Building a bright, sustainable future that is affordable, reliable and clean
Reducing emissions is essential to building a bright, sustainable future. We have established ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals for our electric generating fleet and natural gas distribution system, aligned with or surpassing global emissions pathways aimed at limiting warming to 1.5°C.
For our electric generation fleet, we have set goals to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050 and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 60% by the end of 2025 and 80% by the end of 2030, compared to 2005 levels. We also expect to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2032. Across our natural gas business, we are targeting net-zero methane emissions from the distribution system by the end of 2030.
We continue to work with industry partners, environmental groups and state leaders to meet our goals and provide affordable, reliable and clean energy to our customers.
Our focus is to continue a balanced electric generation mix, while taking the following actions:
- Investing in cost-effective, zero-carbon, renewable generation
- Retiring older, less efficient fossil-fueled units
- Improving our natural gas distribution system
ESG progress plan
Our $23.7 billion five-year capital plan is the largest in our company’s history. It includes more than $8.2 billion in new renewable investments in solar, wind and battery storage across our utilities and WEC Infrastructure business between 2024 and 2028.
The ESG progress plan will help us cut emissions, maintain superior reliability, deliver significant savings for customers and grow our investment in the future of energy.
Ending coal-fueled generation by 2032
As we update our power generation fleet, our use of coal will continue to decline. By the end of 2030, we expect to use coal only as a backup fuel. We plan to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2032.
This effort will require significant planning and detailed execution to ensure the infrastructure and technology is in place to reliably meet Wisconsin’s energy needs. One way we plan to achieve this is to utilize available technology to run super-critical baseload units, including the new units at the Oak Creek Power Plant and a unit at the Weston Power Plant, on natural gas.
Exploring new technology
In the fall of 2022 we successfully led a first-of-its-kind hydrogen power test. During two weeks of testing, hydrogen and natural gas were tested in blends up to 25%/75% by volume to power one of the generating units that serves customers of Upper Michigan Energy Resources, a WEC Energy Group subsidiary.
The testing was performed on an 18-megawatt unit that uses a technology known as RICE — reciprocating internal combustion engines. The RICE unit was continually monitored during the test to measure performance, output and emissions data.
The project was named the 2023 Hydrogen Plan Award winner by POWER magazine and received an EPRI Technology Transfer Award.
Project partner EPRI shared an analysis of the test to further inform the energy industry on ways to successfully use hydrogen for power generation to support reducing carbon emissions.
Track record of environmental responsibility
We began reducing carbon emissions from coal-fueled generation through the conversion of the We Energies Port Washington Power Plant (now Port Washington Generating Station) and Valley Power Plant to natural gas in 2005-08 and 2014-15, respectively.
Combined, We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service have retired over 2,400 MW of older, less efficient fossil-fueled generation since the beginning of 2018:
- 200-MW WPS Pulliam Power Plant in Green Bay, Wisconsin
- 100-MW WPS share of Edgewater 4 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- 1,190-MW We Energies Pleasant Prairie Power Plant in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
- 350-MW We Energies Presque Isle Power Plant in Marquette, Michigan
- 528-MW We Energies Oak Creek Units 5-6
- 74-MW Weston Unit 2