News

Xcel Energy has reported 2025 first quarter GAAP earnings of $483 million, or $0.84 per share, compared with $488 million, or $0.88 per share in the same period in 2024.

First quarter ongoing earnings reflect higher O&M expenses, depreciation and interest charges, partially offset by increased recovery of infrastructure investments.

“As we continue to advance our mission to make energy work better for our customers, we are building new generation, investing in system resilience and leading the energy transition to meet the goals and aspirations of the communities we serve,” said Bob Frenzel, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy. “We reached a milestone in February, when Minnesota regulators approved a resource plan that includes nearly 5,000 megawatts of new wind, solar, battery storage and gas by 2030. Meanwhile, we continue to mitigate the risk of wildfires in our service areas through ongoing operating investments and regulatory support, including reaching settlements for our Texas System Resiliency and Colorado Wildfire Mitigation Plans.”

Madison Gas and Electric, in partnership with We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, subsidiaries of WEC Energy Group, have received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to purchase solar capacity and battery storage from the High Noon Solar Energy Center.

The project is expected to generate enough carbon-free energy to power about 90,000 households. MGE’s 10 percent share of the output will power about 9,000 households.

MGE will own 30 MW of solar and 16.5 MW of battery storage from the facility located in Columbia County. We Energies and WPS will own the remaining 270 MW of solar and 148.5 MW of battery storage.

The High Noon Solar Energy Center is expected to start serving customers in 2027.

Xcel Energy gas has announced the launch of a new live camera offering the public a unique opportunity to observe peregrine falcons, three of which have already arrived, as they nest and raise their chicks on the shores of Lake Superior atop the Bay Front Power Plant. This camera is part of Xcel Energy's ongoing commitment to environmental education and is one of several the company has installed throughout the states it serves.

“We are very excited to welcome the peregrine falcons back to Ashland and to share the nesting and raising of their young through our ‘Bird Cam’ for all to enjoy,” said Lynn Hall, environmental analyst, Xcel Energy. “Our partnership with the Raptor Resource Project allows us to continue to raise conservation awareness and create great nesting habitats for these birds.” Shortly after the camera was installed, Scottie from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula arrived at the box where he’s been coming the past two years.

Peregrine falcons began nesting at the Bay Front Power Plant in 2014 following the removal of a nearby ore dock on Lake Superior where they previously nested. Each year since then, peregrine falcons have returned to the power plant to nest and notably, a chick born in Ashland in 2023 was identified last year as far south as South Padre Island, Texas. In the past few years, Xcel Energy has collaborated with the Ashland Daily Press and local school districts in Ashland and Bayfield to name the chicks.

Xcel Energy has announced the operation of the Chippewa Sun solar array in the town of Hallie. This five-megawatt solar photovoltaic system is expected to generate approximately 10 million kilowatt-hours per year for its subscribing partners: UW-Eau Claire and the City of Eau Claire.

“The commercial operation of Chippewa Sun is a testament to the leadership and vision of our subscribing customers, and the dedication of our exceptional contractors and suppliers,” according to Karl Hoesly, President, Xcel Energy-Wisconsin and Michigan. “This project not only propels us toward our vision of providing 100 percent carbon-free electricity to our customers by 2050, but it also advances the individual sustainability goals of our partners.”

Chippewa Sun is located just outside Eau Claire and will be integrated into Xcel Energy’s distribution system. Xcel Energy is purchasing electricity from the facility to support the subscribing partners.

We Energies has proposed a special electric rate aimed at data centers including the Microsoft center under construction in Mount Pleasant and a proposed facility in Port Washington.

The rate is meant to ensure that other ratepayers are not saddled with costs associated with building power plants and electric infrastructure necessary for power-hungry data centers, according to the state's largest utility.

The rate could apply to other very large industrial We Energies customers in Wisconsin, although it was essentially written for data centers which are in a league of their own when it comes to power consumption.

Data centers house thousands of computers, in one or more buildings, linked to the outside world by fiber optic cables. They enable most everyday online activities, including social media, streaming video, banking, ChatGPT and much more.

The 250-megawatt (MW) Darien Solar Energy Center is up and running — and now providing power to customers.

The project in Walworth and Rock counties features more than 600,000 solar panels capable of providing enough energy to power about 75,000 homes. The project went into service this month. It was built primarily by Wisconsin union workers.

This is We Energies’ second large scale solar project to power up in recent months. The Paris Solar Energy Center in Kenosha County went online in December. We Energies is also partial owner in the state’s largest solar park, Badger Hollow Solar in Iowa County.

“Our customers count on us to deliver reliable energy — it’s our job to provide it safely 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” said Mike Hooper, president — We Energies. “These new solar projects, along with our planned investments in low-carbon natural gas power plants and more renewable energy, will continue to support reliability and economic growth across the state.”

The solar panels at the Darien Solar Energy Center move and track the sun throughout the day, maximizing power generation. The panels also capture solar energy on both sides — an especially useful feature in winter when sun reflects off the snow and onto the panels.

The Darien Solar Energy Center will provide both immediate and long-term savings to We Energies customers. The facility is already eligible for federal tax credits that will provide millions of dollars per year of savings to customers. And since the facility is powered by the sun, it does not require outside fuel, further reducing costs.

We Energies is the majority owner of the project. Wisconsin Public Service and Madison Gas and Electric are also co-owners.

The project was developed by U.S.-based Invenergy, a leading global developer, owner and operator of clean energy solutions.

Since the Governor introduced his 2025-2027 state budget, Republican legislators have rejected it  and are in the process of preparing their  own. Republican leaders also plan to introduce their own tax relief proposal using the state’s surplus. Assembly Majority Leader Tyler August has said Republicans could hold up adopting a new state budget if the GOP tax cut plan isn’t first signed into law by Evers.

In his budget, Governor Evers proposes $2 billion in tax relief, including property tax reductions and an energy sales tax exemption, while also increasing taxes on top earners. Republican leaders argue his plan results in a net tax hike and instead advocate for broader tax cuts, potentially including retirement income exemptions. Finding consensus on tax cuts will require middle ground between both sides.

One area of common interest is closing the state’s prison in Green Bay and building a new facility. However, the Governor’s plan is receiving criticism from the GOP. Evers proposes a $535.5 million plan to expand early release for certain non-violent offenders, invest in job training, and close Green Bay’s prison. His plan also includes closing the troubled Lincoln Hills and Cooper Lake juvenile correctional facilities in northern Wisconsin and replacing them with a new facility near Madison at the site of an existing minimum-security prison. Under the proposal, the Lincoln Hills campus would be converted into a medium-security adult prison. While Republicans acknowledge overcrowding is an issue, they oppose expanding early release and favor alternative reforms. The Speaker criticized the Governor for not working with legislative Republicans on his corrections package.

Lisa Barton, Alliant Energy President and CEO, has announced that Amy Best has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) of Alliant Energy effective March 24, 2025.

"We are delighted to welcome Amy as our new CHRO,” said Barton. “Amy is a results-oriented business leader and has been recognized throughout her career for leveraging innovative approaches that deliver strong human capital programs for employees, driving customer satisfaction and supporting the communities we serve. We are excited to have her as a part of our leadership team.”

Most recently, Best served as the Executive Vice President and CHRO of Exelon, a $40 billion Fortune 250 energy transmission and distribution firm that includes the largest utility company in the U.S.

Best holds a bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree from Loyola University Chicago. “I’m excited to join a team that shares a passion for building its culture around a shared purpose of serving customers and building strong communities,” said Best. “I look forward to partnering with Lisa and the entire Executive team to help support the talent and creativity of our dedicated team members.”

MADISON (WKOW) – The Trump administration effectively froze funding for a program incentivizing the construction of electric vehicle charging stations across the country, and left questions about how the pause would affect Wisconsin’s EV projects and their connected jobs.

On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a memo informing states that it was conducting a review of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program while it undertook a review. The pause effectively freezes funding for NEVI grant projects.

The projects were awarded by state agencies, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

“The new leadership of the Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) has decided to review the policies underlying the implementation of the NEVI Formula Program,” the memo said. “Accordingly, the current NEVI Formula Program Guidance dated June 11, 2024, and all prior versions of this guidance are rescinded.”

In addition to pausing the funding, U.S. DOT also suspended the approval “of all State Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment plans for all fiscal years.” The plans are the means by which states released funding to businesses and other organizations to construct EV chargers.

Wisconsin’s DOT had approved more than $23 million in NEVI grants to 53 projects spread throughout the state.

27 News asked the state DOT for an interview or a statement updating on the status of Wisconsin’s efforts to fund EV chargers, in light of the Trump administration’s decision. The agency did not respond.

NEVI was funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by former President Joe Biden.

Environmental activists raised concerns about the climate impacts of slowing the rollout of a national electric vehicle charging network. Clean Wisconsin Communications Director Amy Barrilleaux drew attention to the jobs potentially put at risk by the decision.

She pointed to Ingeteam, a manufacturer that launched an expansion of its Milwaukee factory to meet increased demand for electric vehicle charging stations,

A new data center could be coming to Beaver Dam as a flurry of similar projects across the state are raising concerns about whether utilities will be able to keep up with rising energy demand.

The city of Beaver Dam, Alliant Energy and the Beaver Dam Area Development Corp. have been working on a potential data center development for much of the last year, according to Trent Campbell, executive vice president of the Beaver Dam Area Development Corp.

The project would be located on a more than 500-acre site, called the Beaver Dam Commerce Park, that the city and Alliant Energy have been marketing for years.