all of which were approved in advance by the Audit Committee, directly related and allocated to IPL and WPL were as follows (in thousands):
| IPL | WPL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | 2022 | 2023 | 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fees | % of Total | Fees | % of Total | Fees | % of Total | Fees | % of Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Audit fees | $1,468 | 95% | $1,351 | 95% | $1,228 | 92% | $1,096 | 91% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Audit-related fees | 57 | 4% | 56 | 4% | 103 | 8% | 94 | 8% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tax fees | 8 | 1% | 10 | 1% | 7 | —% | 8 | 1% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All other fees | 4 | —% | 7 | —% | 4 | —% | 5 | —% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| $1,537 | 100% | $1,424 | 100% | $1,342 | 100% | $1,203 | 100% |
IPL’s and WPL’s audit fees for 2023 and 2022 consisted of the respective fees billed for the audits of the financial statements of IPL and its subsidiaries and WPL and its subsidiaries, for reviews of financial statements included in Form 10-Q filings, and for services normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings, such as financing transactions. IPL’s and WPL’s audit fees also included their respective portion of fees for the 2023 and 2022 audits of Alliant Energy’s financial statements and effectiveness of internal controls over financial reporting. IPL’s and WPL’s audit-related fees for 2023 and 2022 consisted of the fees billed for services rendered related to employee benefits plan audits and other attest services. IPL’s and WPL’s tax fees for 2023 and 2022 consisted of the fees billed for professional services rendered for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning, including all services performed by the tax professional staff of affiliates of the independent registered public accounting firm, except those rendered in connection with the audit. All other fees for 2023 and 2022 for IPL and WPL consisted of license fees for accounting research software products and seminars. The Audit Committee does not consider the provision of non-audit services by the independent registered public accounting firm described above to be incompatible with maintaining independence of the independent registered public accounting firm.
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PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(1)Consolidated Financial Statements - Refer to Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s financial statements and Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ID No. 34).
(2)Financial Statement Schedules -
SCHEDULE I - CONDENSED PARENT COMPANY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
| ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION (Parent Company Only) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
| CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF INCOME | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Operating expenses | $3 | $9 | $5 | ||||||||||||||
| Operating loss | (3) | (9) | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Other (income) and deductions: | |||||||||||||||||
| Equity earnings from consolidated subsidiaries | (742) | (707) | (664) | ||||||||||||||
| Interest expense | 34 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Other | 4 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| Total other (income) and deductions | (704) | (700) | (662) | ||||||||||||||
| Income before income taxes | 701 | 691 | 657 | ||||||||||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | (5) | 2 | (5) | ||||||||||||||
| Net income | $706 | $689 | $662 |
Refer to accompanying Notes to Condensed Financial Statements.
| ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION (Parent Company Only) | December 31, | ||||||||||
| CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS | 2023 | 2022 | |||||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||||||
| ASSETS | |||||||||||
| Current assets: | |||||||||||
| Notes receivable from affiliated companies | $96 | $65 | |||||||||
| Other | 1 | 1 | |||||||||
| Total current assets | 97 | 66 | |||||||||
| Investments: | |||||||||||
| Investments in consolidated subsidiaries | 8,405 | 7,801 | |||||||||
| Other | 2 | 2 | |||||||||
| Total investments | 8,407 | 7,803 | |||||||||
| Other assets | 90 | 97 | |||||||||
| Total assets | $8,594 | $7,966 |
| LIABILITIES AND EQUITY | |||||||||||
| Current liabilities: | |||||||||||
| Commercial paper | $157 | $352 | |||||||||
| Notes payable to affiliated companies | 1,068 | 1,318 | |||||||||
| Other | 10 | 10 | |||||||||
| Total current liabilities | 1,235 | 1,680 | |||||||||
| Long-term debt, net | 568 | — | |||||||||
| Other liabilities | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| Common equity: | |||||||||||
| Common stock and additional paid-in capital | 3,033 | 2,780 | |||||||||
| Retained earnings | 3,768 | 3,518 | |||||||||
| Accumulated other comprehensive income | 1 | — | |||||||||
| Shares in deferred compensation trust | (13) | (13) | |||||||||
| Total common equity | 6,789 | 6,285 | |||||||||
| Total liabilities and equity | $8,594 | $7,966 |
Refer to accompanying Notes to Condensed Financial Statements.
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| ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION (Parent Company Only) | Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||
| CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||
| (in millions) | |||||||||||||||||
| Net cash flows from operating activities | $445 | $492 | $494 | ||||||||||||||
| Cash flows used for investing activities: | |||||||||||||||||
| Capital contributions to consolidated subsidiaries | (325) | (530) | (295) | ||||||||||||||
| Net change in notes receivable from and payable to affiliates | (281) | 369 | (21) | ||||||||||||||
| Dividends from consolidated subsidiaries in excess of equity earnings | — | — | 50 | ||||||||||||||
| Net cash flows used for investing activities | (606) | (161) | (266) | ||||||||||||||
| Cash flows from (used for) financing activities: | |||||||||||||||||
| Common stock dividends | (456) | (428) | (403) | ||||||||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of common stock, net | 246 | 25 | 28 | ||||||||||||||
| Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt | 565 | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Net change in commercial paper | (195) | 73 | 147 | ||||||||||||||
| Other | 1 | (1) | — | ||||||||||||||
| Net cash flows from (used for) financing activities | 161 | (331) | (228) | ||||||||||||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period | — | — | — | ||||||||||||||
| Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period | $— | $— | $— | ||||||||||||||
| Supplemental cash flows information: | |||||||||||||||||
| Cash (paid) refunded during the period for: | |||||||||||||||||
| Interest | ($27) | ($6) | ($1) | ||||||||||||||
| Income taxes, net | $22 | $15 | $4 |
Refer to accompanying Notes to Condensed Financial Statements.
ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION (Parent Company Only)
NOTES TO CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Pursuant to rules and regulations of the SEC, the Condensed Financial Statements of Alliant Energy Corporation (Parent Company Only) do not reflect all of the information and notes normally included with financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP. Therefore, these Condensed Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Financial Statements and related Notes included in the combined 2023 Form 10-K, Part II, Item 8, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In the Condensed Financial Statements of Alliant Energy Corporation (Parent Company Only), investments in subsidiaries are accounted for using the equity method.
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SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS AND RESERVES
| Additions | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Balance, | (Charged to | Balance, | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Description | January 1 | Expense) | Deductions (a) | December 31 | |||||||||||||||||||
| (in millions) |
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Which are Deducted in the Balance Sheet from the Assets to Which They Apply:
| Accumulated Provision for Uncollectible Accounts: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alliant Energy (b) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2023 | $7 | $20 | $19 | $8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2022 | 11 | 17 | 21 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2021 | 18 | 12 | 19 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| IPL (b) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2023 | $— | $11 | $11 | $— | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2022 | 1 | 7 | 8 | — | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2021 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| WPL | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2023 | $7 | $9 | $8 | $8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2022 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Year ended December 31, 2021 | 17 | 6 | 13 | 10 |
Note: The above provisions relate to various customer, notes and other receivable balances included in various line items on the respective balance sheets.
(a)Deductions are of the nature for which the reserves were created. In the case of the accumulated provision for uncollectible accounts, deductions from this reserve are reduced by recoveries of amounts previously written off.
(b)Refer to Note 5(b) for discussion of IPL’s sales of accounts receivable program.
NOTE: All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable or not required, or because that required information is shown either in the financial statements or in the notes thereto.
(3) Exhibits Required by SEC Regulation S-K - Pursuant to Item 601(b)(4)(iii) of Regulation S-K, the registrants agree to furnish to the SEC, upon request, any instrument defining the rights of holders of unregistered long-term debt not filed as an exhibit to this combined Form 10-K. No such instrument authorizes securities in excess of 10% of the total assets of Alliant Energy, IPL or WPL, as the case may be. The following exhibits for Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL are filed herewith or incorporated herein by reference.
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| Exhibit Number | Description | ||||
| 32.3 | Written Statement of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C.§1350 for WPL | ||||
| 97 | Alliant Energy Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy | ||||
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A management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
None.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized on the 16th day of February 2024.
| ALLIANT ENERGY | INTERSTATE POWER | WISCONSIN POWER | ||||||||||||
| CORPORATION | AND LIGHT COMPANY | AND LIGHT COMPANY | ||||||||||||
| By: /s/ Lisa M. Barton | By: /s/ Lisa M. Barton | By: /s/ Lisa M. Barton | ||||||||||||
| Lisa M. Barton | Lisa M. Barton | Lisa M. Barton | ||||||||||||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | Chief Executive Officer | Chief Executive Officer |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrants and in the capacities indicated on the 16th day of February 2024.
| ALLIANT ENERGY | INTERSTATE POWER | WISCONSIN POWER | ||||||||||||
| CORPORATION | AND LIGHT COMPANY | AND LIGHT COMPANY | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Lisa M. Barton | /s/ Lisa M. Barton | /s/ Lisa M. Barton | ||||||||||||
| Lisa M. Barton | Lisa M. Barton | Lisa M. Barton | ||||||||||||
| President, Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | Chief Executive Officer and Director (Principal Executive Officer) | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Robert J. Durian | /s/ Robert J. Durian | /s/ Robert J. Durian | ||||||||||||
| Robert J. Durian | Robert J. Durian | Robert J. Durian | ||||||||||||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer) | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Benjamin M. Bilitz | /s/ Benjamin M. Bilitz | /s/ Benjamin M. Bilitz | ||||||||||||
| Benjamin M. Bilitz | Benjamin M. Bilitz | Benjamin M. Bilitz | ||||||||||||
| Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) | Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) | Chief Accounting Officer and Controller (Principal Accounting Officer) | ||||||||||||
| /s/ John O. Larsen | /s/ John O. Larsen | /s/ John O. Larsen | ||||||||||||
| John O. Larsen, Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director | John O. Larsen, Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director | John O. Larsen, Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Patrick E. Allen | /s/ Patrick E. Allen | /s/ Patrick E. Allen | ||||||||||||
| Patrick E. Allen, Director | Patrick E. Allen, Director | Patrick E. Allen, Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Ignacio A. Cortina | /s/ Ignacio A. Cortina | /s/ Ignacio A. Cortina | ||||||||||||
| Ignacio A. Cortina, Director | Ignacio A. Cortina, Director | Ignacio A. Cortina, Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Stephanie L. Cox | /s/ Stephanie L. Cox | /s/ Stephanie L. Cox | ||||||||||||
| Stephanie L. Cox, Director | Stephanie L. Cox, Director | Stephanie L. Cox, Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ N. Joy Falotico | /s/ N. Joy Falotico | /s/ N. Joy Falotico | ||||||||||||
| N. Joy Falotico, Director | N. Joy Falotico, Director | N. Joy Falotico, Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Michael D. Garcia | /s/ Michael D. Garcia | /s/ Michael D. Garcia | ||||||||||||
| Michael D. Garcia, Director | Michael D. Garcia, Director | Michael D. Garcia, Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Roger K. Newport | /s/ Roger K. Newport | /s/ Roger K. Newport | ||||||||||||
| Roger K. Newport, Director | Roger K. Newport, Director | Roger K. Newport, Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Thomas F. O’Toole | /s/ Thomas F. O’Toole | /s/ Thomas F. O’Toole | ||||||||||||
| Thomas F. O’Toole, Director | Thomas F. O’Toole, Director | Thomas F. O’Toole, Director | ||||||||||||
| /s/ Carol P. Sanders | /s/ Carol P. Sanders | /s/ Carol P. Sanders | ||||||||||||
| Carol P. Sanders, Director | Carol P. Sanders, Director | Carol P. Sanders, Director |
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