Utilities

Billions of dollars are being invested in the region’s utility infrastructure to meet the future demands of the region’s businesses, industries and residents while maintaining the region’s competitive rates, which have historically been below national and Midwest averages. We Energies, which provides electricity and natural gas throughout the region, is in the midst of its Power the Future program, which will increase the utility’s power-generation capacity by 50 percent (while reducing power plant emissions 65 percent) when it is completed in 2010.

The program includes the replacing of two older power plants with low-emission units and the addition of two new power plants, which will increase the utility’s generation capabilities to 8,300 megawatts. In addition, We Energies is:

• Improving existing power plants to increase efficiency and reduce emissions

• Replacing thousands of miles of power lines, adding more than a dozen new substations, and implementing new technologies to monitor power delivery
• Expanding the use of wind, solar and biomass renewable energy sources so that they account for 5 percent of the utility’s retail electricity sales by 2011

In addition to We Energies, other electric utilities serving the area include Alliant Energy and municipal electric utilities in Cedarburg, Oconomowoc, Hartford, Elkhorn and Slinger.

Water

The region’s proximity to Lake Michigan, the sixth largest fresh-water lake in the world, provides businesses with an abundant and reliable source of water. In addition, the Milwaukee Region has the lowest wastewater treatment rates among the nation’s 50 largest urban areas.

The Milwaukee Water Works is the drinking water utility owned by the City of Milwaukee. With Lake Michigan as its source, it provides clean, safe drinking water to residents and businesses of Milwaukee and 14 neighboring communities.

Telecommunications

The Milwaukee Region offers a multitude of telecommunications options. AT&T is the area’s largest local-access service provider, followed by TimeWarner, which provides extensive cable-based telecommunications services throughout the region. Other land-based local exchange carriers include CenturyTel, which serves the Mukwonago area and TDS Metrocom, which serves the Racine area. A complete list of all telephone service providers serving the area is available through The Wisconsin Public Service Commission.