11 finalists unveiled in 811 contest

We asked for pictures of digging dogs, and you delivered. Our Safe Digging contest fetched dozens of entries. It was “ruff” narrowing down the list of finalists, but nearly a dozen dogs made the cut:

Vote

Now, “paws” to vote for your favorite. The winner will be featured in our Safe Digging campaign, including a grand unveiling at Energy Park at the Wisconsin State Fair.

The winner will help us spread an important safety message: Doggone it! Call 811 before you dig.

Finalists, don’t “fur-get” to tell family and friends to vote by 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 30. The winner will be announced the following day. Good luck and thank you to all who submitted photos.

Safe digging tips

Burlington substation repairs completed ahead of schedule

We thank our customers in Burlington for their patience during repairs to our substation, and we’re happy to report the station is already back online. Fortunately, our repair work was seamless – we did not have to de-energize our system during repairs, and customers wouldn’t have noticed any changes in their service.

Crews were able to complete very complicated repairs to the substation, which was submerged in more than two feet of flood water last week, in just three days – much sooner than initially anticipated.

Before and after pictures of our substation in Burlington.

While substation repairs were being completed, Burlington customers had electricity served through mobile transformers. Though no longer necessary, the mobile units remain on site until the nearby Fox River recedes further. 

Getting the substation back on line was no small task. We had more than 50 employees dedicated to the effort. They had to replace damaged equipment and perform dozens of switching operations in our distribution network.

Unlike the light switches at your home, the switches at our substation are connected to multiple wires so we can reroute power when necessary. These redundancies are built into our system to minimize the impact of outages.

Crews had to perform more than 30 intricate switching operations to connect customers to the mobile transformers. After repairs, they had to perform all those operations again to reconnect customers to the substation. To minimize stress to our system during this delicate process, some of our larger industrial customers in the area agreed to curtail their electric use temporarily.

Burlington power restoration continues after flood

We continue to work toward a solution that should safely restore power to customers in Burlington and surrounding areas. According to the National Weather Service, multiple rounds of heavy rainfall resulted in flash flooding Wednesday in Walworth, Racine and Kenosha counties. Burlington experienced widespread flooding.

Floodwaters knocked out power from our electrical substation in Burlington. Initially, 25,000 customers lost power after our substation was knocked out. We re-routed power to get as many customers back in service as possible. We now are working to get power back to the remaining 4,000 customers who are without service.

On Thursday, we brought mobile transformers to the affected area to essentially replace the substation. Installation of these units is a complex process and changes the way power is delivered to customers. When the units are operational, we anticipate restoration to happen in stages. Our goal remains to get power back to all homes and businesses Friday afternoon.

The water has begun to recede from our substation, which takes electricity from high-voltage transmission wires to a lower voltage for customers. When flooded, the substation could not deliver electricity to the wires serving customers. The water in the substation damaged equipment that must be repaired or replaced. We are assessing the damage and working to clean up and repair the substation as quickly and safely as possible.

We continue to advise extreme caution in flooded basements. If your home is flooded, call 800-662-4797 to disconnect power and natural gas service. To be safe, always assume that basement flood water is energized. Walking through a wet or flooded basement can be dangerous. Never walk through a flooded basement until the electricity is disconnected. Even a small amount of water on a basement floor can put you at risk for electrocution. While electricity is needed to run the sump pumps and wet/dry vacuums that help remove water from a basement, the risk of electrical shock is high. Safety experts suggest using a generator to power your sump pump or wet/dry vacuum instead. Generators also come with safety concerns, so learn about generator safety before operating one, and never run extension cords through water.

Our website also has more information on outage safety.

Burlington substation flooded.

Crews are working around the clock in Burlington. 

Mobile transformer arrives in Burlington Thursday.

K’s for a Cause supports veterans through the We Energies Foundation

It’s baseball season! This year, We Energies and the Milwaukee Brewers are working together to support local veterans through a program called K’s for a Cause. For every strikeout, or “K,” thrown by Brewers pitchers at Miller Park, the We Energies Foundation contributes $25 to Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative (MHVI).

“We’re so glad to have two great organizations supporting us in We Energies and the Milwaukee Brewers,” said Kirsten Sobieski, executive director of MHVI. “They are pillars of the community, and it’s great to see them help us and help the veterans.”

Sobieski is a veteran herself, having spent 10 years with the Army and Army Reserves, including two on active duty. She also orchestrates a program within MHVI, the Women Veterans Initiative (WOVIN), which helps female veterans learn more about opportunities available to them through veterans’ organizations.

“The We Energies Foundation is pleased to support Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative as they work to help homeless and at-risk veterans in our community reach and maintain their highest levels of independence,” said Beth Straka, senior vice president – corporate communications and investor relations, WEC Energy Group, and vice president, We Energies Foundation. “We look forward to a winning Brewers season and a successful K’s for a Cause promotion.”

Individual game and season-long strikeouts will be tracked on Miller Park’s new K meter – an 80-foot digital sign, located in right field.

The donations made through K’s for a Cause will go to the MHVI emergency fund. Sobieski indicated that the donations support everything from keeping veterans in financial crisis from becoming homeless to putting gas in the MHVI delivery trucks. “Without government money, we rely heavily on these types of donations to make sure we can do all the things that we do without anything falling through the cracks,” said Sobieski.

Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative

Cookie Book sneak peek

For our customers, the Cookie Book is a holiday tradition. For us, it’s a year-round effort! Monday was our photo shoot for the 2017 book, and we have some delicious images to share with you.

Food photographer Grace Natoli Sheldon arranges

cookies during Cookie Book photo shoot.

This year’s edition celebrates those who grow and produce products made right here in Wisconsin. From cranberries to honey to cherries – and even beer and cheese – many Wisconsin products are featured in the 31 recipes that make up this year’s book.

The complete distribution schedule will be available Aug. 3, but signature events already are set for Saturday, Nov. 4, at Miller Park in Milwaukee and Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.

Since its inception nearly 90 years ago, the Cookie Book has remained a favorite of holiday bakers. Visit our recipe page for past books, videos and more.

We Energies recipes

Cookie Crumbs: Celebrate National Sugar Cookie Day July 9

We Energies Cookie Book recipes are perfect for celebrations of all kinds – including National Sugar Cookie Day, which happens to be July 9. Sugar cookies have been featured many times since we started producing Cookie Books back in 1928. Here are a couple of recipes – one from an early book book and one from last year.

Our 1932 book featured this recipe:

Our 2016 book featured this one:

Mother’s Sugar Cookies 

3 cups all-purpose flour 

2 teaspoons cream of tartar 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces 

2 eggs 

1 cup granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Coarse or colored sugar, optional 

In mixing bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Add cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. In medium bowl, whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla; mix into flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On floured surface or cloth, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-1/2-inch cookie cutters; place on ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with coarse or colored sugar, if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire cooling racks. Makes about 3 dozen.

So, not much has changed concerning sugar cookies in more than 80 years of appearances in our cookie books. The ingredients are about the same – and how much people love them.

Need some baking inspiration? Our Cookie Book archive has recipes dating back to the 1930s. Check it out today. 

We Energies recipes

Search begins for new canine safety ambassador

Does your dog dig holes in the yard? Instead of scolding Fido, grab a camera!

We’re looking for a new canine safety ambassador to star in our safe digging campaign. Your dog can help us spread an important safety message: Doggone it! Call Diggers Hotline (811) before you dig. 

Whether you’re planting a tree or installing a fence post, you could be putting yourself in danger if you strike an underground natural gas line or electrical cable. Now, your furry friend can help us raise awareness about safe digging.

If your pet makes the cut, his/her picture will be featured in We Energies promotional material – including a grand unveiling at Energy Park at the Wisconsin State Fair.

The ad featured here shows the winners of last year’s campaign, Darby and Boca. A similar ad will be developed with this year’s winner.

Rules

• One photo of dog digging
• One entry (photo) per person with your name and address, and dog’s name 
• Must be We Energies customer
• Must be available to attend unveiling at Wisconsin State Fair on Friday, Aug. 11 at noon with your dog (tickets will be provided)
• Photo quality of at least 150 dpi – .jpg or .tiff format preferred

Submit photo entries by midnight July 16 to contest@we-energies.com. Photo will be used on our social media channels and may be used by media outlets as well.

We’ll narrow down the entries to a list of finalists for a public vote. The winner will be unveiled in a ceremony at Energy Park on Aug. 11 (8-11), a day to raise awareness about dialing 811 to have utility facilities marked before digging.

The winner will receive tickets to the Wisconsin State Fair, a prize basket of treats for their famous furry friend and bragging rights about their canine’s cameo at Energy Park.

Good luck!