ALBANY — The 50-megawatt Albany Solar Project located in Green County is part of Alliant Energy’s Clean Energy Blueprint, a strategic roadmap to cost-effectively accelerate the company’s transition to renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions. Once complete, the project will positively impact the environment and generate enough energy to power around 13,000 homes.
Construction update
Alliant will restart construction activities on the Albany Solar Project this spring. Since the fall when they completed some civil work, they’ve received deliveries to ramp up production as site conditions allow.
In the coming weeks and months, they’ll begin to install piles. These metal posts anchor the solar arrays to the ground and support the tracking system that allows panels to follow the movement of the sun throughout the day.
There’s also trenching and underground cable installation that will begin shortly. As the piles are placed, they’ll attach the tracking system and install the panels this summer and fall.
Alliant expects to complete the Albany Solar Project by the end of this year.
Creating a pollinator-friendly habitat
Supporting a diverse, pollinator-friendly habitat that builds soil nutrients and strengthens local wildlife is a key goal of our Clean Energy Blueprint. At this site, like others around the state, we plant native grass and seed mixes throughout and around the solar arrays to create a healthy environment.
The Albany Solar Project site utilizes a specially selected, DNR-approved mix of grass and seed varieties. This native vegetation is great for attracting pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths and other beneficial wildlife populations.
Pollinator-friendly vegetation has been proven to prevent soil erosion, improve water quality, add benefit to high-value crops and decrease operating and maintenance costs. Additionally, a recent study by Yale University found pollinator-friendly habitats create a cooler microclimate that improves panel efficiency and results in higher energy output.
All these benefits help create a more sustainable, reliable and environmentally friendly energy future. To learn more about Alliant Energy’s efforts to support pollinators, visit alliantenergy.com and keyword search, “pollinator.”
Find out what’s next
Alliant will share additional updates, photos and details for the Albany Solar Project throughout the construction process online at alliantenergy.com/albanysolar.
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