We own our principal properties outright, except the major portion of our electric utility distribution lines, steam utility distribution mains, and natural gas utility distribution mains and services are located, for the most part, on or under streets and highways, and on land owned by others and are generally subject to granted easements, consents, or permits.
A. REGULATED
Electric Facilities
The following table summarizes information on our electric generation facilities, including owned and jointly owned facilities, as of December 31, 2018:
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| Name | | Location | | Fuel | | Number of Generating Units | | | Rated Capacity In MW (1) | | |
| Coal-fired plants | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Columbia | | Portage, WI | | Coal | | 2 | | | 315 | | (2) |
| ERGS | | Oak Creek, WI | | Coal | | 2 | | | 1,057 | | (3) (4) |
| PIPP | | Marquette, MI | | Coal | | 5 | | | 353 | | (5) |
| OCPP | | Oak Creek, WI | | Coal | | 4 | | | 1,079 | | |
| Weston | | Rothschild, WI | | Coal | | 2 | | | 714 | | (2) |
| Total coal-fired plants | | | | | | 15 | | | 3,518 | | |
| Natural gas-fired plants | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Concord Combustion Turbines | | Watertown, WI | | Natural Gas/Oil | | 4 | | | 359 | | |
| De Pere Energy Center | | De Pere, WI | | Natural Gas/Oil | | 1 | | | 165 | | |
| Fox Energy Center | | Wrightstown, WI | | Natural Gas | | 3 | | | 567 | | |
| Germantown Combustion Turbines | | Germantown, WI | | Natural Gas/Oil | | 5 | | | 270 | | |
| Paris Combustion Turbines | | Union Grove, WI | | Natural Gas/Oil | | 4 | | | 360 | | |
| PWGS | | Port Washington, WI | | Natural Gas | | 2 | | | 1,232 | | (4) |
| Pulliam | | Green Bay, WI | | Natural Gas/Oil | | 1 | | | 80 | | |
| VAPP | | Milwaukee, WI | | Natural Gas | | 2 | | | 269 | | |
| West Marinette | | Marinette, WI | | Natural Gas/Oil | | 3 | | | 150 | | |
| Weston | | Rothschild, WI | | Natural Gas/Oil | | 3 | | | 138 | | |
| Total natural gas-fired plants | | | | | | 28 | | | 3,590 | | |
| Renewables | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Hydro Plants (30 in number) | | WI and MI | | Hydro | | 81 | | | 102 | | (6) |
| Rothschild Biomass Plant | | Rothschild, WI | | Biomass | | 1 | | | 46 | | |
| Blue Sky Green Field | | Fond du Lac, WI | | Wind | | 88 | | | 17 | | |
| Byron Wind Turbines | | Fond du Lac, WI | | Wind | | 2 | | | — | | |
| Crane Creek | | Howard County, IA | | Wind | | 66 | | | 17 | | |
| Glacier Hills | | Cambria, WI | | Wind | | 90 | | | 26 | | |
| Forward Wind Energy Center | | Fond du Lac County, WI | | Wind | | 86 | | | 9 | | (7) |
| Montfort Wind Energy Center | | Montfort, WI | | Wind | | 20 | | | 3 | | |
| Total renewables | | | | | | 434 | | | 220 | | |
| Total system | | | | | | 477 | | | 7,328 | | |
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| (1) | Values are primarily based on the net dependable capacity ratings for summer 2019 using historical generation. The summer period is the most relevant for capacity planning purposes. This is a result of continually reaching demand peaks in the summer months, primarily due to air conditioning demand. |
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| (2) | These facilities are jointly owned by WPS and various other utilities. The capacity indicated for each of these units is equal to WPS's portion of total plant capacity based on its percent of ownership. |
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| • | Wisconsin Power and Light Company, an unaffiliated utility, operates the Columbia units. WPS holds a 28.1% ownership interest in Columbia. See Note 7, Jointly Owned Utility Facilities, for more information on the decrease in WPS's ownership interest in the Columbia unit. |
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| 2018 Form 10-K | 35 | WEC Energy Group, Inc. |
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| • | WPS operates the Weston 4 facility and holds a 70.0% ownership interest in this facility. Dairyland Power Cooperative holds the remaining 30.0% interest. |
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| (3) | This facility is jointly owned by We Power and two other unaffiliated entities. The capacity indicated for the facility is equal to We Power's portion of total plant capacity based on its 83.34% ownership. |
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| (4) | These facilities are part of the Company's non-utility energy infrastructure segment. See B. Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure Segment below. |
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| (5) | We are required to retire the PIPP units during the second quarter of 2019. See Note 6, Property, Plant, and Equipment, for more information on the plant retirement. |
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| (6) | WRPC owns and operates the Castle Rock and Petenwell units. WPS holds a 50.0% ownership interest in WRPC and is entitled to 50.0% of the total capacity at Castle Rock and Petenwell. WPS's share of capacity for Castle Rock is 8.4 MW, and WPS's share of capacity for Petenwell is 10.2 MW. |
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| (7) | In April 2018, WPS, along with two other unaffiliated utilities, purchased Forward Wind Energy Center, which consists of 86 wind turbines located in Wisconsin with a total capacity of 138 MW. The capacity indicated for the facility is equal to WPS's portion of total plant capacity based on its 44.6% ownership. See Note 2, Acquisitions, for more information on the acquisition. |
As of December 31, 2018, we operated approximately 36,800 miles of overhead distribution lines and 33,300 miles of underground distribution cable, as well as approximately 500 electric distribution substations and 500,450 line transformers.
Natural Gas Facilities
At December 31, 2018, our natural gas properties were located in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, and consisted of the following:
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| • | Approximately 48,900 miles of natural gas distribution mains, |
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| • | Approximately 1,100 miles of natural gas transmission mains, |
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| • | Approximately 2.3 million natural gas lateral services, |
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| • | Approximately 520 natural gas distribution and transmission gate stations, |
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| • | Approximately 68.2 billion cubic feet of working gas capacities in underground natural gas storage fields: |
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| ◦ | Bluewater, 26.5 billion cubic feet of fields located in southeastern Michigan, |
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| ◦ | Manlove, a 38.8 billion-cubic-foot field located in central Illinois, |
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| ◦ | Partello, a 2.9 billion-cubic-foot field located in southern Michigan, |
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| • | A 2.0 billion-cubic-foot liquefied natural gas plant located in central Illinois, |
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| • | A peak-shaving facility that can store the equivalent of approximately 80 MDth in liquefied petroleum gas located in Illinois, |
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| • | Peak propane air systems providing approximately 2,960 Dth per day, and |
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| • | Liquefied natural gas storage plants with a total send-out capability of 73,600 Dth per day. |
Our natural gas distribution and gas storage systems included distribution mains and transmission mains connected to the pipeline transmission systems of ANR Pipeline Company, Centra Pipelines, Consumers Energy, Great Lakes Transmission Company, Guardian Pipeline L.L.C., Michigan Consolidated Gas Company, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, Northern Natural Pipeline Company, Union Gas, Vector Pipeline Company, and Viking Gas Transmission. Our liquefied natural gas storage plants convert and store, in liquefied form, natural gas received during periods of low consumption.
We also own office buildings, natural gas regulating and metering stations, and major service centers, including garage and warehouse facilities, in certain communities we serve. Where distribution lines and services, and natural gas distribution mains and services occupy private property, we have in some, but not all instances, obtained consents, permits, or easements for these installations from the apparent owners or those in possession of those properties, generally without an examination of ownership records or title.
Steam Facilities
As of December 31, 2018, the steam system supplied by the VAPP consisted of approximately 40 miles of both high pressure and low pressure steam piping, approximately four miles of walkable tunnels, and other pressure regulating equipment.
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| 2018 Form 10-K | 36 | WEC Energy Group, Inc. |
General
Substantially all of PGL's and NSG's properties are subject to the lien of the respective company's mortgage indenture for the benefit of bondholders.
B. NON-UTILITY ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE SEGMENT
Bluewater and We Power are considered non-utility energy infrastructure operations, however, their facilities are shown in the regulated section. We Power owns and leases generating facilities to WE. We Power's share of the ERGS units and both PWGS units are being leased to WE under long-term leases. Bluewater provides natural gas storage and hub services to WE, WG, and WPS.
In January 2019, we completed the acquisition of an 80% ownership interest in Upstream, a wind generation facility located in Antelope County, Nebraska. The Upstream site consists of 81 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 202.5 MW. See Note 2, Acquisitions, for more information.
In December 2018, we completed the acquisition of an 80% ownership interest in Coyote Ridge, a wind generation facility under construction in Brookings County, South Dakota. Coyote Ridge is expected to be in service by the end of 2019. The Coyote Ridge site will consist of 39 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 97.5 MW. See Note 2, Acquisitions, for more information.
In August 2018, we completed the acquisition of an 80% ownership interest in Bishop Hill III, which consists of 53 wind turbines located in Henry County, Illinois with a total capacity of 132 MW. In December 2018, we acquired an additional 10% membership interest in this wind farm. See Note 2, Acquisitions, for more information.
C. CORPORATE AND OTHER
As of December 31, 2018, the corporate and other segment facilities consisted of energy asset facilities owned by PDL.
The energy asset facilities owned by PDL include a portfolio of residential solar facilities and a portfolio of commercial and industrial solar facilities. The solar facilities consist of distributed solar projects ranging from small residential roof top systems up to commercial and industrial solar systems of 4.5 MW in size. The total capacity of these solar projects is 22.2 MW, a decrease from December 31, 2017 resulting from the sale of three PDL distributed commercial and industrial solar projects in 2018, including one that was jointly owned by PDL and Duke Energy Generation Services. These facilities were not significant to our operations.
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