Thanksgiving Menu Electricity Cost Natural Gas Cost

16 lb stuffed $0.61 $0.33 turkey roasted in an oven for 3.5 hours

Large pan of $0.07 $0.03 mashed potatoes cooked for 20 minutes

Giblet gravy $0.04 $0.01 cooked on the stove for 10 minutes

Homemade dinner $0.09 $0.05 rolls baked for 30 minutes

Vegetable casserole $0.09 $0.05 baked in an oven for 30 minutes

Two pumpkin pies $0.18 $0.10 baked in an oven for 1 hour

Total Energy Value $1.08 $0.57

Alliant Energy also offers the following energy efficiency cooking tips to practice when preparing Thanksgiving Day dinner to maximize your energy value:

- Use the 'lids-on' approach to stove top cooking. Tightly fitted lids help keep heat within pots and pans, which permits the use of lower temperature settings and shorter cooking times.

- When cooking on top of your range, match the size of the pan to the heating element. More heat will get to the pan and less will be lost to the surrounding air.

- Coast to the finish: Food keeps cooking even after you turn off the burner. When food is almost ready, turn off the oven or burners and let existing heat finish the cooking for you.

- Always cook on the highest heat until liquid begins to boil. Upon boiling, lower the heat control setting and allow food to simmer until fully cooked.

- The turkey is traditionally stuffed early in the morning and roasted for hours. Since it's a long, slow cook, there's no need to preheat your oven, even when the recipe suggests it. This also holds true for a holiday ham. In fact, unless you're baking breads or pastries, you may not need to preheat the oven at all.

- When using an electric oven, cook as much of your meal in it at one time as possible. Foods with different cooking temperatures can often be cooked simultaneously - variations of 25 degrees Fahrenheit in either direction still produce good results and save energy.

- Shut the door: Admit it. You like to watch food cook. This Thanksgiving, resist the urge to open the oven door, as doing so will decrease the temperature inside by 25 to 30 degrees. Use your oven light and look through the window instead to keep the oven hot and the kitchen comfortable.

- Use glass or ceramic pans, they heat faster than metal pans and the cooking temperature may be lowered by 25F. The benefit is the foods will cook in the same time with less energy.

- Don't overlook the other cooking appliances at Thanksgiving. Fast and efficient microwave ovens use around 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens.

- When cleaning up after dinner, do not use your oven's self-cleaning cycle unless you have a major cleaning job on your hands. Wipe up minor spills and splatters with a damp cloth.

- When using the oven's self-clean feature, start the cycle right after cooking, while the oven is still hot, or wait until late evening hours when use of electricity is lowest.

- In addition to your stove, your refrigerator and freezer also get a real workout over the holidays. Help your refrigerator and freezer operate efficiently and economically by keeping the doors closed as much as possible so the cold air doesn't escape.

- If all your holiday cooking doesn't heat up your house, your guests will. Turn your thermostat down 3 to 5 degrees - no one will notice the difference.

'On behalf of our company and its employees, we wish everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday,' said Tom Aller, President of Alliant Energy's Interstate Power and Light Company. 'We encourage hosts of all Thanksgiving celebrations to realize the value of energy and to implement energy efficiency practices into their dinner preparations.'

CONTACT: Nancy Craig, Alliant Energy Tel: +1 319 786 4788

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

'Eliot has placed his mark on Alliant Energy over his many years of service,' said Bill Harvey, Chairman, President and CEO of Alliant Energy. 'He has always been a champion of our customers and employees. He was instrumental in the successful consummation of our three-way merger and related integration of the companies that today comprise Alliant Energy.'

'During his years as CFO,' Harvey continued, 'he and his finance team added great value to our shareowners as we transitioned the business and balance sheet to what it is today. On behalf of our customers, employees and shareowners, I thank Eliot for his considerable contributions.'

Upon retirement, Protsch and his wife plan to maintain their primary residence in Naples, FL, where he is establishing Wapsie Investment and Advisory, an investment and financial advisory firm specializing in energy technology investments and financial advisory services. Protsch also plans to continue board service and currently serves on the American Family Insurance and Capstone Turbine Boards of Directors.

'Eliot has had a keen interest in energy technology for his entire career and has been involved in numerous initiatives related to deploying technology at Alliant Energy. He is very well-positioned to add value to this growing sector of the energy industry,' added Harvey.

'I am thankful for the opportunities that Alliant Energy has afforded me over the years,' Protsch remarked. 'It is difficult to express my deep pride in the talented and dedicated employees that I have been privileged to work with during my career with the company. While I very much look forward to this new chapter of my life, I know that I will miss the fine people at Alliant Energy, and have great confidence in the company's leadership going forward.'

CONTACT: Ryan Stensland, Alliant Energy Tel: +1 319 786 4171 Susan Trapp Gille, Alliant Energy Tel: +1 608 458 3956

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

A variety of energy-efficiency equipment was installed, including roof and wall insulation, occupancy sensors for lighting, window film, as well as an energy efficiency HVAC system. Jones Regional Medical Center is expected to save more than $23,600 each year on its energy bills. These operational savings result from the hospital lowering its expected energy usage by an estimated 324,882 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity each year.

'Our company is pleased to work with the Jones Regional Medical Center on this project,' states Craig Clefisch - Strategic Account Manager, Alliant Energy. 'We appreciate the Medical Center's commitment to reducing its impact on the environment and applaud their leadership's proactive approach in building energy efficiency into the new facility.'

In addition to lowering its energy bill and receiving a cash incentive from Alliant Energy, Jones Regional Medical Center is also doing its part to reduce its environmental impact. By choosing to make the building more efficient than required by the State of Iowa building code, the hospital is avoiding more than 233 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. This is equal to the carbon sequestered annually by 53 acres of pine forests.

Alliant Energy offers numerous rebate programs for residential, business, farm or commercial facilities. Custom rebates from Alliant Energy are available for energy-savings projects that do not qualify for standard equipment rebates.

Custom Rebates are available to Alliant Energy's retail electric and/or natural gas commercial, industrial and agricultural customers in Iowa. To qualify, energy efficiency projects must be located within Alliant Energy's Iowa service territory. Energy experts are available to explain efficiency standards and help businesses determine their total rebate. For more information, visit www.alliantenergy.com/customrebates or call 1-866-ALLIANT.

CONTACT: Nancy Craig, Alliant Energy Tel: +1 319 786 4788

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.

The Spirit Lake Community Fire Department held two community events to raise funds for the purchase of the equipment. The first event was a Pancake Breakfast held last spring and the Annual Firemen's Dance. These funds raised, along with the Alliant Energy Foundation's Hometown Challenge grant, enabled the fire department to obtain this state-of-the-art safety equipment.

Hometown Challenge Grants are designed to enhance a community's efforts and provide assistance in meeting an important community need. Hometown Challenge Grants are awarded to organizations that serve a greater part of the community such as public schools, libraries, police and fire departments. The grants must be for specific, one-time, safety-related projects that benefit a wide range of people and elicit a broad level of community support.

For more information on Hometown Challenge Grants contact the Alliant Energy Foundation at 608-458-4483 or visit www.alliantenergy.com/foundation .

CONTACT: Nancy Craig, Alliant Energy Tel: +1 319 786 4788

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com.