Company: WELPM
Filing Date: 2025-10-31
Form Type: 10-Q
Source: 0000107815-25-000207
Chunk: 71

Company: WISCONSIN ELECTRIC POWER CO
Filing Date: 2025-10-31
Form: 10-Q
Item: Part I, Item 1
Chunk 71
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iring with natural gas at the ERGS coal-fired units. WEC Energy Group expects to use coal only as a backup fuel by the end of 2030 and to be in a position to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2032. WEC Energy Group also continues to focus on methane emission reductions by improving and upgrading its natural gas distribution system and using RNG throughout its natural gas utility systems. In light of WEC Energy Group's progress, significant uncertainty surrounding the market for RTCs, and WEC Energy Group's desire to focus on long-term GHG emissions-reduction across the enterprise, in the third quarter of 2025, WEC Energy Group made a decision to reassess its previous, standalone goal related to methane emissions from natural gas distribution. Water QualityClean Water Act Cooling Water Intake Structure RuleRevisions to an EPA rule authorized under Section 316(b) of the CWA became effective in October 2014 and requires the location, design, construction, and capacity of cooling water intake structures at existing power plants reflect the BTA for minimizing adverse environmental impacts. The rule applies to all of our existing generating facilities with cooling water intake structures, except for the ERGS units, which were permitted and received a final BTA determination under the rules governing new facilities. Effective in June 2020, the requirements of Section 316(b) were incorporated into the Wisconsin Administrative Code. The WDNR applies this rule when establishing BTA requirements for cooling water intake structures at existing facilities. These BTA requirements are incorporated into WPDES permits for our facilities. We have received interim BTA determinations for all generation facilities where Section 316(b) is applicable. With respect to OCPP Units 7 and 8, we believe that in accordance with the requirements in the CWA, the WDNR will determine that existing technology (wet cooling towers) installed at the units represents BTA for minimizing adverse environmental impacts when the WPDES permit for those units is reissued, which is expected in 2026.Steam Electric Effluent Limitation GuidelinesThe EPA's 2015 final ELG rule, which took effect in January 2016 (2015 ELG rule), was modified in 2020 (2020 ELG rule), and again in May 2024 with the publication of the Supplemental ELG Rule. These rules establish federal technology-based requirements for several types of power plant wastewaters. The three requirements that affect us relate to wastewater discharge limits for BATW, FGD wastewater, and