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2010 News Archive
The State of WPPI Energy
11.23.10
Roy Thilly, President and CEO
WPPI Energy
From its inception in 1980 as Wisconsin's first municipal electric company, WPPI Energy has been owned and driven by our member utilities focused on providing value for their local communities. It is my privilege to summarize for our members and their customers the annual "State of WPPI Energy" meeting address to members.
One important focus during 2010 has been on controlling costs as communities continue working to recover from the recession. Fuel costs and other factors are driving higher electrical rates, and impending environmental regulation will likely drive them up further. Although these factors are out of WPPI Energy's immediate control, we are committed to doing our best to manage the costs we can control without undermining long-term strategy.
WPPI Energy has remained financially strong throughout its 30-year history and we are in an excellent position to continue providing communities with reliable, affordable power. Toward that end, WPPI Energy is committed to controlling costs now and for the long term. Our power supply portfolio is providing a strong foundation for the future:
- The Elm Road Generating Station, consisting of two state-of-the-art 650-megawatt electric generating units. These new supercritical coal-fired plants are among the cleanest and most efficient in the Midwest.
- Our diverse portfolio of renewable resources, which we put in place six years early to meet Wisconsin and Michigan requirements that 10 percent of energy come from renewable sources by 2015.
- A careful balance of owned generation and power supply contracts, providing options, flexibility and diversity.
- A $70 million ownership share of American Transmission Co., a valuable investment that helps keeps our system-wide costs down.
Ultimately, the most immediate, cost-effective answer during these tough economic times is to help customers control their bills by showing them ways to conserve and use energy much more efficiently. It costs far less to help a customer save a kilowatt-hour of energy than it does to build a new power plant to generate that energy. WPPI Energy members provide extensive energy saving programs and services.
Moving forward, WPPI Energy will prepare for the emergence of "smart grid" technology, which is an advanced, two-way communication system between utility providers and customers. This system over time will enable customers to know and better understand the cost of the energy they are purchasing, allowing them to make more informed decisions about their consumption.
We will also welcome a new CEO, Michael W. Peters, in February. Michael is a strong, proven leader with extensive experience with large and small electric cooperatives. He will lead WPPI Energy and its member utilities into the future.
WPPI Energy remains dedicated to preserving the tremendous value of public power utilities through shared resources and member-owned generation facilities. Our work in 2010 has put us in a position to maintain the strong, locally controlled public power advantage that is so beneficial to our communities and to embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead.
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