Aug 2 (Reuters) - Utility firm Alliant Energy ( LNT )

said on a post-earnings call on Friday that it has executed

multiple power supply deals with data centers.

The increasing popularity of advanced AI tools such as

OpenAI's ChatGPT has led to a growing need for high-performance

data centers, which are capable of processing the vast amounts

of data required to handle large volumes of information,

boosting demand for electricity.

"We have been proactively working to attract new customers

in both Iowa and Wisconsin and we are pleased to announce that

we have executed multiple agreements with data centers in both

states," a company executive said on the post-earnings call.

Alliant did not provide any other details about the

deals.

The Madison, Wisconsin-based company reported a decline in

its second-quarter profit on Thursday, hurt by a settlement

agreement related to its Interstate Power and Light (IPL) unit's

retail electric rate review.

The company recorded a pre-tax non-cash charge of $60

million in the second quarter due to the settlement agreement.

Quarterly adjusted profit for its utilities and corporate

services segment, which IPL is a part of, was down 13.8% at 56

cents per share from a year ago.

The company reported an profit of $87 million for the

quarter ended June 30, compared with $160 million, from a year

earlier.