None

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of

the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

The abbreviations and terms set forth below are used throughout this report and have the meanings assigned to them below:

In this report, we make statements concerning our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, and future events or performance. These statements are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period or periods or by the use of terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "goals," "guidance," "intends," "may," "objectives," "plans," "possible," "potential," "projects," "seeks," "should," "targets," "will," or variations of these terms.

Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning management's expectations and projections regarding earnings, completion of capital projects, sales and customer growth, rate actions and related filings with regulatory authorities, environmental and other regulations, including associated compliance costs, legal proceedings, effective tax rates, pension and OPEB plans, fuel costs, sources of electric energy supply, coal and natural gas deliveries, remediation costs, climate-related matters, the ESG Progress Plan, liquidity and capital resources, and other matters.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described in Item 1A. Risk Factors and those identified below:

In this report, when we refer to "us," "we," "our," or "ours," we are referring to Wisconsin Electric Power Company. The term "utility" refers to our regulated activities, while the term "non-utility" refers to our activities that are not regulated. References to "Notes" are to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We are a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group and were incorporated in the state of Wisconsin in 1896. We maintain our principal executive offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and serve customers in Wisconsin. We conduct our business primarily through our utility reportable segment.

For more information about our utility operations, including financial and geographic information, see Note 18,19, Segment Information, and Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations. For information about our business strategy, see Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Corporate Developments.

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports are made available on WEC Energy Group's website, www.wecenergygroup.com, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

We generate and distribute electric energy to customers located in southeastern Wisconsin (including the metropolitan Milwaukee area), east central Wisconsin, and northern Wisconsin. We also served an iron ore mine customer, Tilden, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, through March 31, 2019 when Tilden became a customer of UMERC, an affiliated public utility owned by WEC Energy Group. In 2021,2022, our consolidated revenues also included securitization revenues collected from customers as servicer of environmental control property owned by our subsidiary WEPCo Environmental Trust. For more information on WEPCo Environmental Trust, see Note 19,20, Variable Interest Entities.

For information about our operating revenues disaggregated by customer class for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019,2020, see Note 4, Operating Revenues.

Our electric energy deliveries included supply and distribution sales to retail, wholesale, and resale customers. In 2021,2022, retail revenues accounted for 91.9%90.5% of total electric operating revenues, wholesale revenues accounted for 2.2%1.7% of total electric operating revenues, and resale revenues accounted for 4.7%6.5% of total electric operating revenues. See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Utility Segment Contribution to Net Income Attributed to Common Shareholder for information on MWh sales by customer class.

We are authorized to provide retail electric service in designated territories in the state of Wisconsin, as established by indeterminate permits and boundary agreements with other utilities.

We buy and sell wholesale electric power by participating in the MISO Energy Markets. The cost of our individual generation offered into the MISO Energy Markets compared to our competitors affects how often our generating units are dispatched and whether we

cooperatives, municipal joint action agencies, other investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and energy marketers. For more information, see C. Regulation.

The majority of our sales for resale are sold into an energy market operated by MISO at market rates based on availability of our generation and market demand. Retail fuel costs are reduced by the amount that revenue exceeds the costs of sales derived from these opportunity sales.

We have a steam utility that generates, distributes, and sells steam supplied by the VAPP to customers in metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Steam is used by customers for processing, space heating, domestic hot water, and humidification. Annual sales of steam fluctuate from year to year based on system growth and variations in weather conditions.

Our service territory experienced higher weather-normalized retail electric sales in 2021, as2022, compared with 2020,2021, mostly due to a partial recoverythe growth in sales to small commercial and industrial customers, which have fully recovered from the impact of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We currently forecast retail electric sales volumes to grow at an annual rate between 0.5%0.7% and 1.0% overfor the next five years,period 2025 through 2027, assuming normal weather. Electric peak demand is expected to be flat over the next five years.same period.

We provide electric utility service to a diversified base of customers in industries such as metals and other manufacturing, governmental, health services, real estate, and food products.

Our electric supply strategy is to provide our customers with energy from plants using a diverse fuel mix that is expected to balance a stable, reliable, and affordable supply of electricity with environmental stewardship. Through our participation in the MISO Energy Markets, we supply a significant amount of electricity to our customers from power plants that we own or lease from We Power. We supplement our internally generated power supply with long-term PPAs, including the Point Beach PPA discussed under the heading "Power Purchase Commitments," and through spot purchases in the MISO Energy Markets. We also sell excess power supply into the MISO Energy Markets when it is economical, which reduces net fuel costs by offsetting costs of purchased power. All options, including owned generation resources and purchased power opportunities, are continually evaluated on a real-timereal time basis to select and dispatch the lowest-cost resources available to meet system load requirements.

The table below indicates our sources of electric energy supply as a percentage of sales for the three years ended December 31, as well as estimates for 2022:2023:

Our generation portfolio is a mix of energy resources having different operating characteristics and fuel sources designed to balance providing energy that is stable, reliable, and affordable with environmental stewardship. We own or lease 5,0665,072 MW of generation capacity. Our facilities include coal-fired plants, natural gas-fired plants, and renewable generation. Certain of our natural gas-fired generation units have the ability to burn oil if natural gas is not available due to delivery constraints. For more information about our facilities, see Item 2. Properties.

We supply electricity to our customers from power plants that we lease from We Power. These plants include the ERGS units and the PWGS units. Lease payments are billed from We Power to us and then recovered in our rates as authorized by the PSCW and the FERC. We operate the We Power units and are authorized by the PSCW and state law to fully recover prudently incurred operating and maintenance costs in our electric rates. As the operator of the units, we may request We Power to make capital improvements to, or further investments in, the units. Under the lease terms, these capital improvements or further investments will increase lease payments paid by us and should ultimately be recovered in our rates.

As part of our path toward these goals, we are exploring co-firing with natural gas at the ERGS coal-fired units. By the end of 2030, WEC Energy Group expects itsto use of coal will account for less than 5% of the power it supplies to its customers,as a backup fuel only and WEC Energy Group believes it will be in a position to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2035.

WEC Energy Group has already retired more than 1,800 MWs of coal-fired generation since the beginning of 2018, which included the 2019 retirement of the PIPP as well as the 2018 retirement of the Pleasant Prairie power plant. See Note 6, Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, for more information related to these power plant retirements. Through the ESG Progress Plan, WEC Energy Group expects to retire approximately 1,600 MW of additional fossil-fueled generation by 2025,the end of 2026, which includes the planned retirement in 2023-20242024-2025 of OCPP Units 5-8.

See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Corporate Developments for more information on the ESG Progress Plan.

We meet a portion of our electric generation supply with various renewable energy resources, including wind, hydroelectric, and biomass. We are also constructing solar projects, which are discussed in more detail below. This helps us maintain compliance with renewable energy legislation. These renewable energy resources also help us maintain diversity in our generation portfolio, which effectively serves as a price hedge against future fuel costs, and will help mitigate the risk of potential unknown costs associated with any future carbon restrictions for electric generators.

In December 2018, we received approval from the PSCW for the Dedicated Renewable Energy ResourceDRER pilot program, a program for large commercial and industrial customers who wish to access renewable resources that we will operate, adding up to 150 MW of renewables to our portfolio, and helpingportfolio. The DRER helps these larger customers meet their sustainability and renewable energy goals.

In September 2021,December 2022, we along with WPS, received approval to acceleratecompleted capital investments to repower major components of Blue Sky, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.qualifies for PTCs.

As part of our commitment to invest in zero-carbon generation, we have filed applications with the PSCW for approval to invest in 563 MW of utility-scale solar and 262 MW of battery storage, including the following:

We have also received approvals from the second quarterPSCW to invest in 611 MW of 2024.utility-scale solar and battery storage projects, including the following:

We purchase coal under long-term contracts, which helps with price stability. In the past, coalCoal and associated transportation services wereare exposed to volatility in pricing due to changing domestic and world-wide demand for coal and diesel fuel. WeTo moderate this volatility risk we have PSCW approval for a hedging program to moderate this volatility exposure.program. This program allows us to hedge over a 36-month period, up to 75% of our potential risks related to rail transportation fuel surcharge exposure. The results of this hedging program, when used, are reflected in the average costs of fuel and purchased power.

We purchase natural gas for our plants on the spot market from natural gas marketers, utilities, and producers, and we arrange for transportation of the natural gas to our plants. We have firm and interruptible transportation, as well as balancing and storage agreements, intended to support our plants' variable usage. We also have PSCW approval for a hedging program to moderate volatility related to natural gas price risk. This program allows us to hedge over a 36-month period, up to 75% of our estimated natural gas use for electric generation. The results of this hedging program are reflected in the average costs of natural gas.

We diversify the coal supply for our leased and owned electric generating facilities by purchasing coal from several mines in Wyoming and Pennsylvania, as well as from various other states. For 2022, all2023, 100% of our projected coal requirements of 4.96.2 million tons are contracted under fixed-price contracts. See Note 20,21, Commitments and Contingencies, for more information on amounts of coal purchases and coal deliveries under contract.

The annual tonnage amounts contracted for the next three years are as follows.follows:

All of our coal requirements are expected to be shipped by unit trains that we own or lease under existing transportation agreements. The unit trains transport the coal for electric generating facilities from mines in Wyoming and Pennsylvania. Additional small volume agreements may also be used to supplement the normal coal supply for our facilities. For additional information concerning risks related to coal supply chain disruptions, see the risk factor below.

We enter into short and long-term power purchase commitments to meet a portion of our anticipated electric energy supply needs. Our power purchase commitments with unaffiliated parties consists of 1,033 MW per year for 20222023 through 20262027 related to a long-term PPA for electricity generated by Point Beach, which exclude planning capacity purchases. Through WEC Energy Group's ESG Progress Plan, we retired some of our older, less efficient coal-fired generation in 2018 and 2019. To procure additional planning capacity, we purchased capacity from the MISO annual auction to ensure that we maintain our compliance with planning reserve requirements as established by the PSCW and MISO.

Our electric utility sales are impacted by seasonal factors and varying weather conditions. We sell more electricity during the summer months because of the residential cooling load. We continue to upgrade our electric distribution system, including substations, transformers, and lines, to meet the demand of our customers. In 2021,2022, our generating plants performed as expected during the warmest periods of the summer, and all power purchase commitments under firm contract were received. During this period, we did not require public appeals for conservation, and we did not interrupt or curtail service to non-firm customers who participate in load management programs.

We face competition from various entities and other forms of energy sources available to customers, including self-generation by customers and alternative energy sources. We compete with other utilities for sales to municipalities and cooperatives as well as with other utilities and marketers for wholesale electric business.

For more information on competition in our service territory, see Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Factors Affecting Results, Liquidity, and Capital Resources – Competitive Markets.

We are authorized to provide retail natural gas distribution service in designated territories in the state of Wisconsin, as established by indeterminate permits and boundary agreements with other utilities. We operate in three distinct service areas including west and south of the City of Milwaukee, the Appleton area, and areas within Iron and Vilas Counties, Wisconsin.

We provide natural gas utility service to residential and commercial and industrial andcustomers. In addition, we offer natural gas transportation customers.services to our customers that elect to purchase natural gas directly from a third-party supplier. Major industries served include real estate, restaurants, governmental, food products, governmental, and health services.metals manufacturing. See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Utility Segment Contribution to Net Income Attributed to Common Shareholder for information on natural gas sales volumes by customer class.

For information about our operating revenues disaggregated by customer class for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019,2020, see Note 4, Operating Revenues.

Our service territory experienced lowerhigher weather-normalized retail natural gas deliveries (excluding natural gas deliveries for electric generation) in 20212022 as compared to 20202021 largely due to continued recovery from the impact of a full year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 and higher natural gas prices.pandemic. We currently forecast retail natural gas delivery volumes to grow at aan annual rate between 0.7% and 1.0% overfor the next five years,period 2025 through 2027, assuming normal weather.

We have been ablemanage portfolios of natural gas supply contracts, storage services, and pipeline transportation services designed to meet our contractual obligations with both our suppliers and our customers.varying customer use patterns. For more information on our natural gas utility supply and transportation contracts, see Note 20,21, Commitments and Contingencies.

The interstate pipelines serving Wisconsin access supply from natural gas producing areas in the Southern and Eastern United States, along with western Canada. We have contracted for long-term firm capacity from a number of these sources. This strategy reflects management's belief that overall supply security is enhanced by geographic diversification of the supply portfolio.

Due to variations in natural gas usage in Wisconsin, we have also contracted for substantial underground storage capacity, primarily in Michigan. We have entered into a long-term service agreement for natural gas storage with a wholly owned subsidiary of Bluewater. Bluewater, a wholly owned subsidiary of WEC Energy Group, owns natural gas storage facilities in Michigan and provides approximately one-third of our current storage needs. We target storage inventory levels at approximately 40% of forecasted demand for November through March. Diversity of natural gas supply enables us to manage significant changes in demand and to optimize our overall natural gas supply and capacity costs. We generally inject natural gas into storage during the spring and summer months and withdraw it in the winter months.

We hold daily transportation and storage capacity entitlements with interstate pipeline companies as well as other service providers under varied-length long-term contracts.

Natural gas pipeline capacity and storage and natural gas supplies under contract can be resold in secondary markets. Peak or near-peak demand generally occurs only a few times each year. The secondary markets facilitate utilization of capacity and supply during times when the contracted capacity and supply are in excess of utility demand. The proceeds from these transactions are passed through to customers, subject to our approved GCRM. For information on our GCRM, see Note 1(d), Operating Revenues.

To ensure a reliable supply of natural gas during peak winter conditions, we have LNG and propane facilities located within our distribution system. These facilities are typically utilized during extreme demand conditions to ensure reliable supply to our customers. In addition to our existing facilities, we plan to construct an additional LNG facility. The facility would provide us with approximately one Bcf of natural gas supply to meet anticipated peak demand without requiring the construction of additional interstate pipeline capacity. Commercial operation of the LNG facility is targeted for the end of 2023.

Combined with our storage capability, management believes that the volume of natural gas under contract is sufficient to meet our forecasted firm peak-day and seasonal demand. Our forecasted design peak-day throughput is 10.6 million therms for the 20212022 through 20222023 heating season. Our peak daily send-out during 20212022 was 6.87.1 million therms on February 14, 2021.January 25, 2022.

We have contracts with suppliers for natural gas acquired in the Chicago, Illinois market hub and in some of the producing areas discussed above. The pricing of the term contracts is based upon first of the month indices.

We expect to continue to make natural gas purchases in the spot market as price and other circumstances dictate. We have supply relationships with a number of sellers from whom we purchase natural gas in the spot market.

We have PSCW approval to hedge up to 60% of planned winter demand and up to 15% of planned summer demand using a mix of NYMEX-based natural gas options and futures contracts. This approval allows us to pass 100% of the hedging costs (premiums, brokerage fees and losses) and proceeds (gains) to customers through our GCRM.

To the extent that opportunities develop and physical supply operating plans are supportive, we also have PSCW approval to utilize NYMEX-based natural gas derivatives to capture favorable forward market price differentials. That approval provides for 100% of the related proceeds to accrue to our GCRM.

Since the majority of our customers use natural gas for heating, customer use is sensitive to weather and is generally higher during the winter months. Accordingly, we are subject to some variations in earnings and working capital throughout the year as a result of changes in weather.

Our working capital needs are met by cash generated from operations and debt (both long-term and short-term). The seasonality of natural gas revenues causes the timing of cash collections to be concentrated from January through June. A portion of our winter natural gas supply needs is typically purchased and stored from April through November. Also, planned capital spending on our natural gas distribution facilities is concentrated in April through November. Because of these timing differences, the cash flow from customers is typically supplemented with temporary increases in short-term borrowings (from external sources) during the late summer and fall. Short-term debt is typically reduced over the January through June period.

We face varying degrees of competition from other entities and other forms of energy available to consumers. Many large commercial and industrial customers have the ability to switch between natural gas and alternative fuels. Electrification initiatives or mandates are being considered or proposed by local and state governments. In addition, all of our customers have the opportunity to choose a natural gas supplier other than us. We offer natural gas transportation services for customers that elect to purchase natural gas directly from a third-party supplier. We continue to earn distribution revenues from these transportation customers for their use of our distribution systems to transport natural gas to their facilities. As such, the loss of revenue associated with the cost of natural gas that our transportation customers purchase from third-party suppliers has little impact on our net income, as it is offset by an equal reduction to natural gas costs.

For more information on competition in our service territory, see Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Factors Affecting Results, Liquidity, and Capital Resources – Competitive Markets.

WEC Energy Group also continues to reduce methane emissions by improving its natural gas distribution systems. WEC Energy Groupsystems, and has set a target across its natural gas distribution operations to achieve net-zero methane emissions by the end of 2030. WEC Energy Group plans to achieve its net-zero goal through an effort that includes both continuous operational improvements and equipment upgrades, as well as the use of RNG throughout its utility systems. In 2022, we received approval from the PSCW for an RNG pilot associated with our natural gas distribution system.

In addition to the specific regulations noted below, we are also subject to various other regulations, which primarily consist of regulations, where applicable, of the EPA, the WDNR, and the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

Our retail electric, natural gas, and steam rates are regulated by the PSCW, and the FERC regulates our wholesale electric rates. Decisions by these regulators can significantly impact our liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations. The following table compares our utility operating revenues by regulatory jurisdiction for each of the three years ended December 31:

The PSCW has general supervisory and regulatory powers over public utilities in its jurisdiction including, but not limited to, approval of retail utility rates and standards of service, security issuances, mergers, affiliate transactions, location and construction of electric generating units and natural gas facilities, and certain other additions and extensions to utility facilities.

Historically, retail rates approved by the PSCW have been designed to provide utilities the opportunity to generate revenues to recover all prudently-incurred costs, along with a return on investment sufficient to pay interest on debt and provide a reasonable ROE. Rates charged to customers vary according to customer class and rate jurisdiction. We are subject to an earnings sharing mechanism in which a portion of our earnings are required to be refunded to customers if we earn above our authorized ROE. See Note 22,23, Regulatory Environment, for more information on our earnings sharing mechanism. The table below reflects our approved ROE and capital structure during 2021.2022.

In addition to amounts collected from customers through approved base rates, we have certain recovery mechanisms in place that allow us to recover or refund prudently incurred costs that differ from those approved in base rates.

Embedded within our electric rates is an amount to recover fuel and purchased power costs. The Wisconsin retail fuel rules require us to defer, for subsequent rate recovery or refund, any under-collection or over-collection of fuel and purchased power costs that are outside of our symmetrical fuel cost tolerance, which the PSCW typically sets at plus or minus 2% of our approved fuel and purchased power cost plan. Our deferred fuel and purchased power costs are subject to an excess revenues test. If our ROE in a given year exceeds the ROE authorized by the PSCW, the recovery of under-collected fuel and purchased power costs would be reduced by the amount by which our return exceeds the authorized amount.

Our natural gas utility operates under a GCRM as approved by the PSCW. Generally, the GCRM allows for a dollar-for-dollar recovery of prudently incurred natural gas costs.

See Note 1(d), Operating Revenues, for more information on the significant mechanisms we had in place during 20212022 that allowed us to recover or refund changes in prudently incurred costs from rate case-approved amounts.

We file periodic requests with the PSCW for changes in retail rates. Our rate requests are based on forward looking test years, which reflect additions to infrastructure and changes in costs incurred or expected to be incurred. For information on our regulatory proceedings, see Note 22,23, Regulatory Environment. Orders from the PSCW can be viewed at https://psc.wi.gov/. The material and information contained on this website are not intended to be a part of, nor are they incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The FERC regulates our wholesale sales of electric energy, capacity, and ancillary services. We have received market-based rate authority from the FERC. Market-based rate authority allows wholesale electric sales to be made in the MISO market and directly to third parties based on the negotiated market value of the transaction. We also make wholesale sales pursuant to cost-based formula rates. Cost-based formula rates provide for recovery of our costs and an approved rate of return. The predetermined formula is initially based on our expenses from the previous year, but is eventually trued up to reflect actual, current-year costs.

In connection with its status as a FERC-approved RTO, MISO operates bid-based energy markets. MISO is responsible for monitoring and ensuring equal access to the electric transmission system in its footprint.

As part of MISO, a market-based platform is used for valuing transmission congestion premised upon an LMP system. The LMP system includes the ability to hedge transmission congestion costs through ARRs and FTRs. ARRs are allocated to market participants by MISO, and FTRs are purchased through auctions. A new allocation and auction were completed for the period of June 1, 2021,2022, through May 31, 2022.2023. The resulting ARR allocation and the secured FTRs are expected to mitigate our transmission congestion risk for that period.

MISO has an annual zonal resource adequacy requirement to ensure there is sufficient generation capacity to serve the MISO market.footprint. To meet this requirement, capacity resources can be acquired through MISO's annual capacity auction, bilateral contracts for capacity, or provided from generating or demand response resources. All ofWhile the zone in which our load resides had sufficient generation capacity requirements duringresources for the period between June 1, 2022 and May 31, 2023, the MISO North region as a whole did not have enough capacity to meet the planning year fromreserve margin for the same time period. Due to the capacity shortage in the MISO North region, all of its zones cleared at the cost of new entry in the annual auction, which is the maximum clearing price. To date, there have been sufficient resources in real time operations to meet the demand obligations in the MISO North region.

MISO is implementing a seasonal resource adequacy requirement effective June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022 were met.2023. As part of this, the capacity accreditation methodology has changed for thermal resources. Currently, it is difficult to predict the MISO North region's capacity position for the upcoming planning year. It is possible that the capacity shortage in the MISO North region will continue as additional resources retire and new resources are delayed. Our strategy has always been to minimize the amount of capacity we procure from the auction to reduce our exposure to capacity shortages. This includes managing our generation portfolio, both retirements and new resources, to ensure we do not get in a significant short position.

We are subject to the Federal Power Act and the corresponding regulations developed by certain federal agencies. The Energy Policy Act amended the Federal Power Act in 2005 to, among other things, make electric utility industry consolidation more feasible, authorize the FERC to review proposed mergers and the acquisition of generation facilities, change the FERC regulatory scheme applicable to qualifying cogeneration facilities, and modify certain other aspects of energy regulations and federal tax policies applicable to us. Additionally, the Energy Policy Act created an Electric Reliability Organization to be overseen by the FERC, which established mandatory electric reliability standards and has the authority to levy monetary sanctions for failure to comply with these standards.

We are subject to Act 141 in Wisconsin which contains certain minimum requirements for renewable energy generation.

All of our hydroelectric facilities follow FERC guidelines and/or regulations.

Almost all of the natural gas we distribute is transported to our distribution systems by interstate pipelines. The pipelines' transportation and storage services are regulated by the FERC under the Natural Gas Act and the Natural Gas Policy Act of 1978. In addition, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the PSCW are responsible for monitoring and enforcing requirements governing our natural gas safety compliance programs for our pipelines under United States Department of Transportation regulations. These regulations include 49 CFR Part 191 (Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline; Annual Reports, Incident Reports, and Safety-Related Condition Reports), 49 CFR Part 192 (Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline: Minimum Federal Safety Standards), and 49 CFR Part 195 (Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline).

We are required to provide natural gas service and grant credit (with applicable deposit requirements) to customers within our service territory. We are generally not allowed to discontinue natural gas service during winter moratorium months to residential heating customers who do not pay their bills. Federal and certain state governments have programs that provide for a limited amount of funding for assistance to our low-income customers.

The regulations and oversight described above significantly influence our operating environment, and may cause us to incur compliance and other related costs and may affect our ability to recover these costs from our utility customers. Any anticipated capital expenditures for compliance with government regulations for the next three years are included in the estimated capital expenditures described in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements.

Our operations, especially as they relate to our coal-fired generating facilities, are subject to extensive environmental regulation by state and federal environmental agencies governing air and water quality, hazardous and solid waste management, environmental remediation, and management of natural resources. Costs associated with complying with these requirements are significant. Additional future environmental regulations or revisions to existing laws, including for example, additional regulation related to GHG emissions, coal combustion products, air emissions, water use, or wastewater discharges and other climate change issues, could significantly increase these environmental compliance costs.

Anticipated expenditures for environmental compliance and certain remediation issues for the next three years are included in the estimated capital expenditures described in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements. For a discussion of certain environmental matters affecting us, including rules and regulations relating to air quality, water quality, land quality, and climate change, see Note 20,21, Commitments and Contingencies.

We believe our employees are among our most important resources, so investing in human capital is critical to our success. We strive to foster a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace; attract, retain and develop talented personnel; and keep our employees safe and healthy.

WEC Energy Group's Board of Directors retains collective responsibility for comprehensive risk oversight of WEC Energy Group and its subsidiaries, including critical areas that could impact our sustainability, such as human capital. Management regularly reports to WEC Energy Group's Board of Directors on human capital management topics, including corporate culture, diversity, equity, and inclusion, employee development, and safety and health. WEC Energy Group's Board of Directors delegates specified duties to its committees. In addition to its responsibilities relative to executive compensation, the Compensation Committee has oversight responsibility for reviewing organizational matters that could significantly impact us, including succession planning. The Compensation Committee reviews recruiting and development programs and priorities, receives updates on key talent, and assesses workforce diversity across WEC Energy Group and its subsidiaries.

As of December 31, 2021,2022, we had 2,4092,451 employees, including 1,8691,905 that are represented under union agreements. We believe we have very good overall relations with our workforce. In order to attract and retain talent, we provide competitive wages and benefits to our employees based on their performance, role, location, and market data. Our compensation package also includes a 401(k) savings plan with an employer match, an annual incentive plan based on meeting company goals, healthcare and insurance benefits, vacation and paid time off days, as well as other benefits.

We are committed to fostering a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace. Our commitment is a core strategic competency and an integral part of our culture. As of December 31, 2021,2022, women and racial minorities represented approximately 26% of our workforce and minorities represented approximately 16%19%, respectively, of our workforce. WEC Energy Group has a number of initiatives that promote diverse workforce contributions, educate employees about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and ensure its companies, including us, are attractive employers for persons of diverse backgrounds. These initiatives include nine business resource groups (voluntary, employee-led groups organized around a particular shared background or interest), mentoring programs, and training for leaders on countering unconscious bias, building inclusive teams, and preventing workplace harassment. We also support external leadership and educational programs that support, train, and promote women and minorities in the communities we serve.

WEC Energy Group's Executive Safety Committee directs our safety and health strategy, works to ensure consistency across groups, and reinforces our ongoing safety commitment that we refer to as “Target Zero.” Under our Target Zero commitment, we have an ultimate goal of zero incidents, accidents, and injuries. Our corporate safety program provides a forum for addressing employee concerns, training employees and contractors on current safety standards, and recognizing those who demonstrate a safety focus. We monitor and set goals for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lost-time incidents and days away, restricted or transferred (DART) metrics, as well as leading indicators, which together raise awareness about employee safety and guide injury-prevention activities.

We also provide employees various benefits and resources designed to promote healthy living, both at work and at home. We encourage employees to receive preventive examinations and to proactively care for their health through free health screenings, wellness challenges, and other resources.

Employee training and development of both technical and leadership skills are integral aspects of our human capital strategy. We provide employees with a wide range of development opportunities, including online training, simulations, live classes, and mentoring to assist with their career advancement. These programs include safety and technical job skill training as well as soft-skill programs focused on relevant subjects, including communication and change management. Development of leadership skills remains a top priority and is specialized for all levels of employees. We have specific leadership programs for aspiring leaders and new supervisors, managers, and directors. This development of our employees is an integral part of our succession planning and provides continuity for our senior leadership.

We are subject to a variety of risks, many of which are beyond our control, that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as the other information included in this report and other documents filed by us with the SEC from time to time, when making an investment decision.

We are subject to significant state, local, and federal governmental regulations, including regulations by the PSCW and the FERC. These regulations significantly influence our operating environment, may affect our ability to recover costs from utility customers, and cause us to incur substantial compliance and other costs. Changes in regulations, interpretations of regulations, or the imposition of new regulations could also significantly impact us, including requiring us to change our business operations. Many aspects of our operations are regulated and impacted by government regulation, including, but not limited to: the rates we charge our retail electric, natural gas, and steam customers; our authorized rate of return; construction and operation of electric generating facilities and electric and natural gas distribution systems, including the ability to recover such costs; decommissioning generating facilities, the ability to recover the related costs, and continuing to recover the return on the net book value of these facilities; wholesale power service practices; electric reliability requirements and accounting; participation in the interstate natural gas pipeline capacity market; standards of service; issuance of securities; short-term debt obligations; transactions with affiliates; and billing practices. Failure to comply with any applicable rules or regulations may lead to customer refunds, penalties, and other payments, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The rates we are allowed to charge our customers for retail and wholesale services have the most significant impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. Rate regulation provides us an opportunity to recover prudently incurred costs and earn a reasonable rate of return on invested capital. However, our ability to obtain rate adjustments in the future is dependent upon regulatory action, and there is no assurance that our regulators will consider all of our costs to have been prudently incurred. In addition, our rate proceedings may not always result in rates that fully recover our costs or provide for a reasonable ROE. We defer certain costs and revenues as regulatory assets and liabilities for future recovery from or refund to customers, as authorized by our regulators. Future recovery of regulatory assets is not assured and is subject to review and approval by our regulators. If recovery of regulatory assets is not approved or is no longer deemed probable, these costs would be recognized in current period expense and could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.

We believe we have obtained the necessary permits, approvals, authorizations, certificates, and licenses for our existing operations, have complied in all material respects with all of their associated terms, and that our business is conducted in accordance with applicable laws. These permits, approvals, authorizations, certificates, and licenses may be revoked or modified by the agencies that granted them if facts develop that differ significantly from the facts assumed when they were issued. In addition, discharge permits and other approvals and licenses are often granted for a term that is less than the expected life of the associated facility. Licenses and permits may require periodic renewal, which may result in additional requirements being imposed by the granting agency. In addition, existing regulations may be revised or reinterpreted by federal, state, and local agencies, or these agencies may adopt new laws and regulations that apply to us. We cannot predict the impact on our business and operating results of any such actions by these agencies.

If we are unable to recover costs of complying with regulations or other associated costs in customer rates in a timely manner, or if we are unable to obtain, renew, or comply with these governmental permits, approvals, authorizations, certificates, or licenses, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

effluent guidelines for steam electric generating plants, and along with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, released a final rule revising the definition of WOTUS that may impact projects requiring federal permits. Several of these rules are being challenged or reviewed by agencies under the Biden Administration's Executive Order 13990, which creates additional uncertainty. As a result of these challenges and reviews, existing environmental laws and regulations may be revised or new laws or regulations may be adopted at the federal, state, or local level.

We incur significant capital and operating resources to comply with these environmental laws, regulations, and requirements, including costs associated with the installation of pollution control equipment; operating restrictions on our facilities; and environmental monitoring, emissions fees, and permits at our facilities. The operation of emission control equipment and compliance with rules regulating our intake and discharge of water could also increase our operating costs and reduce the generating capacity of our power plants. These regulations may create substantial additional costs in the form of taxes or emission allowances and could affect the availability and/or cost of fossil fuels and our ability to continue operating certain generating units. Failure to comply with these laws, regulations, and requirements, even if caused by factors beyond our control, may result in the assessment of civil or criminal penalties and fines. We continue to assess the potential cost of complying, and to explore different alternatives in order to comply, with these and other environmental regulations.

As a result of these compliance costs and other factors, certain of our coal-fired electric generating facilities have become uneconomical to maintain and operate, which has resulted in these units being retired or converted to an alternative type of fuel. As part of WEC Energy Group's commitment to a cleaner energy future, we have already retired approximately 1,500 MW of coal-fired generation since the beginning of 2018. Under the ESG Progress Plan, WEC Energy Group expects to retire approximately 1,600 MW of additional fossil-fueled generation by 2025,the end of 2026, and plans to be replaced withreplace a portion of the constructionretired capacity by building and owning zero-carbon-emitting renewable generation facilities. We continue to evaluate the conversion of zero-carbon emitting renewables and cleancertain coal units to natural gas-fueled generation.gas.

We are also subject to significant liabilities related to the investigation and remediation of environmental impacts at certain of our current and former facilities and at third-party owned sites. We accrue liabilities and defer costs (recorded as regulatory assets) incurred in connection with our former manufactured gas plant sites. These costs include all costs incurred to date that we expect to recover, management's best estimates of future costs for investigation and remediation and related legal expenses, and are net of amounts recovered (or that may be recovered) from insurance or other third parties. Due to the potential for the imposition of stricter standards and greater regulation in the future, the possibility that other potentially responsible parties may not be willing or financially able to contribute to cleanup costs, a change in conditions or the discovery of additional contamination, our remediation costs could increase, and the timing of our capital and/or operating expenditures in the future may accelerate or could vary from the amounts currently accrued.

Litigation over environmental issues and claims of various types, including property damage, personal injury, common law nuisance, and citizen enforcement of environmental laws and regulations, occurs frequently throughout the United States. This litigation has included claims for damages alleged to have been caused by GHG and other emissions and exposure to regulated substances and/or requests for injunctive relief in connection with such matters. In addition to claims relating to our current facilities, we may also be subject to potential liability in connection with the environmental condition of facilities that we previously owned and operated, regardless of whether the liabilities arose before, during, or after the time we owned or operated these facilities. If we fail to comply with environmental laws and regulations or cause (or caused) harm to the environment or persons, that failure or harm may result in the assessment of civil penalties and damages against us. The incurrence of a material environmental liability or a material judgment in any action for personal injury or property damage related to environmental matters could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In the event we are not able to recover all of our environmental expenditures and related costs from our customers in the future, our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. Further, increased costs recovered through rates could contribute to reduced demand for electricity and natural gas, which could adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.

There is continued scientific and political attention to issues concerning the existence and extent of climate change. Management expects this attention to continue since climate change is one of President Biden's primary initiatives, with significant actions expectedbeing taken by his administration during his term in office.with more expected to follow. As a result, we expect the EPA and states to adopt and implement additional regulations to restrict emissions of GHGs. There have also been increasing efforts to introduce and adopt electrification

initiatives and/or mandates and other efforts to reduce the use of natural gas. In addition, there is increasing activism from other stakeholders, including institutional investors and other sources of financing, to accelerate the transition to lower GHG emissions.

Costs associated with such legislation, regulation, and emission reduction goals could be significant. GHG regulations that may be adopted in the future, at either the federal or state level, or other necessary changes to WEC Energy Group's ESG Progress Plan, may cause our environmental compliance spending to differ materially from the amounts currently estimated. There is no guarantee that we will be allowed to fully recover costs incurred to comply with these and other federal and state regulations or that cost recovery will not be delayed or otherwise conditioned. These regulations, as well as changes in the fuel markets and advances in technology, could make additional electric generating units uneconomic to maintain or operate, may impact how we operate our existing fossil-fueled power plants and biomass facility, and could affect unit retirementcause us to retire and replacement decisions in the futurereplace units earlier than planned under the ESG Progress Plan. These regulationsPlan, which could also adversely affect our future results of operations, cash flows,lead to a possible loss on abandonment and financial condition. There is no guarantee that we will be allowed to fully recover costs incurred to comply with these and other federal and state regulations or that cost recovery will not be delayed or otherwise conditioned.reduced revenues.

We continue to monitor the financial and operational feasibility of taking more aggressive action to further reduce GHG emissions in order to limit future global temperature increases. Through its ESG Progress Plan, WEC Energy Group's planGroup continues to replace older, fossil-fueled generation with zero-carbon emitting renewables and clean natural gas-fueled generation will contribute to the achievement of our goals related to reducing CO2 andreduce methane emissions as well as coal as an energy source. However, ourby improving its natural gas distribution systems. WEC Energy Group set a target across its natural gas distribution operations to achieve net-zero methane emissions by the end of 2030.

Tax legislation and regulations can adversely affect, among other things, our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, liquidity, and credit ratings. Future changes to corporate tax rates or policies, including under Treasury Regulations and guidance issued in connection with the Biden Administration,IRA, could require us to take material charges against earnings. Such changes include, among other things, increasing the federal corporate income tax rate, disallowing use of certain tax benefits and carryforwards, limiting interest deductions, and altering the expensing of capital expenditures. Our inability to manage these changes, an adverse determination by one of the applicable taxing jurisdictions, or additional interpretations, implementing regulations, amendments, or technical corrections by the Treasury Department, the IRS, or state income tax authorities, could significantly impact our financial results and cash flows.

We have significantly reduced our federal and state income tax liabilities in the past through tax credits, net operating losses, and charitable contribution deductions. A reduction in or disallowance of these tax benefits could adversely affect our earnings and cash flows. We have not fully used these allowed tax benefits in our previous tax filings and have carried them forward to use against

future taxable income. Our inability to generate sufficient taxable income in the future to fully use these tax carryforwards before they expire, or to transfer future tax credits as discussed below, could significantly affect our tax obligations and financial results.

In addition, we have invested, and plan to continue to invest, in renewable energy generating facilities. These facilities generate PTCs or ITCs that we can use to reduce our federal tax obligations. The recently passed IRA may also allow us to transfer some of these future credits to third parties at a discounted value. We are still awaiting Treasury guidance on how and when we are allowed to transfer these credits. The amount of tax credits we earn depends on available government incentives and policies, the amount of electricity produced, the applicable tax credit rate, or the amount of the investment in qualifying property. AIn addition, a variety of operating and economic factors, including transmission constraints, adverse weather conditions, and breakdown or failure of equipment, could significantly reduce the PTCs generated by the wind parksrenewable projects we have invested in, resulting in a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition,The imposition of additional taxes, tariffs, or other assessments related to renewable energy projects as well as any reductions or eliminations of these tax credits or other governmental incentives that promote renewable energy generating facilities may limit our ability to make further investments in renewable energy generating facilities or reduce the returns on our existing investments.

We are also uncertain as to how credit rating agencies, capital markets, the FERC, or state public utility commissions will treat any future changes to federal or state tax legislation. These impacts could subject us to credit rating downgrades. In addition, certain

We are subject to mandatory reliability and critical infrastructure protection standards established by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation and enforced by the FERC. The critical infrastructure protection standards focus on controlling access to critical physical and cyber security assets. Compliance with the mandatory reliability standards could subject us to higher operating costs. If we are found to be in noncompliance with the mandatory reliability standards, we could be subject to sanctions, including substantial monetary penalties, or damage to our reputation.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasPublic health crises, including epidemics and pandemics, and any related government responses may adversely impactedimpact the economy and financial markets which has adversely affected our business. During 2021, commercial and industrial retail sales volumes began to improve due to the continued economic recovery in our service territories. However, there are still questions regarding the extent and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic itself. Orders limiting the capacity of various businesses could be adopted in the future depending on how the virus continues to mutate and spread. The resulting effects of any future orders could have a variety of adverse impacts on us, including a decrease in revenues,revenues; increased bad debt expense; increases in past due accounts receivable balances,balances; and access to the capital markets at unreasonable terms or rates.

The COVID-19 pandemicPublic health crises, including epidemics and pandemics, and any additional related government responses could also impair our ability to develop, construct, and operate facilities. Risks include extended disruptions to supply chains and inflation, resulting in increased costs for labor, materials, and services, which could adversely impact our ability to implement our corporate strategy. We may also be adversely impacted by reduced labor availabilitydisruptions and productivity as a result of COVID-19 infections, although we have taken precautions with regard to employee hygiene and facility cleanliness, imposed travel limitations on our employees, implemented additional protocols for our field employees who travel to customer premises, provided additional employee benefits, and implemented remote work policies where appropriate. We could also be impacted by possible labor disruptions, employee attrition, and a reduced ability to replace departing employees as a result of employees who leave or forego employment to avoid surcharges imposed on our medical plan or otherany required precautionary measures.

Despite our efforts to manage the impacts of public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics, that may occur in the COVID-19 pandemic,future, the extent to which COVID-19they may continue to affect us depends on factors beyond our knowledge or control. Therefore,As a result, we are currently unable to determine what additionalthe potential impact the COVID-19 pandemicany such public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics, may have on our business plans and operations, liquidity, financial condition, and results of operations, but will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments and modify our plans as conditions change.operations.

Our financial performance depends on the successful operation of our electric generation, natural gas and electric distribution facilities, and renewable energy facilities. The operation of these facilities involves many risks, including operator error and the breakdown or failure of equipment or processes.

Potential breakdown or failure may occur due to severe weather as a result of climate change or otherwise (i.e., storms, tornadoes, floods, droughts, etc)etc.); catastrophic events (i.e., fires, earthquakes, explosions, pandemicand explosions); public health events, etc.);crises, including epidemics and pandemics; significant changes in water levels in waterways; fuel supply or transportation disruptions; accidents; employee labor disputes; construction delays or cost overruns; shortages of or delays in obtaining equipment, material, and/or labor; performance below expected levels; operating limitations that may be imposed by environmental or other regulatory requirements; terrorist or other physical attacks; or cyber security intrusions. Any of these events could lead to substantial financial losses, including increased maintenance costs, and unanticipated capital expenditures. Because our electric generation and renewable energy facilities are interconnected with third-party transmission facilities, the operation of our facilities could also be adversely affected by events impacting their systems. Unplanned outages at our power plants may reduce our revenues, cause us to incur significant costs if we are required to operate our higher cost electric generators or purchase replacement power to satisfy our obligations, and could result in additional maintenance expenses.

Our results of operations and cash flows are affected by the demand for electricity and natural gas, which can vary greatly based upon:

As part of our planning process, we estimate the impacts of changes in customer growth and general economic conditions, weather, and customer energy conservation efforts, but risks still remain. Any of these matters, as well as any regulatory delay in adjusting

rates as a result of reduced sales from effective conservation measures or the adoption of new technologies, could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

A changing climate creates uncertainty and could result in broad changes, both physical and financial in nature, to our service territories.territory.

If climate changes occur that result in extreme temperatures in our service territories,territory, our financial results could be adversely impacted by lower electric and natural gas usage and higher natural gas costs. An extreme weather event could result in downed wires and poles or damage to other operating equipment, which could result in us incurring significant restoration costs and foregoing sales of electricity and lost revenues. Due to the cold temperatures, wind, snow, and ice throughout the central part of the country during February 2021,An extreme weather event could also cause the cost of gas purchased for our natural gas utility customers and for the use of fuel at our generation facilities wasto be temporarily driven significantly higher than our normal winter weather expectations. Although our utilitieswe have regulatory mechanisms in place for recovering all prudently incurred natural gas costs, regulatory commissions could disallow recovery or order the refund of any costs determined to be imprudent.

In addition, our operations could be adversely affected and our facilities placed at greater risk of damage should changes in global climate produce, among other possible conditions, unusual variations in temperature and weather patterns, which could result in more intense, frequent and extreme weather events, such as wind storms, floods, tornadoes, snow and ice storms, or abnormal levels of precipitation. Extreme weather may result in unexpected increases in customer load, requiring us to procure additional power at wholesale prices for our retail operations, unpredictable curtailment of customer load by MISO to maintain grid reliability, or other grid reliability issues. Any of these events could lead to substantial financial losses including increased maintenance costs and unanticipated capital expenditures. The cost of storm restoration efforts may also not be fully recoverable through the regulatory process.

Our business is dependent on the global supply chain to ensure that equipment, materials, and other resources are available to both expand and maintain services in a safe and reliable manner. Current domestic and global supply chain disruptions are delaying the delivery, and in some cases resulting in shortages of, materials, equipment, and other resources that are critical to our business operations. Failure to eliminate or manage the constraints in the supply chain may eventually impact the availability of items that are necessary to support normal operations as well as materials that are required to implement our corporate strategy for continued infrastructure growth, including our renewable energy projects.

Moreover, prices of equipment, materials, and other resources have increased recently as a result of these supply chain disruptions and may continue to increase in the future, as a result of inflation. Although inflation in the United States has been relatively low in recent years, during 2021 the United States economy began experiencing a significant inflationary effect. While we cannot predict any future trends in the rate of inflation, the global COVID-19 pandemic and other factors have brought uncertainty to the near-term economic outlook. Increases in inflation raise our costs for labor, materials, and services, and failure to secure these resources on economically acceptable terms, as well as any regulatory delay in adjusting rates to account for increased costs, may adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Our business requires substantial capital expenditures for investments in, among other things, capital improvements to our electric generating facilities, electric and natural gas distribution infrastructure, and other projects, including projects for environmental compliance. We also expect to continue constructing and investing in renewable energy generating facilities as part of theWEC Energy Group's ESG Progress Plan, including repowering existing wind generation projects in our generation portfolio.

Achieving the intended benefits of any large construction project is subject to many uncertainties, some of which we will have limited or no control over, that could adversely affect project costs and completion time. Supply chain disruptions, including solar panel shortages and increasing material costs as a result of government tariffs and other factors, could impact the timing of completion of our other renewable projects. Additional risks include, but are not limited to, the ability to adhere to established budgets and time frames; the availability of labor or materials at estimated costs; the ability of contractors to perform under their contracts; strikes; adverse weather conditions; potential legal challenges; changes in applicable laws or regulations; rising interest rates; the impact of pandemicpublic health events;crises, including epidemics and pandemics; other governmental actions; continued public and policymaker support for such projects; and events in the global economy. In addition, certain of these projects require the approval of the PSCW. If construction of commission-approved projects should materially and adversely deviate from the schedules, estimates, andand/or projections on which the approval was based, our regulators may deem the additional capital costs as imprudent and disallow recovery of them through rates, and otherwise available PTCs and ITCs for renewable energy projects could be lost or lose value.

To the extent that delays occur, costs become unrecoverable, tax credits are lost or lose value, or we (or third parties with whom we invest and/or partner) otherwise become unable to effectively manage and complete our (or their) capital projects, our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition may be adversely affected.

We have been subject to attempted cyber attacks from time to time, and will likely continue to be subject to such attempted attacks; however, these prior attacks have not had a material impact on our system or business operations. Despite the implementation of security measures, all assets and systems are potentially vulnerable to disability, failures, or unauthorized access due to physical or cyber security intrusions caused by human error, vendor bugs, terrorist or other physical attacks (including potential attacks on our substations and other electric distribution equipment), acts of war, or other malicious acts. These threats could result in a full or partial disruption of our ability to generate, transmit, purchase, or distribute electricity or natural gas or cause environmental repercussions. If our assets or systems were to fail, be physically damaged, or be breached, and were not

We operate in an industry that requires the use of sophisticated information technology systems and network infrastructure, which control an interconnected system of generation, distribution, and transmission systems shared with third parties. A successful physical or cyber security intrusion may occur despite our security measures or those that we require our vendors to take, which include compliance with reliability standards and critical infrastructure protection standards. Successful cyber security intrusions, including those targeting the electronic control systems used at our generating facilities and electric and natural gas transmission and distribution systems, could disrupt our operations and result in loss of service to customers. Attacks may come through ransomware, software updates or patches, or firmware that hackers can manipulate. These intrusions may cause unplanned outages at our power plants, which may reduce our revenues or cause us to incur significant costs if we are required to operate our higher cost electric generators or purchase replacement power to satisfy our obligations, and could result in additional maintenance expenses. The risk of such intrusions may also increase our capital and operating costs as a result of having to implement increased security measures for protection of our information technology and infrastructure.

Our continued efforts to integrate, consolidate, and streamline our operations have also resulted in increased reliance on current and recently completed projects for technology systems. We implement procedures to protect our systems, but we cannot guarantee that the procedures we have implemented to protect against unauthorized access to secured data and systems are

adequate to safeguard against all security breaches. The failure of any of these or other similarly important technologies, or our inability to support, update, expand, and/or integrate these technologies with those of our affiliates could materially and adversely impact our operations, diminish customer confidence and our reputation, materially increase the costs we incur to protect against these risks, and subject us to possible financial liability or increased regulation or litigation.

Our business requires the collection and retention of personally identifiable information of our customers and employees, who expect that we will adequately protect such information. Security breaches may expose us to a risk of loss or misuse of confidential and proprietary information. A significant theft, loss, or fraudulent use of personally identifiable information may lead to potentially large costs to notify and protect the impacted persons, and/or could cause us to become subject to significant litigation, costs, liability, fines, or penalties, any of which could materially and adversely impact our results of operations as well as our reputation with customers and regulators, among others. In addition, we may be required to incur significant costs associated with governmental actions in response to such intrusions or to strengthen our information and electronic control systems. We may also need to obtain additional insurance coverage related to the threat of such intrusions.

Threats to our systems and operations continue to emerge as new ways to compromise components into our systems or networks are developed. Any operational disruption or environmental repercussions caused by these on-going or future threats to our assets and technology systems could result in a significant decrease in our revenues or significant reconstruction or remediation costs, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. The costs of repairing damage to our facilities, operational disruptions, protecting personally identifiable information, and notifying impacted persons, as well as related legal claims, may also not be recoverable in rates, may exceed the insurance limits on our insurance policies, or, in some cases, may not be covered by insurance.

Advances in new technologies that produce or store power or reduce power consumption are ongoing and include renewable energy technologies, customer-oriented generation, energy storage devices, and energy efficiency technologies. We generate power at central station power plants and utility-scale renewable generation facilities to achieve economies of scale and produce power at a competitive cost. There are distributedDistributed generation technologies that produce power, including fuel cells, microturbines, wind turbines, solar cells, and related energy storage devices, whichhave technologically improved and have become more cost competitive than they were in the past. ItRecently, the PSCW issued a declaratory ruling finding that a third-party financed DER is possiblenot a “public utility” under Wisconsin law. A second petition is also being considered. Although the finding in the first petition was limited to the specific facts and circumstances of the lease presented in that petition, similar findings or a broader policy position could adversely impact our business operations.

Recently enacted legislation, including the IRA and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, promotes the construction and cost-effectiveness of renewable energy generation, including distributed generation technologies, for self-supply of electricity by our customers and third parties. This legislation also incentivizes modernization of the electric distribution grid to, among other things, accommodate two-way flows of electricity and increase the grid's capacity to interconnect to these distributed generation technologies. Other legislation or regulations could be adopted supporting the use of these technologies at below cost or that permit third-party sales from such facilities, and allow these facilities to interconnect to our distribution system. There is also a risk that advances in technology will continue to reduce the costs of these alternative methods of producing power to a level that is competitive with that of central station and utility-scale renewable power production.

We cannot predict the effect that development of alternative energy sources or new technology may have on our natural gas operations, including whether subsidies of alternative energy sources by local, state, and federal governments might be expanded, or what impact this might have on the supply of or the demand for natural gas.

Inherent in natural gas distribution activities are a variety of hazards and operational risks, such as leaks, accidental explosions, and mechanical problems, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. In addition, these risks could result in serious injury to employees and non-employees, loss of human life, significant damage to property, environmental pollution, impairment of operations, and substantial losses to us. The location of natural gas pipelines near populated areas, including residential areas, commercial business centers, and industrial sites, could increase the level of damages resulting from these risks. These activities may subject us to litigation and/or administrative proceedings from time to time, which could result in substantial monetary judgments, fines, or penalties against us, or be resolved on unfavorable terms.

We operate in an industry that requires many of our employees to possess unique technical skill sets. Events such as an aging workforce without appropriate replacements, the mismatch of skill sets to future needs, or the unavailability of contract resources may lead to operating challenges or increased costs. These operating challenges include lack of resources, loss of knowledge, and a lengthy time period associated with skill development. In addition, current and prospective employees may determine that they do not wish to work for us. For example, we are currently subject to workforce trends occurring in the United States triggered by the decisions of employees to leave the workforce and/or their employer at higher rates as compared with prior years. This high demand for replacement employees as a result of this trend may lead to higher labor costs than currently budgeted for and adversely affect our results of operations. Failure to hire and obtain replacement employees, including the ability to transfer significant internal historical knowledge and expertise to the new employees, may adversely affect our ability to manage and operate our business. If we are unable to successfully attract and retain an appropriately qualified workforce, our results of operations could be adversely affected.

We are exposed to the risk that counterparties to various arrangements who owe us money, electricity, natural gas, or other commodities or services will not be able to perform their obligations. Should the counterparties to these arrangements fail to perform or if capacity is inadequate, we may be required to replace the underlying commitment at current market prices or we may be unable to meet all of our customers' electric and natural gas requirements unless or until alternative supply arrangements are put in place. In such event, we may incur losses, and our results of operations, financial position, or liquidity could be adversely affected.

We have entered into several power purchase, natural gas supply, natural gas pipeline capacity, and transportation agreements with non-affiliated companies. Revenues are dependent on the continued performance by the counterparties of their obligations under these agreements. Although we have a comprehensive credit evaluation process and contractual protections, it is possible that one or more counterparties could fail to perform their obligations. If this were to occur, we generally would expect that any operating and other costs that were initially allocated to a defaulting customer's power purchase, natural gas supply, natural gas pipeline capacity, or transportation agreement would be reallocated among our retail customers. To the extent these costs are not allowed to be reallocated by our regulators or there is any regulatory delay in adjusting rates, a counterparty default under these agreements could have a negative impact on our results of operations and cash flows.

We rely on access to credit and capital markets to support our capital requirements, including expenditures for our utility infrastructure and to comply with future regulatory requirements, to the extent not satisfied by the cash flow generated by our operations. We have historically secured funds from a variety of sources, including the issuance of short-term and long-term debt securities. In addition, we rely on a committed bank credit agreement as back-up liquidity, which allows us to access the low cost commercial paper markets. Successful implementation of our long-term business strategies, including capital investment, is

Our access to the credit and capital markets could be limited, or our cost of capital significantly increased, due to any of the following risks and uncertainties:

LIBOR is the subject of national, international, and other regulatory reform, which is expected to cause LIBOR to cease to exist after June 2023. Various alternative reference rates are being evaluated by market participants, with the secured overnight financing rateSOFR being the most widely adopted alternative to date. WeAlthough we cannot predict the consequences and timing of the development oftransitioning to SOFR or other alternative reference rates, or the performance of LIBOR as it is being phased out through June 2023. The transition to alternative reference ratesrate, they could include an increase in our interest expense.

If any of these risks or uncertainties limit our access to the credit and capital markets or significantly increase our cost of capital, it could limit our ability to implement, or increase the costs of implementing, our business plan, which, in turn, could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.

There are a number of factors that impact our credit ratings, including, but not limited to, capital structure, regulatory environment, the ability to cover liquidity requirements, and other requirements for capital. We could experience a downgrade in ratings if the rating agencies determine that theour level of business or financial risk, or that of us or the utility industry, has deteriorated. Changes in rating methodologies by the rating agencies could also have a negative impact on credit ratings.

Any downgrade by the rating agencies could:

Our operating and liquidity requirements are impacted by changes in the forward and current market prices of natural gas, coal, electricity, renewable energy credits, and ancillary services.

We burn natural gas in several of our electric generation plants and as a supplemental fuel at several coal-fired plants. In many instances the cost of purchased power is tied to the cost of natural gas. The cost of natural gas has increased, and may continue to increase because of disruptions in the supply of natural gas due to a curtailment in production or distribution, international market conditions, the demand for natural gas, and the availability of shale gas and potential regulations and/or other government action affecting its accessibility.

Changes in commodity prices could result in:

We own, lease, and operate several coal-fired electric generating units. Although we generally carry sufficient coal inventory at our generating facilities to protect against an interruption or decline in supply, there can be no assurance that the inventory levels will be adequate. While we have coal supply and transportation contracts in place, we cannot assure that the counterparties to these agreements will be able to fulfill their obligations to supply coal to us or that we will be able to take delivery of all the coal volume contracted for. Coal deliveries may occasionally be restricted because of rail congestion and maintenance, derailments, weather, the COVID-19 pandemic,public health crises, including epidemics and pandemics, and supplier financial hardship. Supplier financial hardship is a result of decreased demand for coal due to increased natural gas and renewable energy generation, the impact of environmental regulations, and environmental concerns related to coal-fired generation.

If we are unable to obtain our coal requirements under our coal supply and transportation contracts, we may be required to purchase coal at higher prices or we may be forced to reduce generation at our coal-fired units, which could lead to increased fuel costs. The increase in fuel costs could result in either reduced margins on net sales into the MISO Energy Markets, a reduction in the volume of net sales into the MISO Energy Markets, and/or an increase in net power purchases in the MISO Energy Markets. There is no guarantee that we would be able to fully recover any increased costs in rates or that recovery would not otherwise be delayed, either of which could adversely affect our results of operations and cash flows.

We use derivative instruments such as swaps, options, futures, and forwards to manage commodity price exposure. We could recognize financial losses as a result of volatility in the market value of these contracts or if a counterparty fails to perform. These risks are managed through risk management policies, which might not work as planned and cannot entirely eliminate the risks associated with these activities. In addition, although our hedging programs must be approved by the PSCW, derivative contracts entered into for hedging purposes might not offset the underlying exposure being hedged as expected, resulting in financial losses. In the absence of actively quoted market prices and pricing information from external sources, the value of these financial instruments can involve management's judgment or use of estimates. Changes in the underlying assumptions or use of alternative valuation methods could affect the reported fair value of these contracts.

The regulated energy industry continues to experience significant structural changes. Deregulation or other changes in law in the states where we serve our customers could allow third-party suppliers to contract directly with customers for their natural gas and electric supply requirements. In addition, legislation or regulation that supports distributed energy technologies or that allows third party sales from such technologies could result in further competition. This increased competition in the retail and wholesale markets could have a material adverse financial impact on us.

The FERC continues to support the existing RTOs that affect the structure of the wholesale market within these RTOs. In connection with its status as a FERC-approved RTO, MISO implemented bid-based energy markets that are part of the MISO Energy Markets. All market participants, including us, must submit day-ahead and/or real-timereal time bids and offers for energy at locations across the MISO region. MISO then calculates the most efficient solution for all of the bids and offers made into the market that day and establishes