Wisconsin Power and Light energy conservation program saves enough energy in 2007 to power over 7,000 homes

Shared Savings program boasts an impressive 20-year “green” track record

Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL), an Alliant Energy company, completed 192 energy conservation projects in partnership with its business and farm customers last year. The projects saved enough energy to power more than 7,000 homes, heat another 4,500 residences and remove the equivalent annual greenhouse gas emissions of nearly 12,000 passenger vehicles.

The reduction in energy consumption was realized through WPL’s Shared Savings program - an initiative that assists industrial, commercial and agricultural customers with identification and implementation of energy efficiency projects - and invests the capital to finance them. In 2007, WPL provided over $40 million in low-interest financing to help its customers “go green” and implement energy-saving measures.

“While it’s the trendy thing these days to talk about “going green” or “being green”, WPL and its business and farm customers have actually been working together on energy conservation and efficiency projects since 1987 with our Shared Savings program,” said Donna Braatz, WPL Director - Sales and Strategic Accounts. “In fact, over the past ten years alone, WPL has invested $404 million in customer facilities, saving the equivalent amount of electricity generated by a 250-megawatt power plant.”

The Shared Savings program is implemented through experienced WPL account managers and technical engineers who work closely with customers to evaluate energy-saving measures and determine the best energy efficient technologies for their specific business or process. The projects may be as simple as replacing lighting or as complex as completely redesigning a manufacturing process and upgrading or purchasing new equipment.

Shared Savings offers eligible customers low-cost financing – in an amount up to 5 times the estimated annual energy dollar savings – to help cover the cost of making the improvements. Participating customers repay WPL from their monthly energy savings over a contract term, and continue to receive all the savings when the payments are complete. In many cases, the energy dollars saved by use of the new equipment result in a positive cash flow in excess of the cost of the Shared Savings payment.

In 2008, WPL will continue to offer low-cost financing to commercial, industrial and agricultural customers to assist them with being more energy-efficient through Shared Savings. The program is one of the strongest and most-established energy-efficiency programs for business and farm utility customers in the Midwest. In 2006, it was recognized with the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance “Inspiring Efficiency Impact Award”.

“Our goal is to support our customers in their energy sustainability efforts,” added Braatz. “Shared Savings is a great program for businesses interested in lowering their energy costs with the added benefit of helping the environment through less energy use.”