What can you do with a bicycle, a motor and spare parts? Make energy!

When Senior Engineer Greg Schroeder was asked if We Energies would participate in a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) expo, he wanted the company’s display to stand out. After all, the goal was to inspire a new generation of engineers.

He enlisted the help of colleagues, Bill Jahnke and Dennis Kane. Kane also involved his son, Alex, who built a device for his Eagle Scout project. He used an old bike, a treadmill motor, a lamp light and some good old-fashioned ingenuity. The lamp had LED, CFL and incandescent bulbs to demonstrate energy efficiency.

The finished product is pictured here: a stationary bicycle that generates electricity. It was on display Oct. 25 at the American Society of Civil Engineers’ annual STEM Expo at Milwaukee School of Engineering‘s (MSOE’s) Kern Center.

Students ages 6 to 18 were invited to discover the world of science, technology, engineering and math at 35 exploration stations. At We Energies’ station, guests pedaled to produce power.

The We Energies Foundation sponsored the expo with a $1,000 donation. Several of our employees are involved in STEM educational efforts.

Customer recipes featured in 2014 Cookie Book

From grandma’s eggnog cookies to gingerbread men to cinnamon sticks, the newest edition of our Cookie Book is filled with holiday favorites. A special section also includes decadent chocolate recipes such as 5 Pound Fudge and Chewy Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Cookies. In all, 32 recipes are featured in this year’s book, including customer recipes for the third year in a row.

We will start distributing the 2014 We Energies Cookie Book on Nov. 3. Two dozen distribution events are planned throughout our service area in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Signature distribution events are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Miller Park in Milwaukee and Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton. Customers are invited to enjoy hot cocoa, take a picture with Santa’s reindeer and pick up a free copy of the 2014 We Energies Cookie Book.

“For many of our customers, the holidays officially begin when they reach for their favorite We Energies Cookie Book,” said Gale Klappa, chairman, president and chief executive officer of We Energies. “We’re honored to be part of that tradition, which now spans more than 85 years.”

The We Energies Cookie Book dates back to 1928. Company home economists put together the first edition as a goodwill gesture for their customers. Customers also can take a trip down memory lane at our Cookie Book archive, where we placed decades of old editions, many considered collector’s editions.