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The US Department of Justice has sided with a Native American tribe in claiming a massive underground pipeline carrying fuel from Wisconsin to Canada is trespassing on tribal lands.

In an amicus brief filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit, DOJ lawyers agreed with the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians in arguing that Enbridge Energy Company, is "liable for trespass" due to its operation of Line 5, a pipeline that moves millions of gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids each day between Superior, Wisconsin, and Sarnia, Ontario,

Roughly 12 miles of Line 5 cross into the Reservation of the Bad River Band in northern Wisconsin, and the pipeline was constructed along "rights-of-way" obtained by the Department of Interior in the 1950s and renewed multiple times over the following decades. Enbridge’s rights-of-way for 12 parcels of land that are at the center of the lawsuit expired in 2013, and the tribe did not consent to their renewal. After the tribe sued in 2019, the Department of Interior denied the energy company’s request for renewal in 2020.

Wisconsin’s Energies and WPS are requesting about $800 million in rate increases over the next two years. The companies have filed applications with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to increase electric and gas rates in 2025 and 2026. We Energies has increased electric rates each year since 2019, following four years when rates fell slightly. We Energies’ says electric rates went up by 9.2 percent in 2023 and 2.3 percent this year.

We Energies hopes to increase electric rates by 6.9 percent in 2025 and 4.6 percent in 2026.  It has also requested increases for both of the gas utilities it owns. One of the gas utilities would increase rates by ten percent next year and 5.1 percent by 2026. The other asked to increase rates by 8.2 percent in 2025 and 3.6 percent in 2026. We Energies’ steam utility in downtown Milwaukee also asked for an 8.4 percent rate hike in 2025, but no increase in 2026.

Wisconsin Public Service is requesting an 8.5 percent electric rate increase in 2025 and a 4.9 percent increase in 2026. WPS also requested gas rate increases of 6.8 percent next year and 3.9 percent in 2026.

If approved, a typical residential We Energies customer’s electric bills could rise between $10 and $11 per month in 2025 and between $7 and $8 in 2026, the utility estimates. A typical residential WPS customer’s electric bill could rise by between $10 and $12 a month next year and between $5 and $6 the following year.

ALLIANT RELEASES EARNINGS

Alliant Energy has announced first-quarter earnings that aligned closely with analyst expectations. The company reported a GAAP earnings per share (EPS) of $0.62, consistent with the estimated earnings per share of $0.62. This performance reflects a slight decrease from the previous year's EPS of $0.65. Alliant Energy, the parent company of Interstate Power and Light and Wisconsin Power and Light, serves nearly 1 million electric customers and 425,000 natural gas customers, while also holding a 16 percent interest in American Transmission Company.

WEC ENERGY GROUP DECLARES QUARTERLY DIVIDEND

The Board of Directors of WEC Energy Group has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 83.50 cents per share on the company's common stock.

The dividend is payable June 1, 2024, to stockholders of record on May 14, 2024. This marks the 327th consecutive quarter — dating back to 1942 — that the company will have paid a dividend to its stockholders.

WEC ENERGY GROUP REPORTS FIRST-QUARTER RESULTS

WEC Energy Group has reported net income of $622.3 million, or $1.97 per share, for the first quarter of 2024 — up from $507.5 million, or $1.61 per share, in last year's first quarter. Consolidated revenues totaled $2.7 billion, down $207.9 million from the first quarter a year ago.

"Throughout the warmest winter in Wisconsin history, we remained laser focused on financial discipline, operating efficiency, and customer satisfaction," according to Gale Klappa, Executive Chairman. "And we're confident that we can deliver another year of strong results — in line with our guidance for 2024."

For the quarter, natural gas deliveries in Wisconsin — excluding natural gas used for power generation — fell by 5.8 percent compared to the first quarter of 2023. Retail deliveries of electricity — excluding the iron ore mine in Michigan's Upper Peninsula — were down by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter last year. Electricity consumption by small commercial and industrial customers rose by 0.7 percent. Electricity use by large commercial and industrial customers — excluding the iron ore mine — declined by 0.7 percent. 

XCEL ENERGY FIRST QUARTER 2024 EARNINGS REPORT

Xcel Energy has reported 2024 first quarter GAAP and ongoing earnings of $488 million, or $0.88 per share, compared with $418 million, or $0.76 per share in the same period in 2023. First quarter GAAP and ongoing diluted earnings per share were $0.88 in 2024 compared with $0.76 in 2023.

Xcel Energy reaffirms 2024 EPS guidance of $3.50 to $3.60 per share First quarter ongoing earnings results reflect increased recovery of infrastructure investments and lower O&M expenses, partially offset by increased interest charges and depreciation. 

We Energies expects to have a new $1.2 billion natural-gas powered generating plant online in Oak Creek in about four years. The utility has filed proposals with state regulators to build the 1,100-megawatt plant, a smaller natural-gas generating facility near its Paris solar farm and 33 miles of gas pipelines to supply the new installations and a previously proposed liquefied natural gas storage facility in Oak Creek.

In all, the proposals outline about $1.8 billion in spending, all of which requires approval from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.

According to filings with the PSC, the spending includes $1.2 billion to build a new natural-gas generating plant on land south of Milwaukee that today includes the Oak Creek Power Plant and Elm Road Generating station. The plant would consist of five, 220 megawatt General Electric turbines, giving it about the same capacity as the Oak Creek plant, a coal-burning plant that We Energies will begin retiring this year. The company expects the plant to be complete in late 2027 or early 2028.

It will spend $280 million to install seven 18.8 megawatt reciprocating internal combustion engines near the company's Paris Solar Farm in Kenosha County. The 128 megawatt installation is expected to be complete in 2026.

$180 million will be spent to build 33 miles of gas pipeline connecting the Oak Creek and Paris installations to existing natural gas infrastructure.

About $200 million will be used to build a liquefied natural gas storage system on the site to ensure an adequate fuel supply for the new generating plant, natural gas customers, and the eventual conversion of the Elm Road Generating Station.

We Energies expects to spend about $335 million to build electric distribution infrastructure to serve Microsoft's data center development in Mount Pleasant. A recent filing with the state Public Service Commission seeks to defer accounting for the costs until the project is complete. We Energies in the application said it needs to begin construction by June to meet Microsoft's needs.

Data centers are massive users of electricity that run around the clock to support cloud computing and other data-intensive applications. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data centers consume up to fifty times the energy of a similarly sized-office space and account for about two percent of all electricity use in the U.S.

The PSC application identifies three work areas with the most immediate spending, about $50 million, focused on the area where Microsoft's $1 billion first phase of construction is already underway. Microsoft bought that 315-acre property in May, 2023, and began site work on the first of two buildings in July. A February 27th construction update states foundation work is nearly complete and said work has begun on the building's steel structure. We Energies will soon begin work on a distribution substation on the western part of the parcel.

Legislation that would have allowed Wisconsin utility companies to continue building new power lines in Wisconsin, passed the Assembly but failed to get Senate approval before the end of the session.

The legislation would have given owners of transmission lines in the state the right of first refusal to build new lines that connect to their existing infrastructure. It came after the Midwest grid operator approved $10 billion in work on new transmission lines over the next decade, with about $2 billion in Wisconsin.

The bill would have boosted the reliability of Wisconsin’s electrical grid and preserved the authority of the state’s Public Service Commission to decide who can own and operate the infrastructure rather than ceding control to out-of-state regulators. It would also have allowed Wisconsin utilities and their shareholders to enjoy the economic benefits associated with building and operating transmission infrastructure.

Groups supporting the bill include multiple utilities, Wisconsin Utility Investors, labor unions and local economic development organizations. Also lobbying for the bill was American Transmission Co., or ATC, which owns and operates much of Wisconsin’s transmission line system. Those opposed to the bill included consumer advocacy groups, like AARP and the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, as well as Clean Wisconsin and several other conservative groups.

As big tech companies race to capitalize on artificial intelligence, utilities in Wisconsin are assessing how to balance surges in demand for power amid the clean energy transition.

Executives from some of the largest utility and transmission companies serving Wisconsin took part in a series of panel discussions about the state’s energy future. They, along with advocates for local governments and large industrial energy users, talked about managing increased demand for power amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence, or AI, and other technologies. The forums were hosted by Competitive Wisconsin, Inc. and broadcast on Wisconsin Eye.

Legislation that would have put local communities in charge of local wind and solar projects failed action at the end of the session.

“This bill will give local municipalities a voice and provide local elected officials the final say on whether or not a wind or solar project can be constructed within their city, village or town,“ according to author Wisconsin Representative Bodden.

Currently, the PSC makes decisions about wind and solar farms in Wisconsin. But that has, at times, put state regulators in charge of projects that don’t have unanimous local support.

“I have been inundated with messages from constituents who heavily oppose these massive wind energy projects being proposed in our area. These life-altering projects for communities should involve government at the local level,” Bodden added. His plan would have stopped the PSC from issuing a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or a Certificate of Authority for any project unless local leaders are on-board.

“Recently, there have been grassroots community informational meetings held to inform the public of the potential downsides of these projects, and these efforts have been growing fast. Communities and locals should have a say,” Bodden said. As the Senate session ended, it failed to take action on Bodden’s bill.

CHRISTIE RAYMOND APPOINTED TO ALLIANT ENERGY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Alliant Energy Corporation has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Christie Raymond as a new independent director, effective April 1, 2024. Raymond, 54, brings over 30 years of expertise in marketing, data analytics, new and traditional media, operations, strategic planning, customer satisfaction and several other critical business areas of focus important to the energy industry. Currently, she holds the position of Chief Marketing Officer at Kohl’s.

“We are excited to welcome Christie to Alliant Energy’s Board of Directors,” said John Larsen, Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board. “Her addition brings a wealth of expertise in customer insights, analytics and engagement. Ultimately, this extensive knowledge will significantly assist us in advancing the customer experience as we deliver on our purpose-driven strategy.”

HOOPER NAMED PRESIDENT OF WE ENERGIES AND WISCONSIN PUBLIC SERVICE

Wisconsin Energy Group has announced that Michael Hooper, currently President and Chief Operating Officer of Northern Indiana Public Service Company a subsidiary of NiSource has been named President of We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service, effective April 1, 2024.

"We're fortunate to have Mike join our senior leadership team," according to Scott Lauber, President and Chief Executive Officer of WEC Energy Group. "He has an impressive record of accomplishments in our industry along with proven leadership skills. His broad experience, together with his demonstrated ability to lead and manage complex projects, will be key in helping us achieve our long-term goals."

Hooper will have primary responsibility for the electric and gas distribution business, customer service, power generation and major projects for We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service.

Hooper holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia Institute of Technology and is a graduate of the Strategic Leadership Program from the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.

In the coming years, a nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Michigan could become the first in the country to restart operations after shutting down. The Palisades plant in southwest Michigan could be revived by a $1.5 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, according to Bloomberg. Federal officials have not yet confirmed the funding, but Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary in the agency’s Office of Nuclear Energy, has said it would be “exciting” and “historic” to see the plant return to life.

The potential federal investment comes as state leaders in Michigan and elsewhere have worked to preserve their nuclear power capacity. Democratic Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer successfully pushed for $150 million in state funding last year to support the Palisades restart. The plant is owned by Florida-based Holtec International, which bought it in 2022 to decommission it.

Reviving the plant “is really significant to make sure we can meet our clean-energy goals,” according to Kara Cook, Chief of Staff with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. “This is really important to us not only from a climate perspective, but also the economic impact on the region.”