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Wisconsin Power and Light Co. Moves to Expand Wind Generation

   Alliant Energy is the parent company of two public utility companies--Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL) and Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL)--and of Alliant Energy Resources, Inc. (AER), the parent company of Alliant Energy's non-regulated operations. (PRNewsFoto/ALLIANT ENERGY CORPORATION)

MADISON, WI UNITED STATES
 Bent Tree Wind Farm has the potential to power approximately 100,000 homes

    MADISON, Wis., June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wisconsin Power and
Light Company (WPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alliant Energy
Corporation (NYSE: LNT), filed a Certificate of Public Convenience and
Necessity (CPCN) application today with the Public Service Commission of
Wisconsin (PSCW) for the Bent Tree Wind Farm, a proposed wind farm in
Freeborn County, Minnesota.

    (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020405/LNTLOGO)

    The Bent Tree Wind Farm has the potential to produce up to 400
megawatts (MW) of emissions-free energy, which is enough to power
approximately 100,000 homes. WPL's CPCN application seeks PSCW approval to
develop approximately 200 MW of wind power on the site beginning in 2009. A
decision regarding the development of the wind farm's additional 200 MW has
not yet been made. Pending all regulatory approvals, WPL anticipates 200 MW
of the Bent Tree Wind Farm will be commercially operable by the end of
2010. The initial 200 MW phase of the project will cost approximately $450
to $475 million, excluding allowance for funds used during construction.

    "Developing Bent Tree Wind Farm is the next logical step in WPL's
commitment to not only wind energy, but all renewable energy," said Barbara
Swan, President of WPL. "We will continue to seek environmentally friendly
alternative sources of energy to complement our baseload generation
initiatives, which furthers our goal of providing reliable, affordable and
environmentally responsible power to our customers."

    "WPL chose to develop the Bent Tree site in Minnesota because of the
strong and persistent prairie winds of southern Minnesota," explained Kim
Zuhlke, Vice President of New Energy Resources for Alliant Energy. "This
wind resource enables us to generate more wind energy for our Wisconsin
customers in a cost effective manner."

    In April, WPL executed a letter of intent to purchase Bent Tree Wind
Farm from Wind Capital Group, LLC. WPL currently anticipates the purchase
of the site to be complete by October 2008. "Wind Capital Group is a leader
in developing wind energy and we are extremely pleased to continue working
with them, not only on this project, but others as well," said Zuhlke.

    "The Bent Tree Wind Farm represents a continuation of our work to bring
wind energy home to rural communities," said Wind Capital Group President
Tom Carnahan. "We are proud to partner with an industry leader like WPL on
this and other projects."

    Bent Tree Wind Farm is expected to be WPL's second fully owned and
operated wind farm. By the end of this year the company's first such
project, the Cedar Ridge Wind Farm, a 68 MW wind farm in Fond du Lac
County, Wisconsin is expected to begin commercial operation.

    WPL expects the PSCW to issue a ruling on its CPCN application by the
end of the year. WPL expects to file a Certificate of Need Application and
a Siting Application with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC)
later this month. A decision from the MPUC is expected in late 2008 or
early 2009.

    Alliant Energy is an energy-services provider with subsidiaries serving
approximately 1 million electric and 400,000 natural gas customers.
Providing its customers in the Midwest with regulated electric and natural
gas service is the company's primary focus. Wisconsin Power and Light, the
company's Wisconsin utility subsidiary, serves approximately 450,000
electric and 175,000 natural gas customers. Alliant Energy, headquartered
in Madison, Wis., is a Fortune 1000 company traded on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol LNT. For more information, visit the company's
Web site at http://www.alliantenergy.com.

    This press release includes forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements can be identified as such because the statements
include words such as "anticipates," "approximately," "plans," "expected,"
or other words of similar import. Similarly, statements that describe
future plans or strategies are also forward-looking statements. Such
statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated.
Actual results could be affected by such factors as: state regulatory
actions or local government actions which delay, prevent or alter the
proposed plans, including inability to obtain all necessary approvals and
permits; unsuccessful negotiations for the purchase of the wind farm;
unanticipated construction issues, delays or expenditures; failure of
equipment and technology to perform as expected; current or future
litigation, regulatory investigations, proceedings or inquiries that could
impede the implementation of WPL's plans; political conditions in WPL's
service territories; changes to WPL's access to capital markets; and
economic conditions in WPL's service territory. These factors should be
considered when evaluating the forward-looking statements and undue
reliance should not be placed on such statements. The forward-looking
statements included herein are made as of the date hereof and Alliant
Energy and WPL undertake no obligation to update publicly such statements
to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.



SOURCE Alliant Energy




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  • http://www.alliantenergy.com
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    CONTACT:
    Media, Steve Schultz, +1-608-458-3285, or
    Investors, Jamie Freeman, +1-608-458-3274, both of Alliant Energy