Exhibit 4(a) ARTICLES OF MERGER OF IOWA SOUTHERN UTILITIES COMPANY INTO IOWA ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE STATE OF IOWA: Pursuant to the provisions of Section 1105 of the Iowa Business Corporation Act, the undersigned corporations adopt the following Articles of Merger: 1. The Agreement and Plan of Merger (the "Plan of Merger"), providing for the merger (the "Merger") of Iowa Southern Utilities Company with and into Iowa Electric Light and Power Company, is set forth in its entirety as Exhibit I attached hereto and hereby made a part hereof. The Plan of Merger also provides that the surviving corporation will be renamed upon the consummation of the Merger with the filing of Restated Articles of Incorporation of Iowa Electric Light and Power Company under the new corporate name. In accordance therewith, Iowa Electric Light and Power Company has contemporaneously submitted for filing with the Secretary of State of Iowa Restated Articles of Incorporation which change its corporate name to: IES Utilities Inc. 2. The Plan of Merger was approved by the shareholders of each corporation and; (a) The designation, number of outstanding shares, and number of votes entitled to be cast by each voting group entitled to vote separately on the Plan of Merger as to each corporation was: Number of Number of Votes Outstanding Entitled Name of Corporation Designation Shares To Be Cast Iowa Southern Utilities Common Stock 2,874,274 2,874,274 Company Iowa Electric Light and Common Stock 13,370,788 13,370,788 Power Company Iowa Electric Light and 4.30% Preferred 120,000 120,000 Power Company Iowa Electric Light and 4.80% Preferred 146,406 146,406 Power Company Iowa Electric Light and 6.10% Preferred 100,000 100,000 Power Company (b) The total number of shares cast for and against the Plan of Merger by each voting group entitled to vote separately on the Plan of Merger as to each corporation was: Total Total Number of Number of Votes Cast Votes Cast For the Against Plan the Plan Name of Corporation Voting Group of Merger of Merger Iowa Southern Utilities Common Stock 2,874,274 0 Company Iowa Electric Light and Common Stock 13,370,788 0 Power Company Iowa Electric Light and 4.30% Preferred 110,917 0 Power Company Iowa Electric Light and 4.80% Preferred 91,625 267 Power Company Iowa Electric Light and 6.10% Preferred 63,174 0 Power Company and the total number of votes cast for the Plan of Merger by each voting group was sufficient for approval of the Plan of Merger by that voting group. 3. These Articles of Merger and the Merger shall become effective at 11:59:58 P.M. Central Standard Time, on December 31, 1993. Dated: December 30, 1993. IOWA ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY BY: /s/ Lee Liu Lee Liu, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer IOWA SOUTHERN UTILITIES COMPANY BY: /s/ Dean E. Ekstrom Dean E. Ekstrom, Vice President and General Manager