WEC shares rose 3.7% after earnings, as the company lifted its 2026 EPS outlook and announced a 26% larger five-year capital plan tied to higher forecast electric demand. The investment ramp supports long-term growth, though much of the plan depends on very large customer demand.
- Q3 diluted EPS was $1.18, up from $0.83 a year earlier; management cited warmer-than-normal weather, capital-plan execution, and operating efficiency.
- WEC raised and narrowed 2026 EPS guidance to $5.60–$5.64, from $5.51–$5.61, assuming normal weather for the rest of the year.
- The 2027–2031 capital plan is $47.5 billion, up $10 billion, or more than 26%, from the prior plan; the company expects 13.4% annual asset-based growth and 7%–9+% annual EPS growth over that period.
- Forecast electric demand growth for 2026–2031 increased by 1 gigawatt to 4.9 gigawatts. WEC expects 3.2 gigawatts of demand in the I-94 region and 1.3 gigawatts at the Vantage site through 2031.
- The higher plan includes $6.8 billion more for natural-gas generation and $1.2 billion more for ATC transmission projects; planned solar and wind investment is down $1.9 billion from the prior plan, partly reflecting work completed in 2026.
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