WEC Energy Group recognized nationally for research and development

MILWAUKEE, March 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Several WEC Energy Group employees recently received Technology Transfer Awards from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for their achievements in research and development. The majority of the group was honored for an innovative project to prevent bat fatalities at We Energies' Blue Sky Green Field Wind Energy Center.

During the first-of-its-kind project, the team deployed smart technology on several wind turbines. The technology included acoustic devices that could detect bats in the area. The bat data, along with weather information, were then entered into a predictive model that continuously evaluated the risk of bat activity near the turbines. Wind farm operators could use the data to decide when to curtail operation.

The following employees were honored for their "smart curtailment" work:

• Brent Blawat, IT applications consultant
• Jeffrey Noah, IT support specialist
• Steve Schueller, power generation supervisor
• Susan Schumacher, principal environmental consultant
• Yelena Sidorko, senior IT applications consultant

EPRI also honored Kris McKinney, manager ? environmental strategy, for his work on the development of a comprehensive analysis of the Clean Power Plan for the State of Michigan. With McKinney's leadership, EPRI and the Michigan utility coalition published one of the first state-level analyses of the Clean Power Plan. The results demonstrated how choosing various alternatives to implement the plan could impact Michigan customers.

WEC Energy Group employees received their awards at a ceremony on March 13. Presented annually, EPRI's Technology Transfer Awards recognize industry leaders who help companies deliver safe, affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible electricity through initiative, collaboration and leadership that transform research into results for the utility industry.

WEC Energy Group (NYSE: WEC), based in Milwaukee, is one of the nation's premier energy companies, serving 4.4 million customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

The company's principal utilities are We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service, Peoples Gas, North Shore Gas, Michigan Gas Utilities, Minnesota Energy Resources and Upper Michigan Energy Resources. The company's other major subsidiary, We Power, designs, builds and owns electric generating plants.

WEC Energy Group (wecenergygroup.com), a component of the S&P 500, has more than $31 billion of assets, 8,000 employees and 50,000 stockholders of record.

SOURCE WEC Energy Group