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WE ENERGIES STRENGTHENS RELIABILITY WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART GENERATION FACILITY NEAR WAUSAU

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Sep
27
An innovative new power facility is providing another important source of affordable, reliable energy for homes and businesses across Wisconsin. We Energies has completed a new, 128-megawatt (MW) power generation station at the Weston Power Plant near Wausau, Wisconsin. The units at the natural gas-fueled facility have begun full operations, sending energy to the electric grid. 
“We focus every day on making sure our customers have the energy they depend on,” according to Scott Lauber, President and CEO — We Energies. “As we build more renewable energy power plants, these modern and low-carbon generation units will ensure the lights stay on when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing.”

SOLAR ENERGY BATTERY PROJECTS GET GREEN LIGHT

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Sep
27

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has approved two Alliant Energy battery energy storage projects totaling 175 megawatts (MW). The approval clears the way for construction to begin on the 100-MW Grant County Battery Project and 75-MW Wood County Battery Project. They will be located alongside the company’s Grant County and Wood County solar sites. The integration of these battery systems with Alliant Energy’s utility-scale solar sites increases customer access to safe, reliable energy even when the sun isn’t out.

"We appreciate the PSCW’s approval of these cutting-edge battery energy storage systems that will enhance grid reliability and flexibility for our customers,” according to David de Leon, President of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin energy company. “These projects are another step toward achieving our clean energy goals while enabling a more resilient and cost-effective energy future. We are excited to break ground on these innovative battery projects and look forward to the benefits and enhanced value these systems will deliver to our customers.” 

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WISCONSIN MANUFACTURERS AND COMMERCE SUPPORTS SUPERIOR ENERGY CENTER

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Sep
27

A key federal agency is currently accepting public comments related to the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). NTEC will be a state-of-the-art natural gas plant in Superior, Wisconsin, with the ability to deliver up to 625 MW of flexible energy to the electric grid. The proposed plant will help ensure the delivery of safe, reliable and affordable energy to many Wisconsin businesses.

Wisconsin manufacturers and companies cannot rely solely on intermittent wind and solar resources that are only available when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. In order to grow jobs, Wisconsin’s business community needs access to affordable and reliable energy.

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XCEL ENERGY ELECTS TIMOTHY WELSH TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Sep
27
Xcel Energy has announced that Timothy Welsh has been elected to the company’s Board of Directors, Welsh, who currently serves as Vice Chair for U.S. Bancorp’s Consumer and Business Banking, is an accomplished business and community leader with decades of experience in a variety of diverse fields, including financial services, customer experience, workforce development, and operations. Across several industries, Welsh’s work has centered on understanding consumer behavior and creating strategies to respond to consumer preferences.

AWARDS

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Sep
27

ALLIANT ENERGY NAMED A TOP UTILITY IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Site Selector Magazine announced for the fifth consecutive year that Alliant Energy has earned their Top Utility in Economic Development honor. The annual list recognizes the company for its contributions to local community development and job creation.

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FROM THE CAPITOL

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Sep
27
WISCONSIN SENATE OVERRIDES THREE OF GOVERNOR’S VETOES
Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate have voted three times to override vetoes from Gov. Tony Evers, two of them partial vetoes that Evers made to the 2023-25 state budget. 
The override votes then go to the state Assembly, where the GOP is just two seats shy of the two-thirds majority needed to concur with the Senate and override. Any Assembly action is likely to have happened after press time for this Voice issue. 
The Senate voted along party lines 22-11 to override. Evers’ veto in the budget that authorized public school districts to raise their revenue limits by $325 annually for the next 400 years.  
Evers’ vetoed budget language that cut the income tax rate for households with incomes from $25,000 to $370,000. He had also vetoed SB-49, a bill to protect liquified gas retailers from government restrictions on their products and also to block state agencies and local governments from restricting utilities or discriminating against them based on their “type or source of energy.”

EVERS VETOES BILLS THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED LOCAL BANS ON ENERGY USE
Governor Tony Evers has vetoed several bills that would have prevented Wisconsin communities from barring the use of vehicles or appliances powered by fossil fuels. Two bills sought to prevent Wisconsin’s state and local governments from passing mandates that aim to shift away from vehicles or stoves that run on gas in favor of those powered by electricity.

Another proposal sought to prevent communities from requiring specific sources of energy.  Republican lawmakers and supporters have said the proposals aimed to protect consumer choice. In his veto message, Evers said signing the bills would diminish the state’s ability to combat climate change by shifting to new technology.

MINNESOTA PUC PAVES THE WAY FOR CONTINUED OPERATIONS AT XCEL ENERGY’S MONTICELLO NUCLEAR PLANT

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Sep
27
Xcel Energy has received the necessary approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to extend operations of the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant through 2040, a major step toward continuing to provide reliable, carbon-free energy for more than 500,000 customers across the Upper Midwest while meeting the state’s carbon reduction goals.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s application to allow increased storage of spent nuclear fuel at the site, opening the door for at least ten more years of operation. 
“We thank the Commission, Minnesota Department of Commerce and other stakeholders for their careful review and recognition of the importance of the Monticello nuclear plant to our shared clean energy goals,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy – Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. “Nuclear power is crucial to achieving those goals because of its unique combination of reliability, affordability, and zero emissions. 

HO-CHUNK GAMING WISCONSIN DELLS ADDS ELECTRIC CHARGERS

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
26
Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells has hosted a ribbon cutting for one of Wisconsin’s largest and fastest public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations placed at Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells. Casino officials, Ho-Chunk Nation President, Marlon White-Eagle, and officials from Alliant Energy, Inertial Electric, and the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce were present for the event.
With collaborations from Alliant Energy and Inertial Electric, two ABB Terra 184 fast charging stations with 180 kilowatt DCFC dual-port charging stations offer both a traditional charging option with pull-in parking as well as a pull-through station which allows easy charging for larger vehicles pulling trailers. Both charging stations are ADA compliant designed and available around the clock in the parking lot just 2 miles south of interstate 90/94, on exit 92.
“We are extremely excited about offering these EV stations for guests to the Wisconsin Dells and wuiinc.org Baraboo areas,” said Ho-Chunk Gaming Wisconsin Dells Executive Manager, Landon Owen.

REPORT: GRID CAN WITHSTAND NORMAL SUMMER, BUT EXTREME HEAT COULD CAUSE SHORTAGES

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25
The Midwest electric grid — which includes Wisconsin — should have enough resources to meet normal summer demands this year, but it could face shortages during peak demand levels from extreme heat events.
That's according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp., or NERC, a utility watchdog that releases a summer reliability report each year. Its 2023 report found that two-thirds of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls this summer during periods of high demand.
That includes the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, which manages the grid across Wisconsin and 14 other states. NERC says North America’s elevated risk outlook is driven by a combination of coal plant retirements, a possible spike in energy use and reduced reliability due to extreme heat. "Increased, rapid deployment of wind, solar and batteries have made a positive  impact," said Mark Olson, NERC’s manager of Reliability Assessments, in a statement.

"However, generator retirements continue to increase the risks associated with extreme summer temperatures, which factors into potential supply shortages in the western two thirds of North America if summer temperatures spike.”

PURCHASE OF DARIEN SOLAR ENERGY CENTER APPROVED

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25
Madison Gas and Electric in partnership with We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service subsidiaries of WEC Energy Group, has received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to purchase solar energy and battery storage from the Darien Solar Energy Center. MGE will own 25 megawatts (MW) of solar energy and 7.5 MW of battery storage from the 250-MW solar and 75-MW battery storage facility in Rock and Walworth counties in southern Wisconsin.
"The Darien Solar Energy Center is another important step in our ongoing transition to cleaner energy sources, reducing carbon at least 80 percent by the end of this decade and achieving net-zero carbon electricity by 2050," according to Jeff Keebler, Chairman, President and CEO. "MGE's investments in cost-effective, clean energy and battery storage technology help ensure that all our customers will experience the economic and environmental benefits of our clean energy transition."

XCEL ENERGY'S MULTI-DAY BATTERY STORAGE APPROVED

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25
Xcel Energy has received approval from Minnesota regulators to construct a multi-day energy storage system that will help maximize the company’s use of renewable energy and maintain grid reliability through extreme temperatures and weather.
The demonstration-scale, 10 megawatt/1,000 megawatt hour iron-air battery system, developed by Massachusetts based
Form Energy, will be installed on 5 acres of land near the Sherburne County Generating Station in Becker, Minnesota. The project will be located near one of the largest solar developments in the U.S., Sherco Solar, which is now in development and will add up to 710 megawatts of renewable energy to the grid.
Construction of the battery system will start in the second quarter of 2024, with the battery expected to come online as early as 2025. The project is expected to support 15 to 20 construction jobs and generate $9 million in local tax revenue. “Multi-day battery storage has the potential to help us better harness the renewable energy we generate while ensuring the grid remains reliable for our customers,” said Bria Shea, regional vice president, regulatory policy for Xcel Energy– Minnesota. “We look forward to bringing this system online at our Sherco site and learning more about the role it can play in our larger effort to reach 100% carbon-free electricity.” The project is one of two battery storage projects to be installed at the sites of retiring Xcel Energy coal plants, with the other location at the Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, Colorado. The batteries will allow Xcel Energy to store renewable energy such as solar and wind when it is being produced and then later distribute the energy during periods of lower production.

XCEL ENERGY SURPASSES CARBONFREE ELECTRICITY GOAL

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25
More than half of the power Xcel Energy generates across the eight states it serves now comes from carbon-free sources, the company announced in its 18th annual Sustainability Report.
Carbon-free energy made up 53 percent of the company’s 2022 energy mix, compared to an average of 41 percent nationwide. The company has also reduced carbon emissions associated with the electricity it provides to customers by 53 percent from 2005 levels.
The Sustainability Report details the company’s progress in transitioning to clean energy while maintaining reliable and affordable natural gas and electricity service, as well as the company’s commitments to further strengthen communities and value the people that make up its workforce.
“Xcel Energy is at the heart of our nation’s clean energy transition,” said Bob Frenzel, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Xcel Energy. “Guided by our customers’ priorities and enabled by rapidly changing technology, we’re driving toward a clean energy future, bringing reliable, affordable, increasingly clean energy to millions.”
Xcel Energy was the first U.S. energy provider to set aggressive goals to reduce carbon emissions from the most significant ways customers use energy: for electricity, heating and transportation. In 2018, the company set a goal to provide customers with 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050 and reduce carbon emissions from its operations by 80 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

WEC ENERGY GROUP TO REPLACE REFERENCE RATE FOR JR SUBORDINATED NOTES

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25
WEC Energy Group has announced that CME Term SOFR, as administered by the CME Group Benchmark Administration, will be the replacement reference rate for WEC Energy Group's 2007 Series A Junior Subordinated Notes due 2067 (CUSIP:976657AH9) (the "Notes"), replacing U.S. dollar LIBOR as the reference rate.
In accordance with the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act (the "LIBOR Act") and the regulation issued by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on Dec. 16, 2022, implementing the LIBOR Act (the "LIBOR Rule"), the applicable tenor of three month CME Term SOFR will be the reference rate for calculations of the amount of interest payable with respect to interest periods with reference rate determination dates occurring after June 30, 2023, and specifically August 15, 2023, in the case of the Notes.
In the case of the Notes, the replacement rate, and therefore calculation of the amount of interest payable on the above security for interest periods with reference rate determination dates that occur after June 30, 2023, will also include the applicable tenor spread adjustment of 0.26161 percent per annum, as specified in the LIBOR Act.

WAUKESHA COUNTY JUDGE ORDERS AUCTION OF SHUTDOWN SOLAR COMPANY ASSETS

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25

A Waukesha County judge has approved the auction of all of Sun Badger Solar's assets. Sun Badger’s problems first came to light in February after dozens of customers signed contracts and paid thousands for solar panels they never received.

Judge Brad Schimel authorized an auction of what's left of Sun Badger's assets. According to Schimel and the receiver on this case, attorney John Wirth, there isn't much left. The I-Team learned all of the company's assets were recently moved to its Waukesha office after Wirth said the company's Minnesota landlord evicted them at that location and got rid of inventory.

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XCEL AWARDS $10,000 TO MINNEAPOLIS NONPROFIT MAD DADS

by: Megan Purtell
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25

Xcel Energy has announced a $10,000 grant to MAD DADS, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit that offers safe, positive youth programming and job creation, as part of the Xcel Energy Foundation’s 2023 Employee Choice Grant awards. MAD DADS received the most votes from Xcel Energy employees in Minnesota. Each year, employees nominate nonprofits for the award.

A panel of employees select finalists that align with the company’s values and Foundation’s focus areas. Employees statewide then vote for a single finalist.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS AUGUST 2023

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jul
25
IGNACIO CORTINA NAMED NEW ALLIANT ENERGY DIRECTOR
Alliant Energy Corporation has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Ignacio A. Cortina as a new Independent Director.  Cortina, 51, boasts more than 27 years of experience in the industrial, legal, and manufacturing sectors where he has held prominent leadership positions in global legal services, ethics and compliance, environmental affairs, human resources, government relations, sustainability, regulatory affairs, and other key areas.
Presently, he serves as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, and Secretary for Oshkosh Corporation (Oshkosh). Prior to various roles at Oshkosh, he spent seven years in private practice in the Washington D.C. area. Cortina graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and received his Juris Doctor degree from The Catholic University of America.
ALLIANT ENERGY NAMES NEW EXECUTIVE VP – STRATEGY AND CUSTOMER SOLUTIONS
Raja Sundararajan has been named Executive Vice President of Strategy and Customer Solutions of Alliant Energy. In this role, he will be responsible for the continued refinement of Alliant Energy’s long-term strategy and enhancement of the customer experience. He will have responsibility for the company’s corporate and regulatory strategy, positioning the company to create and develop solutions in an ever-changing landscape. Sundararajan will partner across the enterprise to leverage technology investments and work with operations’ leadership to drive continued growth. He also will be responsible for leading the company’s government affairs, renewables and business development, product offerings, marketing, communications and supply chain functions.
Sundararajan earned his Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology,
and his Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland. Additionally, he holds an MBA from the
University of Michigan. He started his career at General Motors before spending nearly 20 years at American Electric Power.

XCEL ENERGY PLANS TO NEARLY TRIPLE AMOUNT OF SOLAR BY 2028

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jun
02
Xcel Energy is proposing to add an additional 250-megawatt solar project near the existing Sherco plant site in Becker, Minnesota, which will soon be home to the Upper Midwest’s largest solar development and represents an important piece of the company’s clean energy future.
Xcel Energy has asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to add a third solar array adjacent to the 460-megawatt Sherco Solar project already under construction.
The three solar projects are expected to be complete by the end of 2025 and will replace the capacity of the Sherco plant’s first coal unit that is scheduled to retire later this year. As part of its expansion of solar energy it delivers to customers, Xcel Energy is also proposing to purchase power from the 100-megawatt Apple River solar project being developed in northwest Wisconsin.
Sherco Solar is among the largest solar developments in the U.S. and is key to Xcel Energy’s plans to nearly triple the amount of solar on its Upper Midwest system by 2028. The combined projects’ 710-megawatt capacity will generate enough electricity to power more than 150,000 homes each year on average. Solar energy does not have any fuel costs and contributes to a diversified energy mix which helps protect against rising fuel prices. Xcel Energy expects to qualify for federal tax credits that make construction more affordable, helping customers save money.
“These projects will be the lowest-cost solar on our Upper Midwest system and demonstrate our focus on clean energy without compromising affordability,” said Chris Clark, President, Xcel Energy - Minnesota, South Dakota, and North Dakota. “We are committed to moving the Sherco Solar project forward to deliver significant new clean energy to our customers and communities.”
“These solar projects continue our leadership in providing carbon-free energy to customers in the states we serve,” said Karl Hoesly, President, Xcel Energy - Wisconsin and Michigan. “Through their development, these projects also help our communities by creating jobs and supporting local businesses.”
Xcel Energy would develop, own, and operate the third Sherco Solar array. Last fall, the PUC approved the first two solar projects at the Sherco plant site. Construction began on the first project in late April.

KLAPPA, LAUBER HIGHLIGHT EXCEPTIONAL YEAR FOR WEC ENERGY GROUP

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jun
02
At WEC Energy Group's annual meeting of stockholders, Gale Klappa, Executive Chairman, and Scott Lauber, President and CEO, highlighted another strong year on virtually every meaningful measure, from employee safety and customer satisfaction to growth in earnings per share. They also emphasized that the company remains committed to a mission that matters — strengthening the fabric of communities across the Midwest, leading by example and delivering affordable, reliable and clean energy to millions of customers.

Company highlights

  • Reduced carbon emissions from electric generation by nearly 50 percent below 2005 levels.
  • Developed the largest five-year capital plan in company history — including nearly 3,300 megawatts of new renewable capacity to serve We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service customers.
  • Led a pilot program — the first of its kind in the world — to test hydrogen as a fuel source for power generation, in partnership with the Electric Power Research Institute.
  • Continued to strengthen the diversity of company leadership, ending 2022 with the most diverse senior leadership team in company history.
  • Spent $299 million with certified minority-, women-, veteran- and service-disabled-owned businesses.
  • Returned $918 million to WEC Energy Group stockholders through dividends.
  • Increased the dividend level in January 2023 by 7.2 percent to an annual rate of $3.12 per share. This marks the 20th consecutive year of higher dividends

EPA IS PREPARING AGGRESSIVE NEW RULES FOR POWER PLANT POLLUTION

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jun
02
The Biden administration is planning to roll out aggressive new rules to regulate planet-warming pollution from natural gas power plants, three sources familiar with the plan and who have been briefed on the rules told CNN, in a move that could face fierce legal challenges.
President Biden's Environmental Protection Agency has been exploring ways to tighten the rules for not just new power plants that will run on natural gas, but existing plants too, the sources said. According to the sources, the rules would be more stringent than previously planned regulations, which aimed to control pollution from new natural gas power plants and would have effectively grandfathered existing plants into older rules.

XCEL ENERGY RECEIVES $20 MILLION GRANT FOR IRON-AIR MULTI-DAY BATTERY STORAGE

by: WUI Staff
Category: Voice Newsletter
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Jun
02
Xcel Energy has announced that Breakthrough Energy Catalyst has agreed to commit $20 million in grant funding to support two multi-day energy storage projects designed to maximize the use of renewable energy while maintaining the reliability of the grid. The grant would provide $10 million each for two 10 MW/1,000 MWh iron-air battery systems, subject to the satisfaction of certain funding conditions.
Xcel Energy and Massachusetts-based Form Energy announced in January an agreement to construct the batteries at the sites of retiring coal plants: the Sherburne County Generating Station in Becker, Minnesota, and the Comanche Generating Station in Pueblo, Colorado. The batteries will allow Xcel Energy to store renewable energy such as solar and wind when it is being produced and then later distribute the energy during periods of lower production.
“Innovative long-duration energy storage technologies are crucial to achieving 100 percent carbon-free electricity,” said Bob Frenzel, Chairman, President and CEO of Xcel Energy. “This Catalyst grant will accelerate adoption of this promising new technology, which allows us to provide higher percentages of renewable energy while still providing affordable electric service to our customers.”
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