WEC Energy Group 10-K 2021-12-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

OR

For the transition period from ________________ to ___________________

Commission File Number						Registrant; State of Incorporation; Address; and Telephone Number						IRS Employer Identification No.
001-09057						WEC ENERGY GROUP, INC.						39-1391525

(A Wisconsin Corporation)

231 West Michigan Street

P.O. Box 1331

Milwaukee, WI 53201

(414) 221-2345

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of

the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.

7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the common stock of WEC Energy Group, Inc. held by non-affiliates was $28.1 billion based upon the reported closing price of such securities as of June 30, 2021.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date (January 31, 2022):

Common Stock, $.01 par value, 315,434,531 shares outstanding

Documents incorporated by reference:

Portions of WEC Energy Group, Inc.'s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for its Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be held on May 5, 2022, are incorporated by reference into Part III hereof.

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WEC ENERGY GROUP, INC.

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

For the Year Ended December 31, 2021

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

The abbreviations and terms set forth below are used throughout this report and have the meanings assigned to them below:

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CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

In this report, we make statements concerning our expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, strategies, and future events or performance. These statements are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period or periods or by the use of terms such as "anticipates," "believes," "could," "estimates," "expects," "forecasts," "goals," "guidance," "intends," "may," "objectives," "plans," "possible," "potential," "projects," "seeks," "should," "targets," "will," or variations of these terms.

Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements concerning management's expectations and projections regarding earnings, completion of capital projects, sales and customer growth, rate actions and related filings with regulatory authorities, environmental and other regulations, including associated compliance costs, legal proceedings, dividend payout ratios, effective tax rates, pension and OPEB plans, fuel costs, sources of electric energy supply, coal and natural gas deliveries, remediation costs, climate-related matters, our ESG Progress Plan, liquidity and capital resources, and other matters.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include those described in Item 1A. Risk Factors and those identified below:

• Factors affecting utility operations such as catastrophic weather-related damage, including climate change, environmental incidents, unplanned facility outages and repairs and maintenance, and electric transmission or natural gas pipeline system constraints;

• Factors affecting the demand for electricity and natural gas, including political or regulatory developments, varying, adverse, or unusually severe weather conditions, including climate change, changes in economic conditions, customer growth and declines, commodity prices, energy conservation efforts, and continued adoption of distributed generation by customers;

• The timing, resolution, and impact of rate cases and negotiations, including recovery of deferred and current costs and the ability to earn a reasonable return on investment, and other regulatory decisions impacting our regulated operations;

• The impact of health pandemics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, on our business functions, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations;

• The impact of recent and future federal, state, and local legislative and/or regulatory changes, including changes in rate-setting policies or procedures, the expiration and non-renewal of the QIP rider, deregulation and restructuring of the electric and/or natural gas utility industries, transmission or distribution system operation, the approval process for new construction, reliability standards, pipeline integrity and safety standards, allocation of energy assistance, energy efficiency mandates, and tax laws, including those that affect our ability to use PTCs and ITCs;

• Federal and state legislative and regulatory changes relating to the environment, including climate change and other environmental regulations impacting generation facilities and renewable energy standards, the enforcement of these laws and regulations, changes in the interpretation of regulations or permit conditions by regulatory agencies, and the recovery of associated remediation and compliance costs;

• The ability to obtain and retain customers, including wholesale customers, due to increased competition in our electric and natural gas markets from retail choice and alternative electric suppliers, and continued industry consolidation;

• The timely completion of capital projects within budgets and the ability to recover the related costs through rates;

• The risk of delays and shortages, and increased costs of equipment, materials, or other resources that are critical to our business operations and corporate strategy, as a result of supply chain disruptions, future inflation, and other factors;

• Factors affecting the implementation of our CO2 emission and/or methane emission reduction goals and opportunities and actions related to those goals, including related regulatory decisions, the cost of materials, supplies, and labor, technology advances, the feasibility of competing generation projects, and our ability to execute our capital plan;

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• The financial and operational feasibility of taking more aggressive action to further reduce GHG emissions in order to limit future global temperature increases;

• The risks associated with inflation and changing commodity prices, including natural gas and electricity;

• The availability and cost of sources of natural gas and other fossil fuels, purchased power, materials needed to operate environmental controls at our electric generating facilities, or water supply due to high demand, shortages, transportation problems, nonperformance by electric energy or natural gas suppliers under existing power purchase or natural gas supply contracts, or other developments;

• Changes in credit ratings, interest rates, and our ability to access the capital markets, caused by volatility in the global credit markets, our capitalization structure, and market perceptions of the utility industry, us, or any of our subsidiaries;

• Changes in the method of determining LIBOR or the replacement of LIBOR with an alternative reference rate;

• Costs and effects of litigation, administrative proceedings, investigations, settlements, claims, and inquiries;

• The direct or indirect effect on our business resulting from terrorist attacks and cyber security intrusions, as well as the threat of such incidents, including the failure to maintain the security of personally identifiable information, the associated costs to protect our utility assets, technology systems, and personal information, and the costs to notify affected persons to mitigate their information security concerns and to comply with state notification laws;

• Restrictions imposed by various financing arrangements and regulatory requirements on the ability of our subsidiaries to transfer funds to us in the form of cash dividends, loans or advances, that could prevent us from paying our common stock dividends, taxes, and other expenses, and meeting our debt obligations;

• The risk of financial loss, including increases in bad debt expense, associated with the inability of our customers, counterparties, and affiliates to meet their obligations;

• Changes in the creditworthiness of the counterparties with whom we have contractual arrangements, including participants in the energy trading markets and fuel suppliers and transporters;

• The financial performance of ATC and its corresponding contribution to our earnings;

• The investment performance of our employee benefit plan assets, as well as unanticipated changes in related actuarial assumptions, which could impact future funding requirements;

• Factors affecting the employee workforce, including loss of key personnel, internal restructuring, work stoppages, and collective bargaining agreements and negotiations with union employees;

• Advances in technology, and related legislation or regulation supporting the use of that technology, that result in competitive disadvantages and create the potential for impairment of existing assets;

• Risks related to our non-utility renewable energy facilities, including unfavorable weather, the ability to replace expiring long-term PPAs under acceptable terms, and the availability of reliable interconnection and electricity grids;

• The risk associated with the values of goodwill, other intangible assets, long-lived assets, and equity method investments, and their possible impairment;

• Potential business strategies to acquire and dispose of assets or businesses, which cannot be assured to be completed timely or within budgets, and legislative or regulatory restrictions or caps on non-utility acquisitions, investments or projects, including the State of Wisconsin's public utility holding company law;

• The timing and outcome of any audits, disputes, and other proceedings related to taxes;

• The effect of accounting pronouncements issued periodically by standard-setting bodies; and

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• Other considerations disclosed elsewhere herein and in other reports we file with the SEC or in other publicly disseminated written documents.

Except as may be required by law, we expressly disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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PART I

A. INTRODUCTION

In this report, when we refer to "WEC Energy Group," "the Company," "us," "we," "our," or "ours," we are referring to WEC Energy Group, Inc. and all of its subsidiaries. The term "utility" refers to the regulated activities of the electric and natural gas utility companies, while the term "non-utility" refers to the activities of the electric and natural gas companies that are not regulated, as well as We Power and Bluewater. The term "nonregulated" refers to activities at WECI, which holds interests in several wind generating facilities, WEC Energy Group holding company, the Integrys holding company, the PELLC holding company, Wispark, Wisvest, WECC, WBS, and PDL. References to "Notes" are to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

For more information about our business operations, see Note 22, Segment Information, and Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations. For information about our business strategy, see Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Corporate Developments.

WEC Energy Group, Inc.

We were incorporated in the state of Wisconsin in 1981 and became a diversified holding company in 1986. We maintain our principal executive offices in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On June 29, 2015, we acquired 100% of the outstanding common shares of Integrys and changed our name to WEC Energy Group, Inc. Our wholly owned subsidiaries provide or invest in regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable energy, as well as nonregulated renewable energy. We have an approximately 60% equity interest in ATC (an electric transmission company operating in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin). At December 31, 2021, we had six reportable segments, which are discussed below. For additional information about our reportable segments, see Note 22, Segment Information.

Available Information

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports are made available on our website, www.wecenergygroup.com, free of charge, as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov.

Investors should note that WEC Energy Group announces material financial information in SEC filings, press releases, and public conference calls. In accordance with SEC guidelines, WEC Energy Group also uses the "Investors" tab on its website, www.wecenergygroup.com to communicate with investors. It is possible that the financial and other information posted there could be deemed material information. The information on WEC Energy Group's website is not part of this document.

B. UTILITY ENERGY OPERATIONS

Wisconsin Segment

The Wisconsin segment includes the electric and natural gas utility operations of WE, WPS, WG, and UMERC.

Electric Utility Operations

For the periods presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, our electric utility operations included operations of WE, WPS, and UMERC.

• WE generates and distributes electric energy to customers located in southeastern Wisconsin (including the metropolitan Milwaukee area), east central Wisconsin, and northern Wisconsin. WE also served an iron ore mine customer, Tilden, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, through March 31, 2019 when Tilden became a customer of UMERC. In 2021, WE's consolidated revenues also include securitization revenues collected from customers as servicer of environmental control property owned by

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its subsidiary WEPCo Environmental Trust. For more information on WEPCo Environmental Trust, see Note 23, Variable Interest Entities.

• WPS generates and distributes electric energy to customers located in northeastern and central Wisconsin.

• UMERC generates and distributes electric energy to customers located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. UMERC began generating electricity when its new natural gas-fired generation achieved commercial operation on March 31, 2019.

Operating Revenues

For information about our operating revenues disaggregated by customer class for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, see Note 4, Operating Revenues.

Electric Sales

Our electric energy deliveries included supply and distribution sales to retail, wholesale, and resale customers, and distribution sales to those customers who switched to an alternative electric supplier in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In 2021, retail revenues accounted for 91.8% of total electric operating revenues, wholesale revenues accounted for 3.5% of total electric operating revenues, and resale revenues accounted for 3.6% of total electric operating revenues. See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations – Wisconsin Segment Contribution to Net Income Attributed to Common Shareholders for information on MWh sales by customer class.

Our electric utilities are authorized to provide retail electric service in designated territories in the state of Wisconsin, as established by indeterminate permits and boundary agreements with other utilities, and in certain territories in the state of Michigan pursuant to franchises granted by municipalities.

Our electric utilities buy and sell wholesale electric power by participating in the MISO Energy Markets. The cost of our individual generation offered into the MISO Energy Markets compared to our competitors affects how often our generating units are dispatched and whether we buy or sell power, based on our customers' needs. We provide wholesale electric service to various customers, including electric cooperatives, municipal joint action agencies, other investor-owned utilities, municipal utilities, and energy marketers. For more information, see E. Regulation.

The majority of our sales for resale are sold into an energy market operated by MISO at market rates based on the availability of our generation and market demand. Retail fuel costs are reduced by the amount that revenue exceeds the costs of sales derived from these opportunity sales.

Steam Sales

WE has a steam utility that generates, distributes, and sells steam supplied by the VAPP to customers in metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Steam is used by customers for processing, space heating, domestic hot water, and humidification. Annual sales of steam fluctuate from year to year based on system growth and variations in weather conditions.

Electric Sales Forecast

Our service territory experienced higher weather-normalized retail electric sales in 2021, as compared with 2020, due to a partial recovery from the impact of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We currently forecast retail electric sales volumes, excluding the Tilden mine located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, to grow between 0.5% and 1.0% over the next five years, assuming normal weather. Electric peak demand is expected to be flat over the next five years.

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Customers

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We are subject to a variety of risks, many of which are beyond our control, that may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. You should carefully consider the following risk factors, as well as the other information included in this report and other documents filed by us with the SEC from time to time, when making an investment decision.

Risks Related to Legislation and Regulation

Our business is significantly impacted by governmental regulation and oversight.

We are subject to significant state, local, and federal governmental regulations, including regulations by the various utility commissions in the states where we serve customers. These regulations significantly influence our operating environment, may affect our ability to recover costs from utility customers, and cause us to incur substantial compliance and other costs. Changes in regulations, interpretations of regulations, or the imposition of new regulations could also significantly impact us, including requiring us to change our business operations. Many aspects of our operations are regulated and impacted by government regulation, including, but not limited to: the rates we charge our retail electric, natural gas, and steam customers; the authorized rates of return of our utilities; construction and operation of electric generating facilities and electric and natural gas distribution systems, including the ability to recover such costs; decommissioning generating facilities, the ability to recover the related costs, and continuing to recover the return on the net book value of these facilities; wholesale power service practices; electric reliability requirements and accounting; participation in the interstate natural gas pipeline capacity market; standards of service; issuance of securities; short-term debt obligations; transactions with affiliates; and billing practices. Failure to comply with any applicable rules or regulations may lead to customer refunds, penalties, and other payments, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.

The rates, including adjustments determined under riders, we are allowed to charge our customers for retail and wholesale services have the most significant impact on our financial condition, results of operations, and liquidity. Rate regulation provides us an opportunity to recover prudently incurred costs and earn a reasonable rate of return on invested capital. However, our ability to obtain rate adjustments in the future is dependent upon regulatory action, and there is no assurance that our regulators will consider all of our costs to have been prudently incurred. In addition, our rate proceedings may not always result in rates that fully recover our costs or provide for a reasonable ROE. We defer certain costs and revenues as regulatory assets and liabilities for future recovery from or refund to customers, as authorized by our regulators. Future recovery of regulatory assets is not assured and is subject to review and approval by our regulators. If recovery of regulatory assets is not approved or is no longer deemed probable, these costs would be recognized in current period expense and could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.

The QIP rider provides PGL with recovery of, and a return on, qualifying natural gas infrastructure investments that are placed in service between regulatory rate reviews. Infrastructure investments under the QIP rider earn a return at the applicable weighted average cost of capital. Without legislative action, the QIP rider will sunset after December 2023. If the QIP rider is not extended or there is no other regulatory change, PGL will be subject to regulatory lag on its natural gas infrastructure investments that are placed in service between regulatory rate reviews, which could have a material adverse impact on PGL’s, and correspondingly our, results of operations, financial position, and liquidity.

We believe we have obtained the necessary permits, approvals, authorizations, certificates, and licenses for our existing operations, have complied in all material respects with all of their associated terms, and that our businesses are conducted in accordance with applicable laws. These permits, approvals, authorizations, certificates, and licenses may be revoked or modified by the agencies that granted them if facts develop that differ significantly from the facts assumed when they were issued. In addition, discharge permits and other approvals and licenses are often granted for a term that is less than the expected life of the associated facility. Licenses and permits may require periodic renewal, which may result in additional requirements being imposed by the granting agency. In addition, existing regulations may be revised or reinterpreted by federal, state, and local agencies, or these agencies may adopt new laws and regulations that apply to us. We cannot predict the impact on our business and operating results of any such actions by these agencies.

If we are unable to recover costs of complying with regulations or other associated costs in customer rates in a timely manner, or if we are unable to obtain, renew, or comply with these governmental permits, approvals, authorizations, certificates, or licenses, our results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

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We face significant costs to comply with existing and future environmental laws and regulations.

Our operations are subject to extensive and evolving federal, state, and local environmental laws, regulations, and permit requirements related to, among other things, air emissions (including, but not limited to: CO2, methane, mercury, SO2, and NOx), protection of natural resources, water quality, wastewater discharges, and management of hazardous and toxic substances and solid wastes and soils. For example, the EPA adopted and implemented (or is in the process of implementing) regulations governing the emission of NOx, ozone, fine particulates, and other air pollutants under the CAA through the NAAQS, climate change regulations, New Source Performance Standards for GHG emissions from new, modified, and reconstructed fossil-fueled power plants, and other air quality regulations. The EPA also finalized regulations under the Clean Water Act that govern cooling water intake structures at our power plants and revised the effluent guidelines for steam electric generating plants. Several of these rules are being challenged or reviewed by agencies under the Biden Administration's Executive Order 13990, which creates additional uncertainty. As a result of these challenges and reviews, existing environmental laws and regulations may be revised or new laws or regulations may be adopted at the federal, state, or local level.

We incur significant capital and operating resources to comply with these environmental laws, regulations, and requirements, including costs associated with the installation of pollution control equipment; operating restrictions on our facilities; and environmental monitoring, emissions fees, and permits at our facilities. The operation of emission control equipment and compliance with rules regulating our intake and discharge of water could also increase our operating costs and reduce the generating capacity of our power plants. These regulations may create substantial additional costs in the form of taxes or emission allowances and could affect the availability and/or cost of fossil fuels and our ability to continue operating certain generating units. Failure to comply with these laws, regulations, and requirements, even if caused b

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None.

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We own our principal properties outright. However, the major portion of our electric utility distribution lines, steam utility distribution mains, and natural gas utility distribution mains and services are located on or under streets and highways, 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, 2021:

(1) Capacity for our electric generation facilities, other than wind and solar generating facilities, is based on rated capacity, which is the net power output under average operating conditions with equipment in an average state of repair as of a given month in a given year. Values are primarily based on the net dependable expected capacity ratings for summer 2022 established by tests and may change slightly from year to year. 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. Capacity for wind generating facilities is based on nameplate capacity, which is the amount of energy a turbine should produce at optimal wind speeds. Capacity for solar generating facilities is based on nameplate capacity, which is the maximum output that a generator should produce at continuous full power.

(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 27.5% ownership interest in Columbia.

• WPS operates the Weston 4 facility and holds a 70.0% ownership interest in this facility. Dairyland Power Cooperative, an unaffiliated energy cooperative, holds the remaining 30.0% interest.

• Badger Hollow I is jointly owned by WPS and Madison Gas and Electric Company, an unaffiliated utility. WPS holds a 66.7% ownership interest in this facility and Madison Gas and Electric Company owns the remaining 33.3%.

• Two Creeks is jointly owned by WPS and Madison Gas and Electric Company, an unaffiliated utility. WPS holds a 66.7% ownership interest in this facility and Madison Gas and Electric Company owns the remaining 33.3%.

• Forward Wind is jointly owned by WPS along with Wisconsin Power and Light Company and Madison Gas and Electric Company, two unaffiliated utilities. WPS holds a 44.6% ownership interest in this facility and the unaffiliated utilities collectively own the remaining 55.4%.

(3) This facility is jointly owned by We Power and two other unaffiliated entities. Our share of capacity is equal to We Power's ownership interest of 83.34%.

(4) These facilities are part of the Company's non-utility energy infrastructure segment. See B. Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure Segment below.

(5) All of our hydroelectric facilities follow FERC guidelines and/or regulations.

(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 and Petenwell is 7.0 MW and 10.3 MW, respectively.

(7) WE has a biomass power plant that uses wood waste and wood shavings to produce electric power as well as steam to support the paper mill's operations. Fuel for the power plant is supplied by both the paper mill and through contracts with biomass suppliers. The plant also has the ability to burn natural gas if wood waste and wood shavings are not available.

As of December 31, 2021, we operated approximately 35,800 miles of overhead distribution lines and approximately 35,600 miles of underground distribution cable, as well as approximately 440 electric distribution substations and approximately 510,500 line transformers.

Natural Gas Facilities

At December 31, 2021, our natural gas properties were located in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan, and consisted of the following:

• Approximately 50,900 miles of natural gas distribution mains,

• Approximately 1,200 miles of natural gas transmission mains,

• Approximately 2.3 million natural gas lateral services,

• Approximately 500 natural gas distribution and transmission gate stations,

• Approximately 68.2 Bcf of working gas capacities in underground natural gas storage fields:

◦Bluewater, 26.5 Bcf of fields located in southeastern Michigan,

◦Manlove, a 38.8 Bcf field located in central Illinois,

◦Partello, a 2.9 Bcf field located in southern Michigan,

• A 2.0 Bcf LNG plant located in central Illinois,

• A peak-shaving facility that can store the equivalent of approximately 80 MDth in liquefied petroleum gas located in Illinois,

• Peak propane air systems providing approximately 2,960 Dth per day, and

• LNG 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 Alliance Pipeline, ANR Pipeline Company, Centra Pipelines, Bison Pipeline, Consumers Energy, DTE Gas Company, Great Lakes Transmission Company, Guardian Pipeline L.L.C., Interstate Power and Light Company, Kinder Morgan Illinois Pipeline, Midwestern Gas Pipeline Company, Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America, Nicor Gas, Northern Border Pipeline Company, Northern Natural Gas Company, Northwest Gas of Cottonwood County, LLC, Northwestern Energy, Panhandle Gas Transmission, SEMCO, Trunkline Gas Pipeline, Union Gas, Vector Pipeline Company, and Viking Gas Transmission. Our LNG storage plants convert and store, in liquefied form, natural gas received during periods of low consumption.

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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, 2021, 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.

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

The non-utility energy infrastructure segment includes We Power, Bluewater, and WECI. We Power and Bluewater 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 primarily to WE, WPS, and WG, and also provides these same services to several unaffiliated companies. WECI has ownership interests in six wind generating facilities. For more information on recent and pending wind facility acquisitions, see Note 2, Acquisitions.

The following table summarizes information on WECI's wind generating facilities as of December 31, 2021:

(1) Nameplate capacity is the amount of energy a turbine should produce at optimal wind speeds.

The following should be read in conjunction with Note 24, Commitments and Contingencies, and Note 26, Regulatory Environment, in this report for additional information on material legal proceedings and matters related to us and our subsidiaries.

In addition to those legal proceedings discussed in Note 24, Commitments and Contingencies, Note 26, Regulatory Environment, and below, we are currently, and from time to time, subject to claims and suits arising in the ordinary course of business. Although the results of these additional legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes, after consultation with legal counsel, that the ultimate resolution of these proceedings will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

Environmental Matters

Manlove Field Matter

In September 2017, the IDNR, Office of Oil and Gas Resource Management, issued a VN to PGL related to a leak of natural gas from a well located at the PGL Manlove Gas Storage Field in December 2016. PGL quickly shut down and permanently plugged the well to

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contain the leak after it was discovered. The leak resulted in the migration of natural gas from the well to the Mahomet Aquifer located in central Illinois and impacted residential freshwater wells. PGL has been working with residents potentially impacted by the natural gas leak, and the Illinois state agencies to investigate and remediate the impacts of the natural gas leak to the Mahomet Aquifer. In October 2017, the Illinois AG filed a complaint against PGL alleging certain violations of the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and the Oil and Gas Act. PGL entered into an Agreed Interim Order with the State of Illinois in October 2017 and a First Amended Agreed Interim Order in September 2019 whereby PGL agreed, among other things, to continue actions it was already undertaking proactively, including the submittal of a GMZ application to the IEPA. A supplemental filing was sent to the IEPA in December 2019. In September 2020, the IEPA sent PGL a letter conditionally approving the GMZ application. During late 2020 and throughout 2021, PGL has taken steps to implement the requirements of the approved GMZ project.

In addition, in December 2017, the IEPA issued a VN to PGL alleging the same violations as the AG. Lastly, in January 2018, the IEPA issued a VN alleging certain violations of Illinois air emission rules arising from the construction and operation of flaring equipment at the leak site. Both of the IEPA VN matters have been referred to the AG for enforcement.

In the complaint, as is customary in these types of actions, the AG cited to the statutory penalties allowed by law. Ultimately, the pursuit of any civil penalties is at the AG’s discretion. In the event the AG pursues penalties in connection with a final order, we believe that PGL's high level of cooperation and quick action to remedy the situation and to work with the potentially impacted homeowners would be taken into account. At this time, we believe that civil penalties, if any, will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

Not applicable.

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INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

The names, ages, and positions of our executive officers are listed below along with their business experience during the past five years. All officers are appointed until they resign, die, or are removed pursuant to our Bylaws. There are no family relationships among these officers, nor is there any agreement or understanding between any officer and any other person pursuant to which the officer was selected.

Joshua M. Erickson. Age 49

• WEC Business Services (a centralized service company of WEC Energy Group) – Vice President and Deputy General Counsel since August 2021. Director-Legal Services – Corporate and Finance from June 2015 through July 2021.

Robert M. Garvin. Age 55.

• WEC Energy Group — Executive Vice President - External Affairs since June 2015.

• WEC Business Services (a centralized service company of WEC Energy Group) – Executive Vice President - External Affairs since January 2019.

• WE — Executive Vice President - External Affairs from June 2015 through December 2018.

William J. Guc. Age 52.

• WEC Energy Group — Controller since October 2015. Vice President since June 2015.

• WE — Vice President and Controller since October 2015. Assistant Corporate Secretary since January 2020.

Margaret C. Kelsey. Age 57.

• WEC Energy Group — Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary and General Counsel since January 2018. Executive Vice President from September 2017 to January 2018.

• WE — Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretary and General Counsel since January 2018. Director since January 2018.

• Modine Manufacturing Company – General Counsel, Corporate Secretary, and Vice President - Legal from April 2008 to August 2017. Vice President - Corporate Communications from April 2014 to August 2017. Modine Manufacturing Company is a manufacturer of thermal management systems and components.

Gale E. Klappa. Age 71.

• WEC Energy Group — Executive Chairman since February 2019. Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from October 2017 to February 2019, and from May 2004 to May 2016. Non-Executive Chairman of the Board from May 2016 to October 2017. President from April 2003 to August 2013. Director since December 2003.

• WE — Director since January 2018, and from December 2003 to May 2016. Chairman of the Board from January 2018 to February 2019, and from May 2004 to May 2016. Chief Executive Officer from January 2018 to February 2019, and from August 2003 to May 2016. President from April 2003 to June 2015.

Daniel P. Krueger. Age 56.

• WEC Business Services (a centralized service company of WEC Energy Group) — Executive Vice President - WEC Infrastructure since January 2019. Executive Vice President from November 2018 to January 2019.

• WE — Senior Vice President - Wholesale Energy and Fuels from June 2015 to November 2018.

Scott J. Lauber. Age 56.

• WEC Energy Group — President and Chief Executive Officer since February 1, 2022. Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer from June 2020 to January 31, 2022. Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from October 2019 to June 2020. Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from February 2019 to October 2019. Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from October 2018 to February 2019. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from April 2016 to October 2018. Vice President and Treasurer from February 2013 to March 2016. Director since February 1, 2022.

• WE — Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer since February 1, 2022. President since January 1, 2022. Executive Vice President from June 2020 to December 31, 2021. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from October 2019 to June 2020, and from April 2016 to October 2018. Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from October 2018 to October 2019. Vice President and Treasurer from February 2013 to March 2016. Director since April 2016.

Xia Liu. Age 52.

• WEC Energy Group — Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since June 2020.

• WE — Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since June 2020. Director since June 2020.

• CenterPoint Energy, Inc. — Senior Advisor from April 2020 to May 2020. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer from April 2019 to April 2020. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. is a public utility holding company whose operating subsidiaries provide electric and natural gas service to customers in parts of the South and Midwest.

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• Georgia Power Company — Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from October 2017 to April 2019. Georgia Power Company is a utility subsidiary of The Southern Company that provides electric service to customers throughout Georgia.

• Gulf Power Company — Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer from July 2015 to October 2017. Gulf Power Company, previously a utility subsidiary of The Southern Company, serves customers in northwest Florida.

William Mastoris. Age 58.

• WEC Business Services (a centralized service company of WEC Energy Group) – Executive Vice President – Customer Service and Operations since December 2021. Vice President – Supply Chain and Fleet from January 2019 through November 2021. Director since November 2021.

• WE – Executive Vice President – Customer Service and Operations since December 2021. Vice President – Supply Chain and Fleet from June 2015 through December 2018. Director since November 2021.

Charles R. Matthews. Age 65.

• PELLC — President since June 2015.

• PGL — Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer since June 2015.

• NSG — Director, President, and Chief Executive Officer since June 2015.

Molly A. Mulroy. Age 46.

• WEC Business Services (a centralized service company of WEC Energy Group) – Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer since August 2021. Vice President and Chief Information Officer from January 2019 through July 2021. Director since November 2021.

• WE – Vice President and Chief Information Officer from June 2015 through December 2018.

Anthony L. Reese. Age 40.

• WEC Energy Group — Vice President and Treasurer since October 2019.

• WE — Vice President and Treasurer since October 2019.

• PGL – Controller - Illinois from September 2015 to September 2019.

Mary Beth Straka. Age 57.

• WEC Energy Group — Senior Vice President - Corporate Communications and Investor Relations since June 2015.

Certain executive officers also hold officer and/or director positions at WEC Energy Group's other significant subsidiaries.

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PART II

Number of Common Shareholders

As of December 31, 2021, based upon the number of WEC Energy Group shareholder accounts (including accounts in our stock purchase and dividend reinvestment plan), we had approximately 39,000 registered shareholders.

Common Stock Listing and Trading

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "WEC."

Common Stock Dividends of WEC Energy Group

We review our dividend policy on a regular basis. Subject to any regulatory restrictions or other limitations on the payment of dividends, future dividends will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon, among other factors, earnings, financial condition, and other requirements. For more information on our dividends, including restrictions on the ability of our subsidiaries to pay us dividends, see Note 11, Common Equity.

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CORPORATE DEVELOPMENTS

Introduction

We are a diversified holding company with natural gas and electric utility operations (serving customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Minnesota), an approximately 60% equity ownership interest in American Transmission Company LLC (ATC) (a for-profit electric transmission company regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and certain state regulatory commissions), and non-utility energy infrastructure operations through W.E. Power LLC (which owns generation assets in Wisconsin), Bluewater Natural Gas Holding LLC (which owns underground natural gas storage facilities in Michigan), and WEC Infrastructure LLC (WECI), which holds ownership interests in several wind generating facilities.

Corporate Strategy

Our goal is to continue to build and sustain long-term value for our shareholders and customers by focusing on the fundamentals of our business: environmental stewardship; reliability; operating efficiency; financial discipline; exceptional customer care; and safety. Our capital investment plan for efficiency, sustainability and growth, referred to as our ESG Progress Plan, provides a roadmap for us to achieve this goal. It is an aggressive plan to cut emissions, maintain superior reliability, deliver significant savings for customers, and grow our investment in the future of energy.

Throughout our strategic planning process, we take into account important developments, risks and opportunities, including new technologies, customer preferences and affordability, energy resiliency efforts, and sustainability. We published the results of a priority sustainability issue assessment in 2020, identifying the issues that are most important to our company and its stakeholders over the short and long terms. Our risk and priority assessments have formed our direction as a company.

Creating a Sustainable Future

Our ESG Progress Plan includes the retirement of older, fossil-fueled generation, to be replaced with zero-carbon-emitting renewables and clean natural gas-fired generation. When taken together, the retirements and new investments should better balance our supply with our demand, while maintaining reliable, affordable energy for our customers. The retirements will contribute to meeting our goals to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from our electric generation.

In May 2021, we announced goals to achieve reductions in carbon emissions from our electric generation fleet by 60% by 2025 and by 80% by 2030, both from a 2005 baseline. We expect to achieve these goals by making operating refinements, retiring less efficient generating units, and executing our capital plan. Over the longer term, the target for our generation fleet is net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.

As part of our path toward these goals, we are exploring co-firing with natural gas at our ERGS coal-fired units. By the end of 2030, we expect our use of coal will account for less than 5% of the power we supply to our customers, and we believe we will be in a position to eliminate coal as an energy source by 2035.

We already have retired more than 1,800 megawatts (MW) of coal-fired generation since the beginning of 2018, which included the 2019 retirement of the Presque Isle power plant as well as the 2018 retirements of the Pleasant Prairie power plant, the Pulliam power plant, and the jointly-owned Edgewater Unit 4 generating units. See Note 6, Regulatory Assets and Liabilities, for more information related to these power plant retirements. Through our ESG Progress Plan, we expect to retire approximately 1,600 MW of additional fossil-fueled generation by 2025, which includes the planned retirements in 2023-2024 of Oak Creek Power Plant Units 5-8 and the jointly-owned Columbia Units 1-2.

In addition to retiring these older, fossil-fueled plants, we expect to invest approximately $3.5 billion from 2022-2026 in regulated renewable energy in Wisconsin. Our plan is to replace a portion of the retired capacity by building and owning zero-carbon-emitting renewable generation facilities that are anticipated to include the following new investments:

• 1,400 MW of utility-scale solar;

• 800 MW of battery storage; and

• 100 MW of wind.

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We also plan on investing in a combination of clean, natural gas-fired generation, including:

• 100 MW of reciprocating internal combustion engine (RICE) natural gas-fueled generation;

• the planned purchase of up to 200 MW of capacity in the West Riverside Energy Center – a new, combined-cycle natural gas plant completed by Alliant Energy in Wisconsin; and

• the planned purchase of the Whitewater Cogeneration Facility, a natural gas-fired combined cycle electric generating facility with a capacity of 236.5 MW.

The new investments discussed above are in addition to the renewable projects currently underway. For more details, see Liquidity and Capital Resources – Cash Requirements – Significant Capital Projects.

In addition, we previously received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to invest in 300 MW of utility-scale solar within our Wisconsin segment. Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS) has partnered with an unaffiliated utility to construct two solar projects now in service in Wisconsin: Two Creeks Solar Park (Two Creeks) and Badger Hollow Solar Park I (Badger Hollow I). WPS owns 100 MW of Two Creeks and 100 MW of Badger Hollow I for a total of 200 MW. Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WE) has partnered with an unaffiliated utility to construct Badger Hollow Solar Park II, which is expected to enter commercial operation in the first quarter of 2023. Once constructed, WE will own 100 MW of this project.

In December 2018, WE received approval from the PSCW for two renewable energy pilot programs. The Solar Now pilot is expected to add a total of 35 MW of solar generation to WE's portfolio, allowing non-profit and governmental entities, as well as commercial and industrial customers, to site utility owned solar arrays on their property. Under this program, WE has energized 21 Solar Now projects and currently has another three under construction, together totaling more than 27 MW. The second program, the Dedicated Renewable Energy Resource pilot, would allow large commercial and industrial customers to access renewable resources that WE would operate, adding up to 150 MW of renewables to WE's portfolio, and helping these larger customers meet their sustainability and renewable energy goals.

In August 2021, the PSCW approved pilot programs for WE and WPS to install and maintain electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment for customers at their homes or businesses. The programs provide direct benefits to customers by removing cost barriers associated with installing EV equipment. In October 2021, subject to the receipt of any necessary regulatory approvals, we pledged to expand the EV charging network within the service territories of our electric utilities. In doing so, we joined a coalition of utility companies in a unified effort to make EV charging convenient and widely available throughout the Midwest. The coalition we joined is planning to help build and grow EV charging corridors, enabling the general public to safely and efficiently charge their vehicles.

We also continue to reduce methane emissions by improving our natural gas distribution system. We set a target across our natural gas distribution operations to achieve net-zero methane emissions by the end of 2030. We plan to achieve our net-zero goal through an effort that includes both continuous operational improvements and equipment upgrades, as well as the use of renewable natural gas (RNG) throughout our utility systems. We recently signed our first contract for RNG for ou

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See Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Factors Affecting Results, Liquidity, and Capital Resources – Market Risks and Other Significant Risks, as well as Note 1(r), Fair Value Measurements, Note 1(s), Derivative Instruments, and Note 19, Guarantees, for information concerning potential market risks to which we are exposed.

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A. REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of WEC Energy Group, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of WEC Energy Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows, for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes and the schedules listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 24, 2022, expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Regulatory Assets and Liabilities – Impact of rate regulation on financial statements – Refer to Notes 6 and 26 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company’s regulated utilities are subject to regulation by various state and federal regulatory bodies (collectively the “Commissions”) which have jurisdiction with respect to the rates of electric and gas distribution companies in each respective state. Management has determined the Company meets the requirements under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America to prepare its financial statements applying the Regulated Operations Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Accounting Standard Codification.

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Rates are determined and approved in regulatory proceedings based on an analysis of the Company’s costs to provide utility service and a return on, and recovery of, the Company’s investment in the utility business. Regulatory decisions can have an impact on the recovery of costs, the rate of return earned on investment, and the timing and amount of assets to be recovered by rates. The Commissions’ regulation of rates is premised on the full recovery of prudently incurred costs and a reasonable rate of return on invested capital. Certain items that would otherwise be immediately recognized as revenues and expenses are deferred as regulatory assets and regulatory liabilities for future recovery or refund to customers, as authorized by the Company’s regulators. Future decisions of the Commissions will impact the accounting for regulated operations, including decisions about the amount of allowable costs and return on invested capital included in rates, and any refunds that may be required.

While the Company has indicated it expects to recover costs from customers through regulated rates, there is a risk that the Commissions will not approve: (1) full recovery of the costs of providing utility service, (2) full recovery of all amounts invested in the utility business and a reasonable return on that investment or (3) timely recovery of costs incurred. The Company had $3,367.1 million and $3,960.3 million of regulatory assets and liabilities, respectively, as of December 31, 2021.

We identified the impact of rate regulation as a critical audit matter due to the significant judgments made by management to support its assertions about impacted account balances and disclosures and the subjectivity involved in assessing the impact of future regulatory orders on the financial statements. Given that management’s accounting judgments can be based on assumptions about the outcome of future decisions by the Commissions, auditing these judgments required specialized knowledge of accounting for rate regulation and the rate setting process due to its inherent complexities.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our audit procedures related to the uncertainty of future decisions by the Commissions included the following procedures, among others:

• We tested the effectiveness of management’s controls over regulatory assets and liabilities, including management’s controls over the identification of costs recorded as regulatory assets and the monitoring and evaluation of regulatory developments that may affect the likelihood of recovering costs in future rates.

• We inquired of Company management and independently obtained and read: (1) relevant regulatory orders issued by the Commissions for the Company and other public utilities in each respective state, (2) company filings, (3) filings made by intervenors and (4) other publicly available information to assess the likelihood of recovery in future rates or of a future reduction in rates based on precedents of the Commissions’ treatment of similar costs under similar circumstances. To assess completeness, we evaluated the information obtained and compared it to management’s recorded regulatory asset and liability balances.

• For regulatory matters in process, we inspected the Company’s filings with the Commissions and the filings with the Commissions by intervenors that may impact the Company’s future rates, for any evidence that might contradict management’s assertions.

• We obtained

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None.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon such evaluation, our principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of the end of such period, our disclosure controls and procedures are effective: (i) in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, on a timely basis, information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act; and (ii) to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f). Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our principal executive officer and principal financial officer, we conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our and our subsidiaries' internal control over financial reporting based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on its evaluation, our management concluded that our and our subsidiaries' internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, even those systems determined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation and presentation. Also, projections of any evaluation of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting to future periods are subject to the risk that the controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) during the fourth quarter of 2021 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

For Deloitte & Touche LLP's Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, attesting to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting, see Section A of Item 8.

On February 21, 2022, WEC Energy Group and Scott J. Lauber, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, entered into a letter agreement, which was approved by the Compensation Committee. Pursuant to the terms of this agreement, WEC Energy Group will credit an annual contribution of $300,000 to a nonqualified account beginning February 21, 2022. So long as Mr. Lauber remains employed by WEC Energy Group, an additional $300,000 will be credited annually on February 1, until a maximum of 10 contributions have been made. In addition, the account will be credited with interest at a rate of 5.0% annually, which is equivalent to the interest crediting rate under WEC Energy Group's cash balance pension plan. The account vests upon the sixth contribution at which time Mr. Lauber will be 61, or upon Mr. Lauber's death or disability.

Not applicable.

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PART III

The information under "Proposal 1: Election of Directors – Terms Expiring in 2023 – 2022 Director Nominees for Election," "Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports," "Annual Meeting Attendance and Voting Information – Stockholder Nominees and Proposals," and "Governance – Board Committees – Audit and Oversight" in our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A to be filed with the SEC for our Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held May 5, 2022 (the "2022 Annual Meeting Proxy Statement") is incorporated herein by reference. Also see "Information about our Executive Officers" in Part I of this report.

We have adopted a written code of ethics, referred to as our Code of Business Conduct, with which all of our directors, executive officers, and employees, including the principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer, must comply with. We have posted our Code of Business Conduct on our website, www.wecenergygroup.com. We have not provided any waiver to the Code for any director, executive officer, or other employee. Any amendments to, or waivers for directors and executive officers from, the Code of Business Conduct will be disclosed on our website or in a current report on Form 8-K.

Our website, www.wecenergygroup.com, also contains our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters of our Audit and Oversight, Corporate Governance, and Compensation Committees.

Our Code of Business Conduct, Corporate Governance Guidelines, and committee charters are also available without charge to any shareholder of record or beneficial owner of our common stock by writing to the corporate secretary, Margaret C. Kelsey, at our principal business office, 231 West Michigan Street, P.O. Box 1331, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201.

The information under "Compensation Discussion and Analysis," "Executive Compensation Tables," "Governance – Director Compensation," and "Governance – Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation" in the 2022 Annual Meeting Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

The security ownership information called for by Item 12 of Form 10-K is incorporated herein by reference to this information included under "WEC Energy Group Common Stock Ownership" in the 2022 Annual Meeting Proxy Statement.

Equity Compensation Plan Information

The following table sets forth information about our equity compensation plans as of December 31, 2021:

(1) Includes shares available for future issuance under our Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan, all of which could be granted as awards of stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance units, restricted stock, or other stock based awards.

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The information under "Governance – Additional Governance Matters – Related Party Transactions," "Proposal 1: Election of Directors – Terms Expiring in 2023 – Board Composition – Independence," and "Governance – Board Committees" in the 2022 Annual Meeting Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference. A full description of the guidelines our Board uses to determine director independence is located in Appendix A of our Corporate Governance Guidelines, which can be found on the Corporate Governance section of our Company's website at www.wecenergygroup.com/govern/governance.htm.

The information regarding the fees paid to, and services performed by, our independent auditors and the pre-approval policy of our audit and oversight committee under "Independent Auditors' Fees and Services" in the 2022 Annual Meeting Proxy Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

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