Filtered by category: Legislative / Regulatory Update Clear Filter

UTILITY REGULATORS APPROVE $649M PURCHASE OF WISCONSIN'S LARGEST RENEWABLE ENERGY PLANT

Three utilities have received approval from Wisconsin utility regulators to buy the state’s largest renewable energy plant.

The Public Service Commission has approved the $649 million purchase of the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center by We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service, and Madison Gas and Electric.

Read More

AMERICAN TRANSITION COMPANY ADOPTS SOLO-DRIVER CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUE

Introduced and tested in 2019, Solo-Driver Plus was used on a construction project for the first time in its history. The patent-pending foundation installation method installed 80 caisson foundations to support new steel structures for transmission line rebuild project in Adams and Waushara counties.

Set up and driving takes minutes to accomplish with Solo-Driver Plus with very little ground disturbance, making it faster and more environmentally friendly than traditional installation methods.  After the launch of the initial Solo-Driver design in 2015, a team of engineers focused on evolution of the excavator installed caisson concept.  Solo-Driver Plus’s “H” design provided ATC the opportunity to improve drivability and corrosion resistance as well as simplify fabrication, potentially reducing associated costs.  A second variation was also developed and initially tested that has the potential to be used on more heavily loaded structures.

Read More

XCEL ENERGY TAKES MONTICELLO NUCLEAR PLANT OFFLINE TO FIX TRITIUM LEAK

Xcel Energy has powered down its Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant to allow it to more quickly perform the repairs needed to permanently resolve a leak of water containing tritium at the plant. The company does not anticipate any impacts to customers’ electric service from powering the plant down early.

“While the leak has continued to pose no risk to the public or the environment, we determined the best course of action is to power down the plant and perform the permanent repairs immediately,” said Chris Clark, president of Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “We are continuing to work with and inform our state, federal, city and county leaders in the process.”

Read More

RED BARN WIND FARM DELIVERING LOCALLY GENERATED CLEAN ENERGY

A Madison Gas and subsidiary has announced that its newest wind farm is fully operational and delivering cost-effective, carbon-free energy to the electric grid. MGE owns 9.1 megawatts (MW) of the 92-MW wind farm in the Grant County towns of Clifton and Wingville.
 
“This is an exciting time for MGE as the Red Barn Wind Farm begins to generate cost-effective, carbon-free electricity to benefit all our electric customers,” said Jeff Keebler, MGE Chairman, President and CEO. “Red Barn is another important step in our ongoing transition to a more sustainable energy future. We are working aggressively to reduce our carbon emissions at least 80% from 2005 levels by the end of this decade and achieve net-zero carbon electricity by 2050. We have said since announcing our net-zero goal, if we can go further faster through partnerships with our customers and the evolution of new technologies, we will—and we are.”
 
Located on about 10,000 acres and consisting of 28 turbines, the Red Barn facility is expected to generate enough energy to serve about 50,000 households annually. MGE's share is expected to serve about 5,000 households each year.

XCEL ENERGY TO BUILD NEW ST. PAUL SERVICE CENTER

Xcel Energy has signed an agreement with the Saint Paul Port Authority to build a new service center in northeast St. Paul that will allow the company to meet the needs of its customers and employees for many years to come.

The 20-acre property is in The Heights, a new development on the site of the former Hillcrest Golf Course. The purchase agreement follows an extensive search for a larger site to replace the Rice Street Service Center, which has helped Xcel Energy serve its customers reliably for a century but does not meet the company’s future operational needs.

WEC BOARD DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

The Board of Directors of WEC Energy has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 78 cents per share on the company's common stock.

The dividend is payable June 1, 2023, to stockholders of record on May 12, 2023. This marks the 323rd consecutive quarter — dating back to 1942 — that the company will have paid a dividend to its stockholders.

WEC ENERGY Q1 EARNINGS SURPASS ESTIMATES, SALES LAG

WEC Energy Group has reported first-quarter 2023 earnings of $1.61 per share. However, the bottom line declined 10.1 percent from the year-ago quarter, down from $1.79 per share.

Operating revenues were $2 ,888.1 million. The top line also declined 0.69 percent from $2,908.1million in the year-ago quarter.

Xcel Energy First Quarter 2023 Earnings Report

  • First quarter GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.76 in 2023 compared with $0.70 in 2022.
  • Xcel Energy reaffirms 2023 EPS guidance of $3.30 to $3.40.

Xcel Energy has reported 2023 first quarter GAAP and ongoing earnings of $418 million, or $0.76 per share, compared with $380 million, or $0.70 per share in the same period in 2022.

Earnings reflect recovery of electric and natural gas infrastructure investment and other regulatory outcomes, partially offset by higher depreciation, operating and maintenance (O&M) expenses and interest charges.

Read More

ALLIANT ENERGY TO CLOSE ITS LAST WISCONSIN COAL PLANT

Alliant Energy has announced it will shutter its last remaining coal plant in Wisconsin by the end of 2024. The closure moves Alliant closer toward the company’s goal of eliminating coal from its power mix by 2040 and cutting carbon emissions by fifty percent by 2030 from 2005 levels. The move is expected to save ratepayers more than $250 million that would be spent to keep the plant running, according to David de Leon, President of Alliant’s utility in Wisconsin.

Alliant released a $900 million plan in May to add 675 megawatts of solar across six counties as part of a goal to add 1,000 megawatts of solar power by the end of 2023 which would power about 260,000 homes. Wisconsin Power and Light, Alliant’s utility in Wisconsin, anticipated its Clean Energy Blueprint would save customers between $2 billion and $6.5 billion over the next 35 years. Alliant co-owns the coal plant with Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) and Madison Gas and Electric

XCEL ENERGY REPORTS 2020 YEAR END EARNINGS

Xcel Energy has reported 2020 GAAP and ongoing earnings of $1.47 billion, or $2.79 per share, compared with $1.37 billion, or $2.64 per share in the same period in 2019.

“Xcel Energy had a strong year despite the challenges brought on by COVID-19,” said Ben Fowke, chairman and CEO. “We achieved major milestones while keeping our employees and customers safe and are well positioned for the coming year and beyond.”

“I’m proud of the support we provided our communities, committing nearly $20 million to short and long-term corporate giving. Our $750 million plan to repower several wind farms in Minnesota was approved, which is expected to result in substantial customer savings and jobs creation. In Colorado, we received approval for an electric vehicle plan and are excited about the related opportunities. We also announced the early retirement of the Hayden and Craig coal plants and plans to convert our Harrington facility to natural gas. These achievements move us closer to achieving our goals of an 80 percent carbon reduction by 2030 and delivering 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.”

XCEL ENERGY ONE OF FIRST U.S. PROVIDERS TO REACH 10,000-MEGAWATTS OF WIND POWER

At the end of 2020, Xcel Energy became one of the first energy providers in the United States to reach 10,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity online for customers in the states it serves. The milestone is powered by the company’s 10 new wind projects in the Upper Midwest, Colorado, Texas and New Mexico.

As new projects continue to come online in 2021, the company estimates more than thirty-one percent of its nameplate energy capacity will come from wind by the end of the year. Additionally, Xcel Energy owns and operates much of the new wind, increasing its owned projects from 850 megawatts, to 4,469 megawatts by the end of the year.

COMMUNITIES RECEIVED $8.7 MILLION FROM ALLIANT ENERGY

To support customers and communities in Iowa and Wisconsin, Alliant Energy, its Foundation and employees achieved a collective impact of $8.7 million and over 64,000 volunteer hours in 2020.

WISCONSIN PSC TO STUDY ROOFTOP SOLAR POTENTIAL

The Public Service Commission has voted to spend up to $181,000 in ratepayer funds to study the potential for customer-owned generation, paying special attention to low-income households. The results could inform the commission’s policy decisions in the coming years, particularly on how to allocate resources within Focus on Energy, the statewide energy savings program.

“This type of study is going to be essential to figure out what the balance is between renewables and efficiency,” said Commissioner Tyler Huebner, who noted the potential for energy savings is diminishing as LED bulbs become the standard. “If we don’t have this study, we’re going to be guessing in the dark.”

Wisconsin typically studies the potential for energy efficiency gains every four years, but it hasn’t looked at solar energy since 2009 when rooftop solar was little more than a novelty. As of 2019, there were 6,646 customer-owned systems with a combined capacity of roughly 100 megawatts.

REPAIRING DAMAGE TO WE ENERGIES HEADQUARTERS HITS $60 MILLION

The costs of repairing WEC Energy Group’s downtown Milwaukee headquarters, from what the company said was a superheated steam release when the company’s underground steam-power tunnels flooded in May 2020, have risen to an estimated $60 million. Wisconsin Electric customers will be required to pay a portion of the costs not covered by insurance, but the company has absorbed some of the costs. The company’s initial estimate in June 2020 was about $10 million, but by August 2020, Wisconsin Electric estimated restoration work would cost up to $37 million in a letter to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

WEC ENERGY: 4TH QUARTER EARNINGS REPORTED

WEC Energy Group has reported fourth-quarter net income of $239.3 million. The company said it had a profit of 76 cents per share. The results surpassed Wall Street expectations. The electricity and natural gas provider posted revenue of $1.93 billion in the period. For the year, the company reported a profit of $1.2 billion, or $3.79 per share. Revenue was reported as $7.24 billion. WEC Energy expects full-year earnings to be $3.99 to $4.03 per share.

UW-PLATTEVILLE TO BUILD LARGEST STATE-OWNED SOLAR PROJECT

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville has received state approval to construct a 2.4 megawatt solar array in Memorial Park. This will be the largest solar array owned by a Wisconsin state agency and will make the university the sixth-highest on-site producer of renewable energy among higher education institutions in the nation, setting UW-Platteville apart as a leader in its commitment to renewable energy.

*Exclusive to eNews Subscribers

ALLIANT ENERGY COMPLETING TOWN OF BELOIT SOLAR POWER PROJECT

Initial construction on a new Alliant Energy solar energy field is wrapping up. The company says the new West Riverside Energy Center is operating smoothly and serving hundreds of thousands of customers. Bob Newell, Senior Manager of Strategic Projects, said the 4-megawatt solar energy field in the Town of Beloit is expected to be fully operational by March. Newell said the auxiliary power produced by the solar panels will boost the main natural gas-fired plant’s overall productivity.

*Exclusive to eNews Subscribers

ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS SUE WISCONSIN REGULATORS OVER MGE RATES

Environmental and solar activists Sierra Club and Vote Solar are suing Wisconsin regulators over approval of an electric rate freeze for Madison Gas and Electric customers that they say discriminates against low-income customers and discourages investment in energy efficiency and rooftop solar. The Dane County Circuit Court has been asked to review the Public Service Commission’s approval of a one-year rate structure negotiated between the utility, consumer advocates and UW-Madison.

*Exclusive to eNews Subscribers

FORMER ATC FOUNDER AND CEO DIES

UW University System Regent José Delgado has died. Delgado was creator of the American Transmission Company and served as its initial President and CEO.

*Exclusive to eNews Subscribers

2019 Member Survey

In Order to better serve our WUI members, we would like to learn more about what's important to you.

Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey, Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Your responses to this survey will be compiled with all member responses and will not be attributed to your name nor will your personal information be shared with outside sources.