The Sierra Club released its annual Dirty Truth Report, which evaluates utility companies on their progress toward clean energy adoption. We Energies received a score of 4 out of 100 points, representing a significant decline from its initial score six years ago when the report first launched. The utility now holds the lowest score it has ever received in the evaluation.
We Energies earned its poor grade primarily due to repeated delays in retiring the Oak Creek coal plant and plans to add 1.2 gigawatts of natural gas power generation capacity by 2035, which would increase existing gas capacity by nearly 50 percent. The company’s expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure appears designed to support data center development in Wisconsin, particularly for artificial intelligence facilities operated by major technology companies. This strategy prioritizes corporate partnerships and utility profits over customer affordability and environmental considerations.
The company is simultaneously proposing a 14 percent increase in utility bills for ratepayers, without providing adequate transparency regarding how customers will be shielded from costs associated with data center power demands. The proposed rate increase generated substantial public pushback, with over 1,800 comments submitted to the Public Service Commission in opposition. Among those opposed, 91 percent cited general concerns about the increase, while 75 percent specifically mentioned affordability and 42 percent called for reduced executive compensation and shareholder returns.
The Dirty Truth Report evaluated 76 utilities nationwide, which collectively scored 7 out of 100 on a 100-point scale. This represents the lowest aggregate score in the report’s history and an eight-point decrease from the previous year. The evaluation criteria focus on coal retirement timelines, planned natural gas expansion, and renewable energy additions. Report organizers contend that renewable energy represents the most cost-effective generation option, while fossil fuels remain economically expensive and pose significant public health risks through air and water pollution.
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