Equity and Financing Arrangements	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Equity and Financing Arrangements Disclosure [Abstract]
Equity and Financing Arrangements	2. Equity and Financing Arrangements. a. Common Stock - MGE Energy. MGE Energy purchases stock in the open market for issuance pursuant to its Stock Plan. All MGE Energy common stock issued under the Stock Plan is sold pursuant to a registration statement that has been filed with the SEC and is currently effective. MGE Energy can issue new shares of its common stock through the Stock Plan. For both the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, MGE Energy did not issue any new shares of common stock under the Stock Plan. b. Dilutive Shares Calculation - MGE Energy. MGE Energy does not hold any dilutive securities. c. Secured Debt - MGE Energy and MGE. On February 28, 2011, MGE Power Elm Road issued $30 million of 4.74% senior secured notes due February 25, 2041. MGE Power Elm Road distributed the net proceeds from the sale of notes to MGE Energy, which used that distribution to repay existing short-term indebtedness, consisting of bank loans, which were used to finance a portion of the construction of the Elm Road Units. The notes provide for monthly principal and interest payments, which commenced on March 25, 2011, and continue until maturity. The principal payments are level over the life of the notes. The Note Purchase Agreement requires MGE Power Elm Road to maintain a debt service coverage ratio at the end of any calendar quarter of not less than 1.25 to 1.00 for the trailing 12-month period. The debt is secured by a collateral assignment of lease payments that MGE is making to MGE Power Elm Road for use of the Elm Road Units pursuant to long-term leases. As of September 30, 2011, MGE Power Elm Road is in compliance with the covenant requirements. d. Credit Facilities - MGE Energy and MGE. On August 1, 2011, each of MGE Energy and MGE entered into an amendment to its existing credit agreement dated as of July 30, 2010, with various financial institutions and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent. The existing credit agreements provide MGE Energy with a $40 million revolving credit facility and MGE with a $75 million revolving credit facility. As of September 30, 2011, MGE Energy had no borrowings outstanding and MGE had no commercial paper outstanding. The principal purpose of the amendments was to extend the termination date of the credit agreements by two years to July 31, 2015. The amendments also lowered the commitment fees, letter of credit fees and interest rate adders under the credit agreements. Borrowings under each credit agreement may bear interest at a rate that floats daily based upon a prime rate, or at a rate fixed for a specified interest period based upon a LIBOR-based index, in each case plus an adder based upon the senior unsecured credit rating for MGE. Based upon MGE's current senior unsecured credit rating, the adder is zero for prime rate-based borrowings and 0.850% for LIBOR-based borrowings.

Equity and Financing Arrangements

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Equity and Financing Arrangements Disclosure [Abstract]

2. Equity and Financing Arrangements.

a. Common Stock - MGE Energy.

MGE Energy purchases stock in the open market for issuance pursuant to its Stock Plan. All MGE Energy common stock issued under the Stock Plan is sold pursuant to a registration statement that has been filed with the SEC and is currently effective.

MGE Energy can issue new shares of its common stock through the Stock Plan. For both the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, MGE Energy did not issue any new shares of common stock under the Stock Plan.

b. Dilutive Shares Calculation - MGE Energy.

MGE Energy does not hold any dilutive securities.

c. Secured Debt - MGE Energy and MGE.

On February 28, 2011, MGE Power Elm Road issued $30 million of 4.74% senior secured notes due February 25, 2041. MGE Power Elm Road distributed the net proceeds from the sale of notes to MGE Energy, which used that distribution to repay existing short-term indebtedness, consisting of bank loans, which were used to finance a portion of the construction of the Elm Road Units. The notes provide for monthly principal and interest payments, which commenced on March 25, 2011, and continue until maturity. The principal payments are level over the life of the notes. The Note Purchase Agreement requires MGE Power Elm Road to maintain a debt service coverage ratio at the end of any calendar quarter of not less than 1.25 to 1.00 for the trailing 12-month period. The debt is secured by a collateral assignment of lease payments that MGE is making to MGE Power Elm Road for use of the Elm Road Units pursuant to long-term leases. As of September 30, 2011, MGE Power Elm Road is in compliance with the covenant requirements.

d. Credit Facilities - MGE Energy and MGE.

On August 1, 2011, each of MGE Energy and MGE entered into an amendment to its existing credit agreement dated as of July 30, 2010, with various financial institutions and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent. The existing credit agreements provide MGE Energy with a $40 million revolving credit facility and MGE with a $75 million revolving credit facility. As of September 30, 2011, MGE Energy had no borrowings outstanding and MGE had no commercial paper outstanding.

The principal purpose of the amendments was to extend the termination date of the credit agreements by two years to July 31, 2015. The amendments also lowered the commitment fees, letter of credit fees and interest rate adders under the credit agreements. Borrowings under each credit agreement may bear interest at a rate that floats daily based upon a prime rate, or at a rate fixed for a specified interest period based upon a LIBOR-based index, in each case plus an adder based upon the senior unsecured credit rating for MGE. Based upon MGE's current senior unsecured credit rating, the adder is zero for prime rate-based borrowings and 0.850% for LIBOR-based borrowings.