Racial Injustice: A Letter to Our Customers and Communities

The recent death of George Floyd and racial violence following in the aftermath have left many reeling, hurting and searching for answers. We recognize that the impact felt today is not isolated to one situation. It is important to speak out publicly against racism and injustice. Our country has experienced far too many moments of racial injustice, which emphasizes how much work there is to be done. Knowing that people live in fear as part of their daily lives because of the color of their skin is completely unacceptable.

At Alliant Energy, our purpose is to serve customers and build strong communities. We bring that purpose to life each day as our employees live our shared Values, one of which is Caring for others. This Value is about embracing diversity, equity and inclusion. We have initiatives in place to help make the communities we serve successful, which includes having a diverse workforce, but we understand we have much yet to accomplish. We are committed to this journey, which for us is about making things better as we do the right thing.

Financially, we support not-for-profit organizations that help our communities bridge gaps of inequities through programs that support food pantries, social justice, education and housing. We also support our employees volunteering for these organizations because it is critical that we be part of the solution. These organizations, and our ongoing support of them, are essential to move things forward.

In addition, we strive to create a workplace where people feel like they belong and can use their unique backgrounds, talents and perspectives to their fullest potential. It is difficult to do this if you do not feel safe, physically or socially, or do not feel accepted or valued at work and in our communities -- no matter your gender, color of your skin, sexual orientation, disability, religion or other unique qualities.

We are committed to starting new conversations, listening intently and doing what’s right. And so, we continue to take steps we believe can help influence change. We must all do our part to build stronger communities that are equitable, respectful and filled with opportunity.

We publicly display our commitment to inclusion and diversity – whether it is lighting our tower in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., or flying the rainbow flag at all our locations to celebrate Pride Month throughout June.

We support everyone who is speaking out and peacefully protesting. We encourage people to support organizations and movements that support diversity and inclusion in your community. Get involved and be constructive.

Together, we can do more to guarantee basic human rights and freedoms of every person in every community are protected – especially groups that have been historically marginalized and discriminated against. We will continue to do everything we can to Do the Right Thing and Make Things Better -- for our employees, our customers and the communities we serve.

As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. so eloquently said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Alliant Energy