PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2022

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT

PROPERTY, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT

Wisconsin Segment Plant to be Retired

Columbia Units 1 and 2

As a result of a MISO ruling received in June 2021, retirement of the jointly-owned Columbia generating units 1 and 2 became probable. Columbia generating units 1 and 2 are expected to be retired by June 1, 2026. The retirement date for these plants was pushed back from the end of 2023 for unit 1 and the end of 2024 for unit 2. See Note 24, Regulatory Environment, for more information on the Columbia generating units' retirement. The net book value of WPS's ownership share of unit 1 and unit 2 was $85.2 million and $184.2 million, respectively, at September 30, 2022. These amounts were classified as plant to be retired within property, plant, and equipment on our balance sheets. These units are included in rate base, and WPS continues to depreciate them on a straight-line basis using the composite depreciation rates approved by the PSCW.

Public Service Building and Steam Tunnel Assets

During a significant rain event in May 2020, an underground steam tunnel in downtown Milwaukee flooded and steam vented into WE’s PSB. The damage to the building and adjacent steam tunnel assets from the flooding and steam was extensive and required significant repairs and restorations. As of September 30, 2022, WE had incurred $95.3 million of costs related to these repairs and restorations. In 2020, WE received $20.0 million of insurance proceeds to cover a portion of these costs and wrote off $12.5 million of costs that we do not intend to seek recovery for through other operation and maintenance expense. In the first quarter of 2022, WE received $41.0 million of insurance proceeds as a result of a settlement that was reached in February 2022. The remaining $21.8 million of costs is expected to be recovered through rates.

In June 2021, we received approval from the PSCW to restore the PSB and adjacent steam tunnel assets and to defer the project costs, net of insurance proceeds, as a component of rate base. As such, and in light of the agreement with insurers noted above, we do not currently expect a significant impact to our future results of operations.