At WEC Energy Group's virtual annual meeting of stockholders Executive Chairman Gale Klappa and President and CEO Scott Lauber highlighted how the company is building a bridge to the future with aggressive environmental goals and a focus on affordable, reliable and clean energy. They also emphasized how the company's focus on efficiency and financial discipline, along with favorable weather and a solid economic recovery in the region, resulted in record net income and earnings per share.
2021 Company Highlights:
- Named one of America's most responsible companies by Newsweek Magazine.
- Developed the largest five-year capital plan in company history, including nearly 2,400 megawatts of new renewable capacity to serve customers of We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service.
- Announced industry leading environmental goals with an operating plan to achieve them.
- Sixty percent reduction in CO2 emissions from electric generation by the end of 2025.
- Eighty percent reduction in CO2 emissions from electric generation by the end of 2030.
- Net methane neutral in natural gas distribution operations by the end of 2030.
- Announced a plan to exit from coal for power generation by the end of 2035, with minimal use by the end of 2030.
- Strengthened the diversity of company leadership, 36 percent of senior vice president and above positions filled by women or minorities compared to 29 percent at year-end 2020.
- Achieved $270 million in spending with diverse suppliers.
- Returned $855 million to WEC Energy Group stockholders through dividends.
- Increased dividends in January 2022 by 7.4 percent to an annual rate of $2.91 per share. This marks the 19th consecutive year of higher dividends.