We Energies Customers Invited to Name Peregrine Falcon Chicks

MILWAUKEE, April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Since We Energies began its peregrine falcon recovery program in 1997, its nest boxes have produced 146 peregrines.  Currently, the company is monitoring more than a dozen peregrine falcon eggs at five power plant nest boxes and plans to name them when they hatch.

We Energies is asking customers to suggest names for the peregrine chicks via the company's website.  Visit we-energies.com and click the chicks' photo to get more information and submit a name.

After the chicks hatch at each facility, they will be named and banded to track their activity.  Customers can follow the peregrines' progress via live webcams at http://www.we-energies.com/environmental/protect_wildlife.htm.

The company will choose several of the best names for the chicks at each location and ask customers to vote for their favorites.  Customers have until May 1 to suggest names. The first chicks are expected to hatch between May 3 and May 5 at Port Washington Generating Station. Others are expected to hatch later in May.

These are the nest box locations:

• Port Washington Generating Station, Port Washington, Wis.
• Valley Power Plant, Milwaukee, Wis.
• Pleasant Prairie Power Plant, Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
• Oak Creek Power Plant, Oak Creek, Wis.
• Presque Isle Power Plant, Marquette, Mich.

About 20 percent of the peregrine falcons born in Wisconsin have hatched at We Energies power plants in special nesting boxes installed on power plant chimneys.  Several peregrine falcons hatched at We Energies facilities have gone on to nest in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

We Energies serves more than 1.1 million electric customers in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula and more than 1 million natural gas customers in Wisconsin. We Energies is the trade name of Wisconsin Electric Power Company and Wisconsin Gas LLC, the principal utility subsidiaries of Wisconsin Energy Corporation (NYSE: WEC). Visit the We Energies website at www.we-energies.com. Learn more about Wisconsin Energy Corporation by visiting www.wisconsinenergy.com.

SOURCE We Energies