Alliant Energy breaks ground on air quality improvement project at Lansing facility

Environmental technology to be installed at Alliant Energy's Lansing Generating Station is designed to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by approximately 90 percent. The groundbreaking ceremony at the Alliant plant south of Lansing recognized  this achievement for the environment and Iowans.
The approximately $58 million project is expected to employ an average of 50 workers during construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2015.
"This environmental project will further our company's efforts to produce safe, efficient and responsible energy for our customers" said John Larsen, senior vice-president of Generation for Alliant Energy. "Together with our labor partners, contractors and the community, we are working to ensure that Iowa has the energy needed to grow while minimizing our impact on the environment. This includes transforming our generating fleet to cleaner and more efficient units."
Employees of Alliant Energy were joined by company retirees and local and state officials to celebrate the event.
The project will include new scrubbers for the power plant. Scrubbers reduce the amount of sulfur dioxide emitted by power plants.
In 2010, the company installed new air quality control technology at the power plant to reduce emissions of mercury, filterable particulate matter and nitrogen oxide from the facility.
The air quality improvement projects at the Lansing generating station are part of the company's long-term energy resource plan. The plan includes investments in current generating stations, the addition of the natural gas-fueled Marshalltown Generating Station, renewable resources and investments in energy efficiency.