WEC ENERGY GROUP, INC. (WEC)
SIC breadcrumb: Transportation, Communications, Electric, Gas, And Sanitary Services > Electric, Gas, And Sanitary Services > SIC 4931 Electric & Other Services Combined
SEC company page: https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=783325. Latest filing source: 0000783325-26-000018.
Informational only. Descriptive public-record data — not a rating, forecast, or investment advice. See Disclaimer.
At a glance
- Revenue
- 9,800,100,000 USD verified
- Net income
- 1,555,500,000 USD verified
- Assets
- 51,518,300,000 USD verified
- Net margin
- 15.87% computed
- Operating margin
- 22.91% computed
- Revenue YoY
- +13.96% computed
- ROE
- 11.07% computed
Peer & cluster context
Peer percentile fingerprint
Percentile = share of the N covered peers reporting that ratio whose value is lower (ties counted half); computed among grepcent-covered companies in SIC industry 4931 Electric & Other Services Combined, not the whole market. A higher percentile means a higher value of the ratio, not a better company. Ratios with fewer than 8 reporting peers are omitted. Latest reported values per company; fiscal periods may differ. Descriptive arithmetic - not a score, rating, or ranking.
Selected Fundamentals
| Metric | Value | Unit | FY | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 9,800,100,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-20 |
| Net income | 1,555,500,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-20 |
| Assets | 51,518,300,000 | USD | 2025 | 2026-02-20 |
Financials
Annual standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-02-20. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000783325.json. Derived margins, ratios, and free cash flow are computed from the extracted annual SEC facts.
| Metric | 2014 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 7,472,300,000 | 7,648,500,000 | 7,679,500,000 | 7,523,100,000 | 7,241,700,000 | 8,316,000,000 | 9,597,400,000 | 8,893,000,000 | 8,599,900,000 | 9,800,100,000 | |
| Net income | 588,300,000 | 1,204,900,000 | 1,060,500,000 | 1,134,700,000 | 1,201,400,000 | 1,298,500,000 | 1,409,700,000 | 1,331,700,000 | 1,524,300,000 | 1,555,500,000 | |
| Operating income | 1,696,300,000 | 1,776,100,000 | 1,468,400,000 | 1,531,400,000 | 1,706,100,000 | 1,714,900,000 | 1,924,200,000 | 1,908,000,000 | 2,152,800,000 | 2,244,900,000 | |
| Diluted EPS | 2.96 | 3.79 | 3.34 | 3.58 | 3.79 | 4.11 | 4.45 | 4.22 | 4.83 | 4.81 | |
| Operating cash flow | 2,103,800,000 | 2,078,600,000 | 2,445,500,000 | 2,345,500,000 | 2,196,000,000 | 2,032,700,000 | 2,060,700,000 | 3,018,400,000 | 3,211,800,000 | 3,379,400,000 | |
| Dividends paid | 624,900,000 | 656,500,000 | 697,300,000 | 744,500,000 | 798,000,000 | 854,800,000 | 917,900,000 | 984,200,000 | 1,056,200,000 | 1,147,800,000 | |
| Share buybacks | 108,000,000 | 71,300,000 | 72,400,000 | 140,100,000 | 99,200,000 | 33,100,000 | 69,200,000 | 16,600,000 | 3,200,000 | 1,300,000 | |
| Assets | 30,123,200,000 | 31,590,500,000 | 33,475,800,000 | 34,951,800,000 | 37,028,100,000 | 38,988,500,000 | 41,872,100,000 | 43,939,700,000 | 47,363,200,000 | 51,518,300,000 | |
| Stockholders' equity | 10,254,600,000 | 10,662,500,000 | 11,113,300,000 | 11,616,600,000 | 12,071,500,000 | 12,801,900,000 | 14,052,800,000 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 37,500,000 | 38,900,000 | 84,500,000 | 37,500,000 | 24,800,000 | 16,300,000 | 28,900,000 | 42,900,000 | 9,800,000 | 27,600,000 |
Ratios
| Metric | 2014 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 15.75% | 13.81% | 15.08% | 16.59% | 15.61% | 14.69% | 14.97% | 17.72% | 15.87% | ||
| Operating margin | 22.70% | 23.22% | 19.12% | 20.36% | 23.56% | 20.62% | 20.05% | 21.46% | 25.03% | 22.91% | |
| Return on equity | 11.07% | 11.27% | 11.68% | 12.14% | 11.03% | 11.91% | 11.07% | ||||
| Return on assets | 3.81% | 3.17% | 3.25% | 3.24% | 3.33% | 3.37% | 3.03% | 3.22% | 3.02% | ||
| Liabilities / equity | 2.41 | 2.47 | 2.51 | 2.60 | 2.64 | 2.70 | 2.67 | ||||
| Current ratio | 0.89 | 0.57 | 0.67 | 0.66 | 0.50 | 0.71 | 0.69 | 0.55 | 0.60 | 0.59 |
Industry Peer Context
Net margin peer context
Operating margin peer context
ROE peer context
ROA peer context
Financial Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: ProfitLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:ProfitLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: OperatingIncomeLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities. Source concepts: us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsOfDividendsCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock. Source concepts: us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: Assets. Source concepts: us-gaap:Assets.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest. Source concepts: us-gaap:StockholdersEquityIncludingPortionAttributableToNoncontrollingInterest.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2025 ended 2025-12-31; accession 0000783325-26-000018; filed 2026-02-20. Concept: CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue. Source concepts: us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue.
As-reported value updates
Quarterly
Quarterly standardized facts from SEC companyfacts as of latest extracted filing date 2026-08-04. Source: https://data.sec.gov/api/xbrl/companyfacts/CIK0000783325.json.
| Quarter | End Date | Revenue | Net Income | Diluted EPS | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-Q2 | 2009-06-30 | 0.54 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2009-Q3 | 2009-09-30 | 0.50 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2010-Q1 | 2010-03-31 | 1.10 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2010-Q2 | 2010-06-30 | 0.75 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2010-Q3 | 2010-09-30 | 0.95 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2011-Q1 | 2011-03-31 | 0.72 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2011-Q2 | 2011-06-30 | 0.46 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2011-Q3 | 2011-09-30 | 0.55 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2012-Q2 | 2012-06-30 | 0.51 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2012-Q3 | 2012-09-30 | 0.67 | reported discrete quarter | ||
| 2023-Q3 | 2023-09-30 | 1,957,400,000 | 315,600,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2023-Q4 | 2023-12-31 | 2,217,500,000 | 218,500,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2024-Q1 | 2024-03-31 | 2,680,200,000 | 622,600,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q2 | 2024-06-30 | 1,772,000,000 | 210,000,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q3 | 2024-09-30 | 1,863,500,000 | 238,600,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2024-Q4 | 2024-12-31 | 2,284,200,000 | 453,100,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2025-Q1 | 2025-03-31 | 3,149,500,000 | 725,500,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q2 | 2025-06-30 | 2,009,500,000 | 243,000,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q3 | 2025-09-30 | 2,104,000,000 | 270,200,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2025-Q4 | 2025-12-31 | 2,537,100,000 | 316,800,000 | derived Q4 = FY annual - nine-month YTD | |
| 2026-Q1 | 2026-03-31 | 3,434,200,000 | 806,100,000 | reported discrete quarter | |
| 2026-Q2 | 2026-06-30 | 2,062,100,000 | 301,000,000 | reported discrete quarter |
Quarterly Charts
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0000783325-26-000087; filed 2026-08-04. Concept: Revenues. Source concepts: us-gaap:Revenues.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2026 ended 2026-06-30; accession 0000783325-26-000087; filed 2026-08-04. Concept: ProfitLoss. Source concepts: us-gaap:ProfitLoss.
Figure provenance: SEC companyfacts. Latest point: FY 2012 ended 2012-09-30; accession 0000107815-12-000132; filed 2012-11-02. Concept: EarningsPerShareDiluted. Source concepts: us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted.
Business
Read WEC's verbatim Item 1 Business section from its latest 10-K: Business.
Risk Factors
Read WEC's verbatim Item 1A Risk Factors from its latest 10-K: Risk Factors.
Latest quarter (10-Q)
Latest 10-Q source: 0000783325-26-000087.
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the accompanying unaudited financial statements and related notes and our 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Introduction
We are a diversified holding company with natural gas and electric utility operations (serving customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota), an approximately 60% equity ownership interest in ATC (a for-profit electric transmission company regulated by the FERC and certain state regulatory commissions), and non-utility energy infrastructure operations through We Power (which owns generation assets in Wisconsin that it leases to WE), Bluewater (which owns underground natural gas storage facilities in Michigan), and WECI (which holds ownership interests in several renewable generating facilities).
Corporate Strategy
We are working to build and sustain long-term value for our shareholders and customers by supporting economic growth in our region while focusing on the fundamentals of our business: reliability, operating efficiency, financial discipline, environmental stewardship, exceptional customer care, and safety. Our capital plan provides a roadmap for us to achieve this goal. It is a plan premised upon maintaining superior reliability, delivering savings for customers, and growing our investment in the future of energy.
Throughout our strategic planning process, we take into account important developments, risks and opportunities, including new technologies, customer preferences and affordability, energy resiliency efforts, and sustainability.
Supporting Economic Growth Within Our Communities
Economic growth continues in our Wisconsin service territories. Companies are investing in major projects, including data centers and modern manufacturing facilities. We anticipate electric demand growth in the years ahead from these economic developments. Microsoft has announced plans to invest over $20 billion in data centers in southeastern Wisconsin over the next several years, and we expect up to 2.6 GWs of load growth in the Milwaukee-to-Chicago corridor through 2030. The first phase of the project went into service in April 2026. Additionally, Vantage Data Centers is developing a large data center campus in Port Washington that is forecasted to add 1.3 GWs of demand through 2030. This site has the potential to add an incremental 2.2 GWs, for a total of up to 3.5 GWs over time. We are working closely with these large customers to provide power to meet this substantial projected demand. In May 2026, the PSCW approved new VLC and Bespoke Resources tariffs, which specifically address the unique needs of VLCs while protecting our other customers and shareholders. Subsequent to its approval, Microsoft entered into a service agreement to obtain service under the VLC tariff. See Note 24, Regulatory Environment, for more information on the VLC and Bespoke Resources tariffs.
To meet the forecasted electric demand growth in the years ahead, greater capacity will be required to provide affordable, reliable, and clean energy for our communities. Our capital plan addresses that demand with a range of planned investments in natural gas-fired generation, renewables, and battery storage. We plan on investing approximately $6.1 billion from 2026 to 2030 in efficient natural gas-fired generation and related infrastructure, including:
•3,300 MWs of CTs (we plan on constructing a new natural gas lateral pipeline to support the CTs planned at our OCPP site); and
•180 MWs of reciprocating internal combustion engine natural gas-fueled generation.
We expect to invest approximately $12.6 billion from 2026 to 2030 in regulated renewable energy in Wisconsin. Our plan is to build and own zero-carbon-emitting renewable generation facilities that are anticipated to include the following investments:
•3,850 MWs of utility-scale solar;
•2,130 MWs of battery storage; and
•555 MWs of wind.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 06/30/2026 Form 10-Q | 50 | WEC Energy Group, Inc. |
Table of Contents
For more details on the projects discussed above, see Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements – Significant Capital Projects.
Our capital plan also reflects the planned retirement of our older, fossil-fueled generation, which we expect to replace with the natural gas-fired generation and zero-carbon-emitting renewables discussed above. These retirements are intended to address compliance with EPA regulations established under the CAA, as well as contribute to meeting our goal to reduce CO2 emissions from our electric generation. Our long-term goal is to achieve net carbon neutral electric generation by the end of 2050. We expect to achieve this goal by continuing to make operating refinements, retiring less efficient generating units, and executing our capital plan. We expect to use coal only as a backup fuel by the end of 2030 and to be in a position to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2032.
As part of our path toward this goal, we have started implementing co-firing with natural gas at the ERGS coal-fired units and at Weston Unit 4. We and the other co-owners of Columbia Units 1 and 2 currently plan to continue coal operations at these units through at least 2029, but continue to evaluate the conversion of both units to natural gas. Additionally, we have retired nearly 2,500 MWs of fossil-fueled generation since the beginning of 2018, which includes the retirement of OCPP Units 5 and 6 in May 2024, the 2019 retirement of the Presque Isle Power Plant, and the 2018 retirements of the Pleasant Prairie power plant, the J.P. Pulliam Generating power plant, and the jointly-owned Edgewater Generating Station Unit 4. We expect to retire approximately 900 MWs of additional coal-fired generation by the end of 2031, which includes the planned retirements of OCPP Units 7 and 8 and Weston Unit 3. See Note 7, Property, Plant, and Equipment, for more information related to the planned retirement of OCPP Units 7 and 8.
When taken together, the retirements and new investments in natural gas generation and renewables should better balance our supply with our demand, while helping to address compliance and maintaining reliable, affordable energy for our customers.
We also continue to focus on methane emission reductions by improving and upgrading our natural gas distribution systems and using RNG throughout our natural gas utility systems. In 2023, we began transporting the output of local dairy farms onto our natural gas distribution systems in Wisconsin. The RNG supplied is replacing higher-emission methane from natural gas that would have entered our pipes. We currently have contracts in place for 2.1 Bcf of RNG.
Reliability
We have made significant reliability-related investments in recent years, and in accordance with our capital plan, expect to continue strengthening and modernizing our generation fleet, as well as our electric and natural gas distribution networks to further improve reliability.
Below are a few of the more significant projects that are proposed, currently underway, or recently completed.
•The PSCW approved WE's request to construct an LNG facility with a storage capacity of two Bcf, which will be located on the OCPP site. In addition, the construction of additional LNG facilities in Wisconsin has been proposed as part of our capital plan and would provide another approximately four Bcf of natural gas supply. The LNG facilities are expected to reduce the likelihood of constraints on our natural gas distribution system during the highest demand days of winter.
•PGL had been working to replace old iron pipes and facilities in Chicago’s natural gas delivery system with modern polyethylene pipes to reinforce the long-term safety and reliability of the system. In November 2023, the ICC ordered PGL to pause spending on these projects until the ICC completed a proceeding to determine the optimal method for replacing aging natural gas infrastructure and a prudent investment level. In February 2025, the ICC issued an order setting expectations for PGL's prospective retirement of its aging natural gas infrastructure. The ICC directed PGL to focus on retiring all cast and ductile iron pipes that have a diameter of less than 36 inches by January 1, 2035. PGL is working to retire this cast and ductile iron pipe through its PRP. For more information, see Note 24, Regulatory Environment, and Factors Affecting Results, Liquidity, and Capital Resources – Regulatory, Legislative, and Legal Matters – Illinois Proceeding – Replacement of Aging Natural Gas Infrastructure.
•Our capital plan includes $2.9 billion of investments in battery energy storage systems from 2026 to 2030, which are intended to capture excess power and release it during peak demand or when power is limited due to weather or other unexpected disruptions.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 06/30/2026 Form 10-Q | 51 | WEC Energy Group, Inc. |
Table of Contents
•Our utilities continue to upgrade their electric and natural gas distribution systems to enhance reliability and storm hardening.
We expect to spend approximately $7.1 billion and $4.7 billion on reliability related to natural gas and electric distribution projects, respectively, from 2026 to 2030, with continued investment over the next decade. For more details, see Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements – Significant Capital Projects.
Operating Efficiency
We continually look for ways to optimize the operating efficiency of our Company and will continue to do so under our capital plan. For example, we are making progress on our advanced metering infrastructure program, replacing aging meter-reading equipment on both our network and customer property. An integrated system of smart meters, communication networks, and data management programs enables two-way communication between our utilities and our customers. This program reduces the manual effort for customer connections and enhances outage management capabilities.
Through our multiyear Energy Delivery Program, we are planning to implement capabilities and standard processes for customer service, natural gas and electric operations, work management, and field operations. This includes improvements to outage management, geographic information systems, and work and asset management systems, as well as the implementation of new capabilities through advanced distribution management systems.
We continue to focus on integrating the resources of all our businesses and improving our business processes to find the best and most efficient processes possible, including evaluating the use of AI tools. We expect these efforts to continue to drive operational efficiency and to put us in a position to effectively support plans for future growth.
Financial Discipline
A strong adherence to financial discipline is essential to meeting our earnings projections and maintaining a strong balance sheet, stable cash flows, a growing dividend, and quality credit ratings. We work to earn allowed rates of return through a focus on cost control and strategic investment.
Our planned investment focus from 2026 to 2030 is in our regulated utilities and our investment in ATC. We expect total capital expenditures for our regulated utility businesses to be approximately $33.4 billion from 2026 to 2030. In addition, we currently forecast that our share of ATC's projected capital expenditures over the next five years will be approximately $4.1 billion. For additional information regarding projects included in our $37.5 billion capital plan, see Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements – Significant Capital Projects.
We follow an asset management strategy that focuses on investing in and acquiring assets consistent with our strategic plans, as well as disposing of assets, includin
[Excerpt truncated for page length; source filing is linked above.]
Latest 10-K MD&A (excerpt)
Latest 10-K Item 7 source: 0000783325-26-000018. The complete FY 2025 MD&A is published at /company/WEC/mda/fy2025/.
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS
Introduction
We are a diversified holding company with natural gas and electric utility operations (serving customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota), an approximately 60% equity ownership interest in ATC (a for-profit electric transmission company regulated by the FERC and certain state regulatory commissions), and non-utility energy infrastructure operations through We Power (which owns generation assets in Wisconsin that it leases to WE), Bluewater (which owns underground natural gas storage facilities in Michigan), and WECI (which holds ownership interests in several renewable generating facilities).
Corporate Strategy
We are working to build and sustain long-term value for our shareholders and customers by supporting economic growth in our region while focusing on the fundamentals of our business: reliability, operating efficiency, financial discipline, environmental stewardship, exceptional customer care, and safety. Our capital plan provides a roadmap for us to achieve this goal. It is a plan premised upon maintaining superior reliability, delivering savings for customers, and growing our investment in the future of energy.
Throughout our strategic planning process, we take into account important developments, risks and opportunities, including new technologies, customer preferences and affordability, energy resiliency efforts, and sustainability.
Supporting Economic Growth Within Our Communities
Economic growth continues in our Wisconsin service territories. Companies are investing in major projects, including data centers and modern manufacturing facilities. We anticipate electric demand growth in the years ahead from these economic developments. Microsoft has announced plans to invest over $20 billion in data centers in southern Wisconsin over the next several years, and we expect up to 2.6 GWs of load growth in the Milwaukee-to-Chicago corridor through 2030. Additionally, Vantage Data Centers plans to develop a large data center campus in Port Washington that is forecasted to add 1.3 GWs of demand through 2030. This site has the potential to add an incremental 2.2 GWs, for a total of up to 3.5 GWs over time. We are working closely with these large customers to provide power to meet this substantial projected demand. In 2025, we submitted a proposal to the PSCW for new VLC and Bespoke Resources tariffs. The proposed tariffs specifically address the unique needs of VLCs while protecting our other customers and shareholders. See Note 26, Regulatory Environment, for more information on the VLC and Bespoke Resources tariffs.
To meet the forecasted electric demand growth in the years ahead, greater capacity will be required to provide affordable, reliable, and clean energy for our communities. Our capital plan addresses that demand with a range of planned investments in natural gas-fired generation, renewables, and battery storage. We plan on investing approximately $5.4 billion from 2026 to 2030 in a combination of efficient natural gas-fired generation, including:
•3,300 MWs of CTs (we plan on constructing a new natural gas lateral pipeline to support the CTs planned at our OCPP site); and
•180 MWs of RICE natural gas-fueled generation.
We expect to invest approximately $12.6 billion from 2026 to 2030 in regulated renewable energy in Wisconsin. Our plan is to build and own zero-carbon-emitting renewable generation facilities that are anticipated to include the following investments:
•3,850 MWs of utility-scale solar;
•2,130 MWs of battery storage; and
•555 MWs of wind.
For more details on the projects discussed above, see Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements – Significant Capital Projects.
Our capital plan also reflects the planned retirement of our older, fossil-fueled generation, which we expect to replace with the natural gas-fired generation and zero-carbon-emitting renewables discussed above. These retirements are intended to address compliance with EPA regulations established under the CAA, as well as contribute to meeting our goal to reduce CO2 emissions from
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Form 10-K | 47 | WEC Energy Group, Inc. |
Table of Contents
our electric generation. Our long-term goal is to achieve net carbon neutral electric generation by the end of 2050. We expect to achieve this goal by continuing to make operating refinements, retiring less efficient generating units, and executing our capital plan. We expect to use coal only as a backup fuel by the end of 2030 and to be in a position to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2032.
As part of our path toward this goal, we have started implementing co-firing with natural gas at the ERGS coal-fired units and at Weston Unit 4. Additionally, we have retired nearly 2,500 MWs of fossil-fueled generation since the beginning of 2018, which includes the retirement of OCPP Units 5 and 6 in May 2024, the 2019 retirement of the PIPP, and the 2018 retirements of the Pleasant Prairie power plant, the Pulliam power plant, and the jointly-owned Edgewater Unit 4 generating unit. We expect to retire approximately 900 MWs of additional coal-fired generation by the end of 2031, which includes the planned retirements of OCPP Units 7 and 8 and Weston Unit 3. In conjunction with our new capital plan, we and the other co-owners of Columbia Units 1 and 2 currently plan to continue coal operations at these units through at least 2029, and continue to evaluate the conversion of both units to natural gas. See Note 7, Property, Plant, and Equipment, for more information related to Columbia Units 1 and 2 and our planned power plant retirements.
When taken together, the retirements and new investments in natural gas generation and renewables should better balance our supply with our demand, while helping to address compliance and maintaining reliable, affordable energy for our customers.
We also continue to focus on methane emission reductions by improving and upgrading our natural gas distribution systems and using RNG throughout our natural gas utility systems. In 2023, we began transporting the output of local dairy farms onto our natural gas distribution systems in Wisconsin. The RNG supplied is replacing higher-emission methane from natural gas that would have entered our pipes. We currently have contracts in place for 2.1 Bcf of RNG.
Reliability
We have made significant reliability-related investments in recent years, and in accordance with our capital plan, expect to continue strengthening and modernizing our generation fleet, as well as our electric and natural gas distribution networks to further improve reliability.
Below are a few examples of the projects that are proposed, currently underway, or recently completed.
•The PSCW approved WE's request to construct an LNG facility with a storage capacity of two Bcf, which will be located on the OCPP site. In addition, the construction of additional LNG facilities in Wisconsin has been proposed as part of our capital plan and would provide another approximately four Bcf of natural gas supply. The LNG facilities are expected to reduce the likelihood of constraints on our natural gas distribution system during the highest demand days of winter.
•PGL had been working to replace old iron pipes and facilities in Chicago’s natural gas delivery system with modern polyethylene pipes to reinforce the long-term safety and reliability of the system. In November 2023, the ICC ordered PGL to pause spending on these projects until the ICC completed a proceeding to determine the optimal method for replacing aging natural gas infrastructure and a prudent investment level. In a limited-scope rehearing of this order, PGL was authorized spending for completion of projects that had started in 2023. In February 2025, the ICC issued an order setting expectations for PGL's prospective retirement of its aging natural gas infrastructure. The ICC directed us to focus on retiring all cast and ductile iron pipe that has a diameter of less than 36 inches by January 1, 2035. PGL is working to retire this cast and ductile iron pipe through its PRP. For more information, see Note 26, Regulatory Environment, and Factors Affecting Results, Liquidity, and Capital Resources - Regulatory, Legislative, and Legal Matters - Illinois Proceedings.
•Our capital plan includes $2.9 billion of investments in BESSs from 2026 to 2030, which are intended to capture excess power and release it during peak demand or when power is limited due to weather or other unexpected disruptions.
•Our utilities continue to upgrade their electric and natural gas distribution systems to enhance reliability and storm hardening.
We expect to spend approximately $7.1 billion and $4.7 billion on reliability related to natural gas and electric distribution projects, respectively, from 2026 to 2030, with continued investment over the next decade. For more details, see Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements – Significant Capital Projects.
| Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Form 10-K | 48 | WEC Energy Group, Inc. |
Table of Contents
Operating Efficiency
We continually look for ways to optimize the operating efficiency of our company and will continue to do so under our capital plan. For example, we are making progress on our advanced metering infrastructure program, replacing aging meter-reading equipment on both our network and customer property. An integrated system of smart meters, communication networks, and data management programs enables two-way communication between our utilities and our customers. This program reduces the manual effort for customer connections and enhances outage management capabilities.
Through our multiyear Energy Delivery Program, we are planning to implement capabilities and standard processes for customer service, natural gas and electric operations, work management, and field operations. This includes improvements to outage management, geographic information systems, and work and asset management systems, as well as the implementation of new capabilities through advanced distribution management systems.
We continue to focus on integrating the resources of all our businesses and improving our business processes to find the best and most efficient processes possible, including evaluating the use of AI tools. We expect these efforts to continue to drive operational efficiency and to put us in a position to effectively support plans for future growth.
Financial Discipline
A strong adherence to financial discipline is essential to meeting our earnings projections and maintaining a strong balance sheet, stable cash flows, a growing dividend, and quality credit ratings. We work to earn allowed rates of return through a focus on cost control and strategic investment.
Our planned investment focus from 2026 to 2030 is in our regulated utilities and our investment in ATC. We expect total capital expenditures for our regulated utility businesses to be approximately $33.4 billion from 2026 to 2030. In addition, we currently forecast that our share of ATC's projected capital expenditures over the next five years will be approximately $4.1 billion. For additional information regarding projects included in the $37.5 billion capital plan, see Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements – Significant Capital Projects.
We follow an asset management strategy that focuses on investing in and acquiring assets consistent with our strategic plans, as well as disposing of assets, including property, plants, equipment, and entire business units, that are no longer strategic to operations, are not performing as intended, or have an unacceptable risk profile. See Note 2, Acquisitions, and Note 3, Disposition, for additional information on our recent and pending transactions.
Exceptional Cust
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MD&A history
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