Wisconsin Public Service

Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) is a utility company and subsidiary of Integrys Energy Group covering northeastern and north central Wisconsin as well as the southern tip of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The company serves more than 429,000 electric and 311,000 natural gas customers within an 11,000-square-mile, 20-county service territory. WPS operates coal, natural-gas, and hydroelectric generating plants to produce electricity.

In September 1994, WPS became a subsidiary of WPS Resources Corporation, a holding company approved by shareholders in May 1994. Then in February 2007, WPS Resources Corporation became Integrys Energy Group.

History
WPS formed in 1883 as the Oshkosh Gas Light Company and incorporated as Wisconsin Public Service Corporation in 1922. In 1947, the Public Service Bayside Plant, near the mouth of the Fox River, was renamed the J.P. Pulliam Power Plant to honor the long-time president. WPS was first listed for trading on the New York and Midwest stock exchanges in 1953.

In 1954 the Weston Power Plant unit 1, at 60,000 KW and located near Wausau and Rothschild, went into service. It was the first steam generating plant to be built in Wisconsin Public Service territory, and the first to be constructed outside of Green Bay in 25 years. In 1975 Columbia unit 1, jointly owned by Wisconsin Public Service and Wisconsin Power and Light, went online.

In 1994 Wisconsin Public Service formed a holding company, named WPS Resources Corporation. A non-regulated energy services provider, WPS Energy Services, Inc., was also formed that year under the WPS Resources holding company, and would serve a growing number of customers in the Midwest and Northeastern U.S. and Canada.

In 1998 WPS Resources Corporation acquired Upper Peninsula Power Company. In March 2001 the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approved the merger of WPS Resources and Wisconsin Fuel and Light for 2001.

In 2002, to help meet growing electric demand, Wisconsin Public Service announced intentions to add a 500-megawatt coal-fired electric generator at the Weston Power Plant site.

In April 2006 WPS Resources completed the purchase of the Michigan gas operations of Aquila, Inc. WPS Resources named this new subsidiary Michigan Gas Utilities. In July 2006 WPS Resources completed the purchase of the Minnesota gas operations of Aquila, Inc. WPS Resources named this new subsidiary Minnesota Energy Resources. In Feb. 2007 WPS Resources Corporation completed its merger with Peoples Energy Corporation. WPS Resources changed its name to Integrys Energy Group, Inc. Regulated subsidiaries of Integrys Energy Group now include Wisconsin Public Service, Upper Peninsula Power, Michigan Gas Utilities, Minnesota Energy Resources, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. Its non-regulated subsidiary is Integrys Energy Services.

Existing Coal Plants
Wisconsin Public Service owns or partially owns the following coal-fired plants :


 * WPS and Coal has a 31% interest in Edgewater Generating Station, a coal-fired power station primarily owned and operated by Alliant Energy near Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
 * WPS and Coal has a 31% interest in Columbia Energy Center, a coal-fired plant in Portage, Wisconsin.

New Plants
WPS is the majority owner, constructor, and operator of the Weston Unit 4 power plant, of which Dairyland Power Cooperative has a 30 percent ownership interest. The plant achieved commercial operation on June 30, 2008. Construction on the $774 million project began in October 2004.

The newly constructed 525 MW power plant near Wausau, WI uses "clean coal" technology and low sulfur coal as fuel. The plant was designated as Power Magazine’s 2008 Plant of the Year.

Contact Information
Wisconsin Public Service P.O. Box 19001 Green Bay, WI 54307-9001 Phone: 877-444-0888 Website: http://www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/

Related SourceWatch Articles

 * Existing U.S. Coal Plants
 * Wisconsin and coal
 * Integrys
 * United States and coal
 * Global warming
 * Coal

External Articles
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