Madison Gas and Electric has received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for an agreement to partner with Dane County on a 9-megawatt (MW) solar array near the Dane County Regional Airport. The solar array will generate enough carbon-free electricity to provide Dane County with about 40% of the energy used by all County-owned facilities, according to the County.

“Clean energy is important to MGE, to Dane County, and to many who live and work here. We support the County’s clean energy goals and are excited to partner on this project to add more locally generated renewable energy,” according to MGE Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Keebler. “Partnerships like this will help MGE achieve net-zero carbon electricity for all of our customers by 2050.”

Alliant Energy says the COVID-19 pandemic will likely cause a 5 percent decline in sales, but should not affect shareholder profits this year. Alliant has announced first-quarter profits of 70 cents per share, up from 53 cents in the same period last year.

The gains were attributed to growing ratepayer-backed investments by its Wisconsin and Iowa utilities, offset by lower sales attributed to mild weather. Alliant said quarterly earnings were not significantly affected by COVID-19.

At WEC Energy Group’s virtual annual meeting of stockholders Executive Chairman Gale Klappa and President and CEO Kevin Fletcher highlighted the work of more than 7,000 employees across the region, who are providing essential energy service during the COVID-19 health crisis. They also emphasized that 2019 was “another year of solid results,” pointing to achievements in financial performance, network reliability and infrastructure upgrades.

The Board of Directors of Xcel Energy Inc. (NASDAQ: XEL) declared a quarterly dividend on its common stock of 43 cents per share. The dividends are payable July 20, 2020, to shareholders of record on June 15, 2020.

Due to COVID 19 and stay at home orders, the Public Utility companies will be hosting their stockholder Annual meetings virtually. Below is the list of companies, their meeting date, and how to attend. 

WEC Energy Group
WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC) will hold a virtual-only 2020 Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 6, at 1:30 p.m. Central/2:30 p.m. Eastern time.  Sign Up

MGE Energy 2020 Annual Meeting Update 
This is an important update regarding our Annual Meeting on May 19, 2020, at 11 a.m. CST.
Since the printing of your proxy materials, we have modified the format of our Annual Meeting from an in-person meeting to a virtual meeting. Sign Up Online

Chicago sited Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas, parts of WEC Energy Group, will contribute more than $1 million in funding, as well as personal protective equipment, to help 42 community organizations across the region provide vital services in response to the COVID-19 emergency.

Wisconsin regulators have ordered the state’s utilities not to disconnect residential service during the ongoing public health emergency. The Public Service Commission has also ordered gas, electric and water utilities to make “reasonable attempts” to reconnect service to any occupied dwellings that have been disconnected.

Under 2000 customers had been disconnected for nonpayment before the announcement. The moratorium has been extended until the crisis has passed.

SOLAR FARM PLANNED NEAR MITCHELL AIRPORT
In late July, crews are expected to begin building an eight-acre solar farm with more than 7,000 panels near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport that will be the largest of its kind in the city. It also could be followed by more major solar projects by the City of Milwaukee and partner WEC Energy Group Inc. The initial installation, when complete in fall, will cover about 8 acres of a former city landfill between East College Avenue and the 128th Air Refueling Wing base near Mitchell airport.

The city owns about 45 total acres of former landfill in that spot, and will have discussions over putting more solar cells there in the future, according to Erick Shambarger, director of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office. The initial installation will generate 2.25 megawatts of electricity, which is the maximum amount state regulators allowed for a single customer under the WEC Energy program that will finance the project.

WISCONSIN’S SECOND-LARGEST SOLAR FARM PLANNED IN KENOSHA COUNTY

Xcel Energy has hit a significant milestone in its quest to deliver one-hundred percent carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050. The company recorded its largest single-year drop in emissions in 2019, cutting carbon by 5.6 million tons, a more than ten percent reduction in one year. Since 2005, the company has reduced carbon emissions by forty-four percent as it leads the nation’s clean energy transition.

“We’re making tremendous progress on our clean energy journey. Our 2019 carbon results demonstrate our ability to transition to low-carbon energy resources while keeping service reliable and customer bills low,” said Ben Fowke, Chairman, President and CEO of Xcel Energy.

Several factors contributed to these results. The company increased wind generation on its system, with wind energy making up more than 20 percent of its energy supply last year. The increase is due to the completion of three significant wind projects in 2018 and 2019, including Rush Creek in Colorado, and Hale and Bonita in Texas. Other factors include flexible coal plant operations, strong performance from the company’s nuclear fleet and low natural gas prices, which allowed Xcel Energy to continue reducing coal generation.

Xcel Energy’s 2019 carbon reductions are well ahead of its industry, which is ahead of any other part of the economy. The electric industry is on pace to reduce carbon emissions about 30 percent in 2019 from 2005 levels, according to preliminary results from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

“Just as we’re committed to reducing carbon emissions from the electricity we provide, we’re also working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our natural gas business, and we’re taking several ambitious steps to do so,” according to Fowke.

Xcel Energy has joined ONE Future, which is a consortium of natural gas companies working together to voluntarily reduce methane emissions below one percent by 2025, a level that studies show minimizes impact on the environment.
Xcel Energy has pledged to keep its own methane emissions to less than two percent in its natural gas operations. The company will report its methane emissions annually to ONE Future, which has reporting standards that go beyond what regulations currently require.

Xcel Energy has also invested more than $1 billion to improve its natural gas pipelines and tighten its system. The company also participates in EPA’s voluntary Natural Gas STAR and its Methane Challenge program.

Xcel Energy has received a national 2020 Climate Leadership Award from the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry, in partnership with America’s Pledge. The company was recognized with an Organizational Leadership award for its industry-leading carbon reduction efforts and its support for communities and customers in achieving their clean energy and climate goals.

“We are honored to receive this award for our commitment to addressing the risk of climate change through innovative policies and programs,” according to Ben Fowke, Chairman, President and CEO of Xcel Energy. “It’s an exciting time in the energy industry, and we are proving that by working together, we can achieve great things both for our customers and the environment.”

The award honors Xcel Energy for multiple industry-leading clean energy initiatives that are helping the company to achieve ambitious carbon reduction goals. Xcel Energy is making the nation’s largest multi-state wind investment that will increase its wind capacity 70 percent by 2022 under its Steel for Fuel strategy. It also is implementing or has proposed transformative clean energy plans that will retire half of its coal capacity between 2006 and 2027.

Gov. Tony Evers has appointed Tyler Huebner to the Public Service Commission filling a vacancy created by the resignation of Mike Huebsch effective February 3, 2020. This appointment was effective March 17, and Huebner will serve out the rest of Huebsch’s term that expires March 1, 2021.

“Tyler has spent his entire academic and professional career focused on energy and efficiency,” said Gov. Evers. “He is a passionate leader, whose experience will serve the Commission and the people of Wisconsin well. I look forward to seeing his good work to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable utility services for folks across our state.”

“I believe my leadership approach and firsthand experience will greatly benefit the Commission because I understand the importance of balancing the needs of utilities and customers, while accelerating Wisconsin’s transition into the 21st century,” said Huebner. “It is an honor to be appointed to the Commission and to continue my career of public service in this new role.”

Huebner has served as the Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin since 2013 promoting the use and improving accessibility of renewable energy in Wisconsin. Prior to his time with RENEW, Huebner worked as an advanced program and policy analyst for the Wisconsin Division of Energy Services at the Wisconsin Department of Administration and as an energy technology program specialist at the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy Division. He earned a Master’s degree in Atmosphere and Energy from the Stanford University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2007 and a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Iowa. Huebner lives in Madison with his wife, Heather Driscoll, and their two children.