ALLIANT ENERGY CORP

Investment Strategy for Plan Assets -Investment strategies for defined benefit pension and OPEB plan assets combine preservation of principal and prudent risk-taking to protect the integrity of plan assets, in order to meet the obligations to plan participants while minimizing benefit costs over the long term. Investment risk of plan assets is mitigated through an asset mix, which is governed by allocation targets. The asset allocation is monitored regularly, and appropriate steps are taken as needed to rebalance the assets within the prescribed ranges.

Defined Benefit Pension Plan Assets -Defined benefit pension plan assets have a long-term investment time horizon and are classified into return-seeking and liability-hedging portfolios. The return-seeking portfolio includes: public equities with different market capitalization, investment style and geography; liquid alternative securities, which include hedge fund strategies; and fixed income investments, which include, but are not limited to, high-yield bonds, emerging market debt, bank loans and private credit bonds. The liability-hedging portfolio includes: fixed-income investments including investment grade instruments of government and corporate issuers, as well as private placements and securitized assets; and fixed income derivative contracts for liability and interest rate hedging positions. At December 31, 2024, the current target ranges and actual allocations for the defined benefit pension plan assets were as follows:

Other Postretirement Benefits Plan Assets -OPEB plan assets are comprised of specific assets within certain defined benefit pension plans (401(h) assets) as well as assets held in VEBA trusts. For asset pools with a long-term investment time horizon, investments include public equities with different market capitalization, investment style and geography, and fixed income securities including investment grade instruments of government and corporate issuers. At December 31, 2024, the current target ranges and actual allocations for assets with a long-term investment horizon were as follows:

Fair Value Measurements -Fair value measurement accounting establishes three levels of fair value hierarchy that prioritize the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. Refer to Note 15 for discussion of levels within the fair value hierarchy. Level 1 items include investments in securities held in registered investment companies, which are valued at the closing price reported in the active market in which the securities are traded. Level 2 items include cash and equivalents consisting of money market fund investments and cash collateral supporting derivative financial instruments. Certain investments that are measured at fair value using the net asset value practical expedient have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. These fair value amounts are included below to reconcile the fair value hierarchy to the respective total plan assets.

At December 31, the fair values of qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plan assets were as follows (in millions):

At December 31, the fair values of OPEB plan assets were as follows (in millions):

For the various defined benefit pension and OPEB plans, Alliant Energy common stock represented less than 1% of assets directly held in the plans at December 31, 2024 and 2023.

401(k) Savings Plans -A significant number of employees participate in defined contribution retirement plans (401(k) savings plans). Alliant Energy common stock directly held by participants represented 7% and 8% of total assets in the 401(k) savings plans at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Costs related to the 401(k) savings plans, which are partially based on the participants’ contributions and include allocated costs associated with Corporate Services employees for IPL and WPL, were as follows (in millions):

Restructuring and Voluntary Employee Separation Charges -In 2024, Alliant Energy announced restructuring activities, including offering certain employees a voluntary separation package. Approximately 5% of total Alliant Energy employees accepted the package, and as a result of the restructuring activities, Alliant Energy, IPL and WPL recorded pre-tax charges of $29 million, $14 million and $13 million, respectively, in 2024. These charges were primarily recorded in “Other operation and maintenance” expenses in the income statements.

NOTE 12(b) Equity-based Compensation Plans - In 2020, Alliant Energy’s shareowners approved the 2020 OIP, which permits the grant of shares of Alliant Energy common stock, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, and other stock-based or cash-based awards to key employees. At December 31, 2024, performance shares and restricted stock units were outstanding under the 2020 OIP, and 7 million shares of Alliant Energy common stock remained available for grants under the 2020 OIP. Alliant Energy satisfies share payouts related to equity awards through the issuance of new shares of its common stock. Nonvested awards generally do not have non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents when dividends are paid to common shareowners. A summary of compensation expense, including amounts allocated to IPL and WPL, and the related income tax benefits recognized for share-based compensation awards was as follows (in millions):

As of December 31, 2024, Alliant Energy’s, IPL’s and WPL’s total unrecognized compensation cost related to share-based compensation awards was $10 million, $5 million and $5 million, respectively, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of betweenone year andtwo years. Share-based compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service periods and is recorded in “Other operation and maintenance” in the income statements. As of December 31, 2024,564,743 shares were included in the calculation of diluted EPS related to the nonvested equity awards.

Performance Shares (Total Shareowner Return Metric) -Payouts of certain performance shares are contingent upon achievement over athree-year period of specified performance criteria, which currently is total shareowner return relative to an investor-owned utility peer group. Performance shares grants are to be paid out in shares of Alliant Energy common stock and are accounted for as equity awards. The fair value of each of these performance shares is based on the fair value of the underlying common stock on the grant date and the probability of satisfying the market condition contained in the agreement during a three-year performance period. The actual number of these performance shares that will be paid out upon vesting is dependent upon actual performance and may range from zero to 200% of the target number of shares. If minimum performance targets are not met during the performance period, these performance shares are forfeited. Compensation expense is recorded ratably over the performance period based on the fair value of the awards at the grant date. A summary of the performance shares activity, with amounts representing the target number of awards, was as follows:

Restricted Stock Units -Payouts of restricted stock units are based on the expiration of athree-year time-vesting period. Restricted stock unit grants are to be paid out in shares of Alliant Energy common stock and are accounted for as equity awards. The fair value of each of these restricted stock units is based on the closing market price ofone share of Alliant Energy common stock on the grant date of the award. Compensation expense is recorded ratably over the performance period based on the fair value of the awards on the grant date. A summary of the restricted stock units activity was as follows:

Performance Shares (Net Income and Workforce Composition Metrics) (formerly granted as Performance Restricted Stock Units) -Payouts of certain performance shares are contingent upon achievement over athree-year period of specific performance criteria, which currently is specified growth of cumulative consolidated net income from continuing operations, as well as a workforce composition metric. Performance shares grants are to be paid out in shares of Alliant Energy common stock and are accounted for as equity awards. The fair value of each of these performance shares is based on the closing market price ofone share of Alliant Energy common stock on the grant date of the award. The actual number of these performance shares that will be paid out upon vesting is dependent upon actual performance and may range from zero to 200% of the target number of shares under each award type. If minimum performance targets are not met during the performance period, these performance shares are forfeited. Compensation expense is recorded ratably over the performance period based on a probability assessment of payouts for the awards at each reporting period. A summary of the performance shares activity, with amounts representing the target number of awards, was as follows:

NOTE 12(c) Deferred Compensation Plan -Alliant Energy maintains a DCP under which certain key employees may defer up to 100% of base salary and short-term cash incentive compensation and members of its Board of Directors may elect to defer all or part of their retainer and committee fees. Key employees who have made the maximum allowed contribution to the Alliant Energy 401(k) Savings Plan may receive an additional credit to the DCP. Key employees and Board of Directors members may elect to have their deferrals credited to a company stock account, an interest account, equity accounts or mutual fund accounts based on certain benchmark funds.

Company Stock Account -The DCP does not permit reallocation of deferrals credited to the company stock account and all distributions from participants’ company stock accounts are made in the form of shares of Alliant Energy common stock. The deferred compensation obligations for participants’ company stock accounts are recorded in “Additional paid-in capital” and the shares of Alliant Energy common stock held in a rabbi trust to satisfy this obligation are recorded in “Shares in deferred compensation trust” on Alliant Energy’s balance sheets. At December 31, the carrying value of the deferred compensation obligation for the company stock account and the shares in the deferred compensation trust based on the historical value of the shares of Alliant Energy common stock contributed to the rabbi trust, and the fair market value of the shares held in the rabbi trust, were as follows (in millions):

Interest, Equity and Mutual Fund Accounts -Distributions from participants’ interest, equity and mutual fund accounts are in the form of cash payments. The deferred compensation obligations for participants’ interest, equity and mutual fund accounts are recorded in “Pension and other benefit obligations” on the balance sheets. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the carrying value of Alliant Energy’s deferred compensation obligations for participants’ interest, equity and mutual fund accounts, which approximates fair market value, was $23 million and $21 million, respectively.