WEC Energy Group has named
Michael Hooper as president of
We Energies and
Wisconsin Public Service. He will start in the role on April 1.
Hooper will join WEC Energy Group from Northern Indiana Public Service Company, a subsidiary of NiSource. Hooper is currently president and chief operating officer of NIPSCO.
"We're fortunate to have Mike join our senior leadership team," said
Scott Lauber, president and chief executive officer of WEC Energy Group. "He has an impressive record of accomplishments in our industry along with proven leadership skills. His broad experience, together with his demonstrated ability to lead and manage complex projects, will be key in helping us achieve our long-term goals."
Hooper will be responsible for electric and gas distribution, customer service, power generation and major projects at both We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service. We Energies is the WEC Energy Group utility covering southeastern Wisconsin and includes Wisconsin Electric and Wisconsin Gas. WPS is the utility covering northeastern Wisconsin.
The utilities are in the midst of a dramatic shift in how they generate electricity, moving away from coal-powered sources and towards renewables and natural gas. Both are involved in billions of dollars of construction projects for solar farms and natural gas generation and storage across the state.
“I am thrilled to join the skilled and dedicated employees at We Energies and WPS,” Hooper said. “I look forward to being part of their legacy of serving the community safely and reliably. This is a dynamic and changing time in the energy industry, and nothing excites me more than the opportunity to be a part of leading that change in a positive way for customers and stakeholders.”
Hooper has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from West Virginia Institute of Technology and graduated from the strategic leadership program of the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University.
Prior to his COO role, Hooper held leadership positions in regulatory and legislative affairs, electrical operations and major projects at NIPSCO. He also spent 15 years at American Electric Power, working in power generation and capital project management.
Hooper will report to Lauber, who had held the role of president for the utilities since
Tom Metcalfe left WEC Energy Group at the end of 2021.
Hooper will have a base salary of $650,000 plus short- and long-term incentive program participation.
