MILWAUKEE– Today, Healthy Climate Wisconsin released its second Health Harms Report, contrasting WE Energies’ ((WEC) (WPS)) $804 million in first quarter profits with the effect of expanded fossil fuel generation and $700 million of stranded assets on Wisconsin communities and their health. We report the health consequences of energy insecurity and ask whether Wisconsin can afford the climate costs of expanded methane gas production as extreme weather intensifies.
“This is the second edition of a report we did not want to need. WE Energies’ harms are compounding while its profits do the same — and the patients absorbing those harms are sitting in our exam rooms. We are releasing this report alongside the company’s earnings call to make sure both ledgers are read on the same day,” said Annie Carrell, a Nurse Practitioner in Milwaukee.
When WE Energies raises rates, expands fossil fuel generation, and delays the transition to clean energy, the effects arrive in our waiting rooms. “As WE Energies continues to report strong profits, Wisconsin is seeing a parallel rise in energy insecurity and the health burdens that come with it,” said Stephanie Siwak, a Milwaukee-based public health professional. “WE Energies must be held accountable for rising costs, or the risks to our health will continue to grow. Protecting public health means building an energy system that is affordable and accessible to all.”
“Wisconsin experienced historic flooding in August 2025 and again in April 2026. As extreme weather events impact the state, utilities continue to build new methane gas infrastructure. While our state rebuilds following the flood damage, it is important to ask ourselves if directing ratepayer dollars towards fossil fuel infrastructure is a wise decision. We should be using the money to invest in clean energy and our future instead,” said Hannah Fox, a Milwaukee-based public health professional.
The May Health Harms Report is the second in a planned series to be released throughout 2026. Wisconsin health professionals with Healthy Climate Wisconsin will continue to raise awareness of how WE Energies’ predatory practices result in health harms that show up in our waiting rooms and communities.
‘We are tracking a corporation whose harms compound while its profits do the same. But we are not only tracking; we are also writing, organizing, testifying, and showing up. Love has always been the quiet force in health care — the kind of love that pays attention, that refuses to look away, that insists a person’s suffering is not acceptable simply because someone profits from it,” said Annie Carrell.
