Company: WELPM
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0000107815-25-000105
Chunk: 60

Company: WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER CO
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 60
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 legislation, IRS audits, or our inability to use certain tax benefits and carryforwards, may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows, as well as our credit ratings.

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 IRA, could require us to take material charges against earnings. Such changes include, among other things, increasing the federal corporate income tax rate, disallowing or limiting the 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. Under the IRA, a transferability option also allows us to sell these tax credits to third parties. This is a relatively new market that may require additional regulations and guidance from taxing authorities. 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. Any reductions or eliminations of tax credits or other governmental incentives that promote renewable energy generating facilities, including the repeal or amendment of portions of the IRA and the executive order issued by the new presidential administration, could make it less conducive for the development and operation of renewable energy facilities. In addition, a variety of operating and economic factors, including transmission constraints, adverse weather conditions, and breakdown or failure of equipment,