XML 37 R16.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.25.4
Joint Plant Ownership
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Regulated Operations [Abstract]  
Joint Plant Ownership Joint Plant Ownership - MGE Energy and MGE.

 

MGE has undivided ownership interests in jointly owned facilities. Generation and operating expenses are primarily divided between the joint owners under the same method as ownership. MGE provides its own financing, and the respective portion of facilities and costs are included in the corresponding operating expenses (fuel for electric generation, purchased power, other operations and maintenance, etc.) in the consolidated statements of income.

 

The following tables show MGE's interest in utility plant in service, operating expense (net of deferred costs), and the related accumulated depreciation reserves and other information related to MGE's jointly owned facilities:

 

(In thousands, except for percentages and MW)

 

Columbia(a)

 

Elm Road(b)

 

West Campus(c)

 

West Riverside(d)

 

Forward Wind(e)

Ownership interest

 

 

 

19

 

%

 

 

 

8.33

 

%

 

 

 

55

 

%

 

 

 

6.9

 

%

 

 

 

12.8

 

%

Fuel source

 

 

Coal

 

 

Coal

 

 

Natural gas

 

 

Natural gas

 

 

Wind

Share of generation

 

 

 

211

 

MW

 

 

 

106

 

MW

 

 

 

157

 

MW

 

 

 

50

 

MW

 

 

 

18

 

MW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the year ended December 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expense - 2025

 

$

 

37,684

 

 

 

$

 

23,809

 

 

 

 

(f)

 

 

 

$

 

1,826

 

 

 

$

 

596

 

 

Operating expense - 2024

 

 

 

29,815

 

 

 

 

 

21,511

 

 

 

 

(f)

 

 

 

 

 

5,954

 

 

 

 

 

755

 

 

Operating expense - 2023

 

 

 

30,103

 

 

 

 

 

21,072

 

 

 

 

(f)

 

 

 

 

 

3,214

 

 

 

 

 

677

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant

 

$

 

301,705

 

 

 

$

 

209,502

 

 

 

$

 

124,316

 

 

 

$

 

56,394

 

 

 

$

 

34,348

 

 

Accumulated depreciation

 

 

 

(202,111

)

 

 

 

 

(51,850

)

 

 

 

 

(45,346

)

 

 

 

 

(9,331

)

 

 

 

 

(19,123

)

 

Construction work in progress

 

 

 

4,665

 

 

 

 

 

485

 

 

 

 

 

4,174

 

 

 

 

 

342

 

 

 

 

 

3,954

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant

 

$

 

299,048

 

 

 

$

 

207,070

 

 

 

$

 

118,317

 

 

 

 

 

54,996

 

 

 

$

 

34,363

 

 

Accumulated depreciation

 

 

 

(177,472

)

 

 

 

 

(47,494

)

 

 

 

 

(41,939

)

 

 

 

 

(7,421

)

 

 

 

 

(18,069

)

 

Construction work in progress

 

 

 

1,724

 

 

 

 

 

514

 

 

 

 

 

3,052

 

 

 

 

 

404

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)
As of December 31, 2024, coal operations were expected to conclude at Columbia Units 1 and 2 by the end of 2029, and thus at that time Columbia Units 1 and 2 met the criteria to be considered probable of abandonment. As a minority owner, MGE and the other Columbia co-owners currently plan to continue coal operations at least through 2029. Final timing and retirement dates continue to be evaluated, and depend upon operational regulatory considerations, capacity needs, and availability. As of December 31, 2025, early retirement of Columbia Unit 1 and 2 was no longer probable. See Footnote 4 for further information.
(b)
Two coal-fired generating units in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. In October 2025, MGE, along with the plant co-owners, filed a joint application with the PSCW to end the use of coal as a primary fuel at the Elm Road Units and transition the plant to natural gas. By the end of 2030, coal is expected to be used only as a backup fuel at the Elm Road Units. By the end of 2032, MGE expects that the Elm Road Units will be fully transitioned away from coal.
(c)
MGE Power West Campus and the UW jointly own the West Campus Cogeneration Facility (WCCF) located on the UW campus in Madison, Wisconsin. The UW owns a controlling interest in the chilled-water and steam plants, which are used to meet the needs for air-conditioning and steam-heat capacity for the UW campus. MGE Power West Campus owns a controlling interest in the electric generation plant, which is leased and operated by MGE.
(d)
In March 2023, MGE purchased an ownership interest in West Riverside, a natural gas-fired facility located in Beloit, WI, from WPL, operator and co-owner of the plant. West Riverside was placed in-service in 2020. In June 2024, MGE purchased an additional ownership interest in West Riverside, increasing its interest to 6.9%.
(e)
The Forward Wind Energy Center (Forward Wind) consists of 86 wind turbines located near Brownsville, Wisconsin.
(f)
Operating charges are allocated to the UW based on formulas contained in the operating agreement. Under the provisions of this arrangement, the UW is required to reimburse MGE for their allocated portion of fuel and operating expenses. For the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, the UW's allocated share of fuel and operating costs was $8.4 million, $7.0 million, and $6.7 million, respectively.

 

(In thousands, except for percentages and MW)

 

Two Creeks(g)

 

Badger Hollow
I & II
(h)

 

Red Barn(i)

 

Paris(j)

 

Darien(k)

Ownership interest

 

 

 

33

 

%

 

 

 

33

 

%

 

 

 

10

 

%

 

 

 

10

 

%

 

 

 

10

 

%

Fuel Source

 

 

Solar

 

 

Solar

 

 

Wind

 

 

Solar/Battery

 

 

Solar

Share of generation

 

 

 

50

 

MW

 

 

 

100

 

MW

 

 

 

9.16

 

MW

 

 

20/11

 

MW

 

 

 

25

 

MW

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the year ended December 31,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating expense - 2025

 

$

 

1,137

 

 

 

$

 

1,804

 

 

 

$

 

209

 

 

 

$

 

441

 

 

 

$

 

295

 

 

Operating expense - 2024

 

 

 

961

 

 

 

 

 

1,494

 

 

 

 

 

213

 

 

 

 

 

23

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

 

Operating expense - 2023

 

 

 

1,087

 

 

 

 

 

751

 

 

 

 

 

143

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant

 

$

 

68,003

 

 

 

$

 

161,432

 

 

 

$

 

16,750

 

 

 

$

 

27,549

 

 

 

$

 

1,998

 

 

Accumulated depreciation

 

 

 

(12,357

)

 

 

 

 

(16,276

)

 

 

 

 

(1,391

)

 

 

 

 

(586

)

 

 

 

 

(44

)

 

Construction work in progress

 

 

 

37

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Utility plant

 

$

 

67,999

 

 

 

$

 

160,954

 

 

 

 

 

16,484

 

 

 

 

 

40,565

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

 

Accumulated depreciation

 

 

 

(9,951

)

 

 

 

 

(10,639

)

 

 

 

 

(872

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

 

Construction work in progress

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

368

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

N/A

 

 

 

(g)
The Two Creeks solar generation array is located in the Town of Two Creeks and the City of Two Rivers in Manitowoc and Kewaunee Counties, Wisconsin. Date of commercial operation of the solar array was November 2020.
(h)
The Badger Hollow I and II solar farm is located in southwestern Wisconsin in Iowa County, near the villages of Montfort and Cobb. Date of commercial operation of Badger Hollow I was November 2021 and December 2023 for Badger Hollow II.
(i)
The Red Barn Wind Farm is located in the Towns of Wingville and Clifton in Grant County, Wisconsin. MGE purchased its share of Red Barn in 2023.
(j)
The Paris Solar-Battery Park is located in the Town of Paris in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Date of commercial operation of the solar array was December 2024. Date of commercial operation of battery was June 2025.
(k)
The Darien Solar Energy Center is located in Walworth and Rock Counties in southern Wisconsin. Date of commercial operation of the solar array was March 2025.

 

MGE currently has ongoing jointly-owned generation construction projects, as shown in the following table. Incurred costs are reflected in "Property, plant, and equipment, net" or "Construction work in progress" on the consolidated balance sheets.

 

Project

 

Ownership Interest

 

Source

 

Share of
Generation

 

Share of Estimated
Costs
(a)

 

Costs incurred as
of December 31, 2025
(a)

 

Estimated Date of
Commercial
Operation

Darien(b)

 

10%

 

Battery

 

7.5 MW

 

$18 million(j)

 

$7.4 million

 

2026

Koshkonong(c)

 

10%

 

Solar/Battery

 

30 MW/16.5 MW

 

$93 million(j)

 

$64.7 million

 

2026 Solar
2027 Battery

High Noon(d)

 

10%

 

Solar/Battery

 

30 MW/16.5 MW

 

$99 million

 

$59.5 million

 

2027

Columbia Energy Dome(e)

 

19%

 

Storage

 

3 MW

 

$22 million(j)

 

$2.7 million

 

2027

Badger Hollow(f)

 

10%

 

Wind

 

11.2 MW

 

$36 million

 

$5.6 million

 

2027

Whitetail(g)

 

10%

 

Wind

 

6.7 MW

 

$23 million

 

$1.2 million

 

2027

Ursa(h)

 

10%

 

Solar

 

20 MW

 

$46 million

 

$6.4 million

 

2028

Saratoga(i)

 

10%

 

Solar/Battery

 

15 MW/5 MW

 

$46 million

 

$10.2 million

 

2028

 

(a)
Excluding AFUDC.
(b)
Darien Solar Energy Center is located in Walworth and Rock Counties in southern Wisconsin.
(c)
Koshkonong Solar Energy Center is located in the Towns of Christiana and Deerfield in Dane County, Wisconsin.
(d)
High Noon Solar Project is located in Columbia County, Wisconsin.
(e)
Columbia Energy Dome is located in Columbia County, Wisconsin.
(f)
Badger Hollow Wind is located in Iowa and Grant Counties, Wisconsin.
(g)
Whitetail Wind is located in Grant County, Wisconsin.
(h)
Ursa Solar Park is located in Columbia County, Wisconsin.
(i)
Saratoga Solar Energy Center is located in Wood County, Wisconsin.
(j)
Estimated costs are expected to exceed PSCW previously approved Certificate of Authority (CA) levels. Notifications are provided to the PSCW when costs increase above CA levels. MGE has and will continue to request recovery of the updates in its rate case proceedings.