Average Fuel Mix Comparisons
Beginning January 1, 2002, the Customer Choice and Electric Reliability Act gave all Michigan consumers the option of choosing the company that provides their electric supply. When choosing a supplier, it is important to know its source of generation. Included here is information regarding the fuel mix utilized by WPS, compared to other regions.
The environmental characteristics of your electricity as reported to the Michigan Public Service Commission pursuant to Public Act 141 of 2000 are as follows:
Average Fuel Mix Comparison: WPS vs. Regional Average
The information shown in the tables includes data for different time periods, due to the availability of such data. In making energy purchase decisions, you may find it more helpful to compare the fuel mix data of individual suppliers to that of other individual suppliers, rather than comparing the fuel mix of any one supplier to the regional fuel mix.
| Fuel Source | Percentage of Fuel Type Used to Produce WPS Total Electricity |
Percentage of Fuel Type Used to Produce Electricity in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 67.18 | 64.66 |
| Nuclear | 20.77 | 24.03 |
| Gas | 1.81 | 7.11 |
| Oil | 0.09 | 0.42 |
| Hydroelectric | 6.31 | 0.68 |
| Renewable Fuels | 3.84 | 3.09 |
| Biofuel | 0.02 | 0.13 |
| Biomass | - | 0.40 |
| Solar | - | 0.01 |
| Solid Waste Incineration | 1.56 | 0.42 |
| Wind | 2.19 | 1.70 |
| Wood | 0.07 | 0.44 |
| Other - Tire Derived | - | - |
- The information shown is for the WPS system, which includes generation in Michigan but does not include generation of any of its affiliate companies. It is for the period of November 2010 through October 2011. The regional information is for the 12-month period of August 2010 through July 2011.
- Solid Waste Incineration includes landfill gas.
- " — " denotes "not applicable" or "negligible."
- In this table, the fuel mix data for the electricity supplied to you by WPS includes regional average fuel mix data from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin as a proxy for the actual fuel mix of certain electricity purchased by WPS. This is because the actual fuel mix of that purchased electricity could not be discerned. Purchased electricity accounted for 16.04% of the electricity supplied by WPS during the relevant period.
Airborne Emissions and High-Level Nuclear Waste Comparison: WPS vs. Regional Average
| Type of Emission/Waste | WPS Average | Regional Average of All Generation in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin |
|---|---|---|
| Sulfur Dioxide | 3.50 | 8.21 |
| Carbon Dioxide | 1,773.0 | 2,186.0 |
| Oxides of Nitrogen | 1.40 | 2.01 |
| High-Level Nuclear Waste | - | 0.0083 |
- Emission rates are pounds per megawatt-hour of regional fossil generation. The nuclear waste rate is pounds per megawatt-hour of regional nuclear generation.
- The regional information for sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides is for the calendar year 2009. The WPS information is for the 12-month period ending December 31, 2010.
- The regional nuclear waste produced is based on discharged fuel for a time span of approximately two years in length, ending in 2002. This data is collected irregularly by the Department of Energy (DOE); the amount of nuclear fuel burned (and discharged) per megawatt-hour has changed very little in recent years, according to the DOE.