CREDIT LOSSES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Credit Loss [Abstract]

CREDIT LOSSES

CREDIT LOSSES

Our exposure to credit losses is related to our accounts receivable and unbilled revenue balances, which are primarily generated from the sale of electricity and natural gas by our regulated utility operations. Credit losses associated with our utility operations are analyzed at the reportable segment level as we believe contract terms, political and economic risks, and the regulatory environment are similar at this level as our reportable segments are generally based on the geographic location of the underlying utility operations.

We have an accounts receivable and unbilled revenue balance associated with our non-utility energy infrastructure segment, related to the sale of electricity from our majority-owned wind generating facilities through agreements with several large high credit quality counterparties.

We evaluate the collectability of our accounts receivable and unbilled revenue balances considering a combination of factors. For some of our larger customers and also in circumstances where we become aware of a specific customer's inability to meet its financial obligations to us, we record a specific allowance for credit losses against amounts due in order to reduce the net recognized receivable to the amount we reasonably believe will be collected. For all other customers, we use the accounts receivable aging method to calculate an allowance for credit losses. Using this method, we classify accounts receivable into different aging buckets and calculate a reserve percentage for each aging bucket based upon historical loss rates. The calculated reserve percentages are updated on at least an annual basis, in order to ensure recent macroeconomic, political, and regulatory trends are captured in the calculation, to the extent possible. Risks identified that we do not believe are reflected in the calculated reserve percentages, are assessed on a quarterly basis to determine whether further adjustments are required.

We monitor our ongoing credit exposure through active review of counterparty accounts receivable balances against contract terms and due dates. Our activities include timely account reconciliation, dispute resolution and payment confirmation. To the extent possible, we work with customers with past due balances to negotiate payment plans, but will disconnect customers for non-payment as allowed by our regulators, if necessary, and employ collection agencies and legal counsel to pursue recovery of defaulted receivables. For our larger customers, detailed credit review procedures may be performed in advance of any sales being

made. We sometimes require letters of credit, parental guarantees, prepayments or other forms of credit assurance from our larger customers to mitigate credit risk. See Note 22, Regulatory Environment, for information on certain regulatory actions that were and/or are being taken for the purpose of ensuring that essential utility services are available to our customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have included tables below that show our gross third-party receivable balances and the related allowance for credit losses at March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, by reportable segment.

(in millions)	Wisconsin			Illinois			Other States			Total Utility Operations			Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure			Corporate and Other			WEC Energy Group Consolidated
March 31, 2021
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues	$	1,056.9		$	465.8		$	77.5		$	1,600.2		$	24.9		$	3.9		$	1,629.0
Allowance for credit losses	129.5			122.0			7.6			259.1			—			—			259.1
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues, net (1)	$	927.4		$	343.8		$	69.9		$	1,341.1		$	24.9		$	3.9		$	1,369.9
Total accounts receivable, net – past due greater than 90 days (1)	$	68.8		$	38.4		$	3.8		$	111.0		$	—		$	—		$	111.0
Past due greater than 90 days – collection risk mitigated by regulatory mechanisms (1)	97.5		%	100.0		%	—		%	95.0		%	—		%	—		%	95.0		%

(in millions)	Wisconsin			Illinois			Other States			Total Utility Operations			Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure			Corporate and Other			WEC Energy Group Consolidated
December 31, 2020
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues	$	899.8		$	393.9		$	79.8		$	1,373.5		$	45.0		$	4.4		$	1,422.9
Allowance for credit losses	102.1			111.6			6.4			220.1			—			—			220.1
Accounts receivable and unbilled revenues, net (1)	$	797.7		$	282.3		$	73.4		$	1,153.4		$	45.0		$	4.4		$	1,202.8
Total accounts receivable, net – past due greater than 90 days (1)	$	84.8		$	34.5		$	3.5		$	122.8		$	—		$	—		$	122.8
Past due greater than 90 days – collection risk mitigated by regulatory mechanisms (1)	97.6		%	100.0		%	—		%	95.5		%	—		%	—		%	95.5		%

(1)Our exposure to credit losses for certain regulated utility customers is mitigated by regulatory mechanisms we have in place. Specifically, rates related to all of the customers in our Illinois segment, as well as the residential rates of WE, WPS, and WG in our Wisconsin segment, include riders or other mechanisms for cost recovery or refund of uncollectible expense based on the difference between the actual provision for credit losses and the amounts recovered in rates. As a result, at March 31, 2021, $742.0 million, or 54.2%, of our net accounts receivable and unbilled revenues balance had regulatory protections in place to mitigate the exposure to credit losses. In addition, we have received specific orders related to the deferral of certain costs (including credit losses) incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The additional protections related to our accounts receivable and unbilled revenue balances provided by these orders are subject to prudency reviews and are still being assessed. They are not reflected in the percentages in the above table or this note. See Note 22, Regulatory Environment, for more information on these orders.

A rollforward of the allowance for credit losses by reportable segment for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020 is included below:

(in millions)	Wisconsin		Illinois		Other States		Total Utility Operations		Corporate and Other		WEC Energy Group Consolidated
Balance at December 31, 2020	$	102.1	$	111.6	$	6.4	$	220.1	$	—	$	220.1
Provision for credit losses	13.7		7.1		1.3		22.1		—		22.1
Provision for credit losses deferred for future recovery or refund	22.3		3.1		—		25.4		—		25.4
Write-offs charged against the allowance	(18.5)		(2.8)		(0.5)		(21.8)		—		(21.8)
Recoveries of amounts previously written off	9.9		3.0		0.4		13.3		—		13.3
Balance at March 31, 2021	$	129.5	$	122.0	$	7.6	$	259.1	$	—	$	259.1

The increase in the allowance for credit losses at March 31, 2021, compared to December 31, 2020, was driven by higher past due accounts receivable balances at our utility segments, primarily related to residential customers. This increase in accounts receivable balances in arrears was driven by the continued economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, including continued high unemployment rates. Also, as a result of the winter moratorium rules, which are discussed in more detail below, and the COVID-19 pandemic and related regulatory orders we have received, we have been unable to disconnect any of our Wisconsin and Illinois residential customers since the fourth quarter of 2019. See Note 22, Regulatory Environment, for more information.

(in millions)	Wisconsin		Illinois		Other States		Total Utility Operations		Corporate and Other		WEC Energy Group Consolidated
Balance at December 31, 2019	$	59.9	$	75.9	$	4.1	$	139.9	$	0.1	$	140.0
Provision for credit losses	13.7		14.4		0.7		28.8		—		28.8
Provision for credit losses deferred for future recovery or refund	3.3		29.5		—		32.8		—		32.8
Write-offs charged against the allowance	(19.7)		(31.6)		(1.3)		(52.6)		—		(52.6)
Recoveries of amounts previously written off	10.5		4.9		0.4		15.8		—		15.8
Balance at March 31, 2020	$	67.7	$	93.1	$	3.9	$	164.7	$	0.1	$	164.8

The increase in the allowance for credit losses at our Wisconsin and Illinois reportable segments was driven by an increase in past due accounts receivable balances from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020. This is a trend we generally see over the winter moratorium months, when we are not allowed to disconnect customer service as a result of non-payment. In Wisconsin, the winter moratorium begins on November 1 and ends on April 15, and in Illinois the winter moratorium begins on December 1 and ends on March 31.