John Larsen
Chair, President & Chief Executive Officer at Alliant Energy
Thank you, Zach. Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. We completed another solid quarter with strong operational and financial results. I'll share a few of the highlights from the quarter and then turn it over to Robert to recap key regulatory, customer and financial results.
I'll start with a focus on our strong ESG story. We recently issued our 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report. This year's update showcases many examples of our environmental stewardship, governance and our longstanding efforts to address the important social needs of the communities we proudly serve.
I'll start with the end in mind is no clean energy story is complete without results. First off in 2020, we achieved a 42% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to 2005 levels, with a clear path toward our goal of 50% reduction by 2030. We also reduce water usage by 66% in 2020, well on our way to a 75% reduction by 2030. And we've already met or exceeded our ambitious NOx, SOx and Mercury emission goals. Looking forward, our aspiration is to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity we generate by 2050.
We've been reducing our carbon footprint for many years, transitioning from older and less efficient coal units to low cost and efficient generation resources like wind, natural gas and solar. These resources continue to be low cost options in our service territory, making them a smart choice to serve our customers well into the future.
We're building on our successful wind energy expansion. That includes our excellent track record of project execution, as we turn toward expanding our solar energy profile. A balance generation profile of efficient natural gas, wind, solar and battery storage will serve as the backbone for delivering safe, reliable, affordable and resilient energy to our customers.
We recently announced that our first 675 megawatts of new solar in Wisconsin is advancing to the construction phase, after receiving approval from the Public Service Commission. Robert will share more details on these projects, as well as our efforts to expand our solar energy footprint in Iowa a bit later in the call.
You've heard us talk about our Clean Energy Blueprint designed to guide us toward a clean energy future. Our blueprint is comprehensive, going beyond generation to also ensure a clean, efficient and resilient energy grid.
We are adding smart technologies to our grid, transitioning our electric lines from overhead to underground and expanding the use of energy storage. Our blueprint is designed to ensure resiliency and reliability of our grid, reduce customer costs and allow for more distributed renewable generation on our grid.
For example, we recently were joined by Iowa's Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, along with several local and state leaders and our partners at the ribbon cutting event for our latest battery storage project in Decorah, Iowa.
We're very excited to continue expanding battery storage solutions. Not only do these projects have a future on our system as dispatchable load, but they can also serve to enable distributed energy resources and support the resiliency of our distribution system.
Speaking of resiliency, as we approach the one year anniversary of the derecho that devastated our Iowa service territory, I reminded of the resiliency of our customers, employees, as we recovered from the largest storm in our company's history. It's one of the reasons I'm also excited about our commitment to plant 1 million trees, representing the customers we're so privileged to serve. As these trees grow, they'll capture CO2 out of the atmosphere and help rebuild the tree canopy lost in the storm across so many Iowa communities.
I mentioned earlier focus on ESG. One of our newest social efforts is investing in the energy impact partners Elevate Future Fund, which aims to create a more diverse founder community within the broader energy transition.
The fund will be focused on investing in companies founded or run by diverse leaders that are driving innovation and advancing the low carbon economy, including supply decarbonisation, electrification and technology enabled infrastructure.
The Elevate team will form partnerships with technology accelerators and universities, including historically black colleges to nurture talent, promote infrastructure and support systems to retain talent from underrepresented groups.
We're excited about the promising opportunities this partnership creates for inclusiveness locally and nationally, and we appreciate the opportunities to support innovative ways to build a more diverse and inclusive workforce that advances our collective efforts for creating a carbon free future.
Before I turn the call over to Robert, I want to share that the accomplishments that I've highlighted today are the direct result of the efforts of our talented employees who work each and every day, to deliver on our purpose, to serve customers and build stronger communities. Their efforts over the past year are nothing short of amazing and I want to take the opportunity today to thank them for all that they do.
Thank you for your continued interest in Alliant Energy. I'll turn the call over to Robert.
