At We Energies, we have one job above all else — to safely and reliably provide our customers with the energy they need.

How we do that often depends on Mother Nature.

For instance, a sunny and 65-degree day in May means our primary, or baseload, power plants can keep the energy flowing.

However, as we all know too well, Wisconsin’s weather is rarely sunny and mild. Take January for instance, when the temperatures plunged to zero and below for nearly a week, or last August, when the heat index soared over 100 degrees for two days.

On these extreme weather days and weeks, we need to be able to quickly ramp up extra power to meet our customers’ critical energy needs. It goes beyond keeping the lights on — it means keeping factories, offices, schools, churches and hospitals running and safe during any and all weather conditions. Failure is not an option.

That is why we have proposed building new quick-start natural gas plants along with new renewable energy.

Setting the record straight

There are some activists who have criticized our commonsense reliability plan as something that it is not. I’d like to take this opportunity to set the record straight.

We are in the midst of an energy transformation focused on reliability, affordability and economic growth. As we work to reduce emissions and close older, less efficient power plants, we are investing in a balanced mix of wind, solar, energy storage and natural gas.

As we build new renewable energy, our proposed natural gas generating facilities will help us keep the lights on when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing. And they will also help us meet the robust economic growth and demand taking place across southeastern Wisconsin.

Natural gas is a critical resource

Our plans to build new natural gas plants, along with new renewable energy, are part of a nationwide trend focusing on reliability and affordability.

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is the country’s independent electric grid watchdog. It is highlighting the importance of power generation facilities, such as natural gas plants, that do not rely solely on the sun and wind.

In a report issued late last year, the group noted, “Natural-gas-fired generators are and will remain a critical resource for bulk power system reliability in many areas over the 10-year assessment period, especially during winter.”

NERC’s report shows that as coal plants are replaced with solar and wind generation, clean natural gas plants provide a critical and affordable backup.

The report also noted, “Severe winter weather events in 2021 and 2022 provided stark evidence of the critical nature of natural gas as a generator fuel and the importance of secure supplies during times of extreme electricity demand.”

Safety and health are priorities

Like all of our power plants, our proposed natural gas plants will adhere to strict local, state and federal environmental and health regulations.

In fact, the proposed Oak Creek natural gas plant would see a decrease of 3.5 million tons per year of carbon dioxide compared to the current Oak Creek coal plant that we are retiring. The project would also mean significantly less nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, landfill, water usage and other emissions every year.

Our proposed natural gas plants also support our shift away from coal, which will result in further emissions reductions in future years.

Wisconsin is seeing an economic resurgence — with global powerhouses to small businesses building and expanding jobs here. We will continue to support these new jobs and growth by making sure our customers have what they need: safe and reliable energy, no matter how extreme or unpredictable the weather will be.

This Opinion piece from We Energies President Mike Hooper was published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on March 13, 2025