MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WXPR) — The merger of two Wisconsin Energy companies today has formed a Fortune 400, with hopes to enter that top 300 list soon. As of today, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation of Green Bay has partnered with Milwaukee-based We Energies. They’ve acquired four natural gas utilities in Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois. The result is W-E-C Energy, but spokesperson Brian Manthey says your bill won’t look any different. “Actually there won’t be any change on the utility bill, won’t be any changes in terms of who they deal with for their utility. If they are an electric customer or natural gas customer of Wisconsin Public Service today, they’ll be customer of Wisconsin Public Service as well tomorrow.”
The utilities will continue to operate independently. The new parent company will focus on its natural gas business for the next few years as natural gas prices are relatively low. Manthey says the hope is that the merger will realize savings for those utilities and, ultimately, for customers.
Manthey says renewable energy will be a part of the overall resource planning for the company. We Energies has the two largest wind farms in the state of Wisconsin as well as the Rothschild biomass generation plant.
by Emily Bright, WXPR
