An Iowa energy company says President Donald Trump’s decision to exit the Paris climate agreement won’t affect its effort to use cleaner energy.
Alliant Energy has used cleaner energy sources and some renewables to cut carbon dioxide emissions by about one-third since 2005. That’s a bigger cut than what would have been required for the U.S. as a whole under the Paris agreement.
Alliant Vice President of Operations in Iowa Terry Kouba says the company’s shift to cleaner energy isn’t tied to federal policy. Rather those decisions are often based on what’s affordable for customers.
"We’re going to rely more on affordable renewables with zero fuel cost," Kouba says. "We’re going to rely less on coal-fired facilities, and we’re going to rely a little bit more on natural gas facilities."
Alliant is in the process of opening the state’s largest solar power site and is looking to generate more wind energy.
"When we look at things that significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions like solar, like additional wind energy, those are solutions that really are in this day and age an affordable option for energy for our customers," Kouba says.
He says Alliant Energy does not plan to change its strategy based on Trump’s decision.
