Company Description
MGE Energy Inc (NASDAQ: MGEE) is an investor-owned public utility holding company in the Utilities sector. According to company disclosures, its principal subsidiary is Madison Gas and Electric (MGE), which generates and distributes electricity and purchases and distributes natural gas in parts of Wisconsin. MGE Energy is described in its investor communications as being headquartered in the state capital of Madison, Wisconsin.
MGE, the primary operating subsidiary, generates and distributes electricity to 167,000 customers in Dane County, Wisconsin, and purchases and distributes natural gas to 178,000 customers in seven south-central and western Wisconsin counties. The company notes that MGE's roots in the Madison area date back more than 150 years, reflecting a long operating history as a regulated utility serving its regional customer base.
Business model and operations
MGE Energy describes itself as a public utility holding company whose main business activities are conducted through Madison Gas and Electric. The electric segment involves the generation and distribution of electricity to customers in Dane County. The gas segment involves purchasing natural gas and distributing it to customers across several counties in south-central and western Wisconsin. Company materials indicate that MGE Energy also has non-utility investments, including venture capital funds that support early-stage companies working on smart technologies, customer experience, distributed energy resources, electrification, cybersecurity and other priorities for utility companies.
In its earnings releases, MGE Energy highlights rate base investment growth as a key driver of results. The company reports that strategic capital investments in its electric segment, including new renewable energy projects, have increased its rate base and contributed to higher electric earnings. Gas net income is described as exhibiting steady performance in recent reporting periods.
Electric and gas utility activities
Through Madison Gas and Electric, MGE Energy provides regulated electric service in Dane County, Wisconsin, and regulated natural gas service in seven south-central and western Wisconsin counties. The company’s disclosures emphasize that MGE generates electricity for its electric customers and purchases natural gas for distribution to its gas customers. Earlier descriptions of the business note that nearly 90% of customers are residential, and that MGE Energy also owns a minority stake in American Transmission Co. and interests in coal-fired power plants that earn fixed rates of return.
MGE Energy reports that it continues to invest in new, cost-effective renewable generation. Recent communications describe the Darien Solar Project in Rock and Walworth counties, which became operational in March 2025 and serves MGE electric customers with carbon-free energy. MGE owns 25 megawatts of solar capacity from this project. The company also references the Paris Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which went into service in June 2025, providing 11 megawatts of battery capacity associated with that project. These additions are described as enhancing electric system reliability and contributing to electric earnings.
Capital investment and financing
MGE Energy and Madison Gas and Electric regularly disclose capital investment and financing activities through SEC filings. In an 8-K filing, Madison Gas and Electric reported entering into a Note Purchase Agreement to issue senior notes with maturities extending into the 2030s and 2050s. The filing states that MGE expects to use the net proceeds from the sale of these notes to cover capital expenditures and other corporate obligations. The Note Purchase Agreement includes covenants related to consolidated indebtedness and capitalization, restrictions on priority debt, and events of default, reflecting the regulatory and financial framework under which the utility operates.
These financing activities support MGE Energy’s ongoing investments in electric generation, energy storage and other infrastructure that are included in the regulated rate base. The company’s earnings releases consistently link growth in electric segment earnings to increases in electric investments included in rate base.
Dividend history and shareholder focus
MGE Energy emphasizes its long history of dividend payments. Company announcements state that MGE Energy has paid cash dividends for more than 110 years. The board of directors has also increased the regular quarterly dividend annually for multiple decades. In 2025, the company highlighted that it had increased its dividend for 50 consecutive years, describing this as a milestone achieved by a select number of companies. The company’s communications present this record as evidence of a focus on consistent dividend growth and disciplined financial management.
Regular dividend declarations are disclosed through press releases and corresponding Form 8-K filings. These communications specify the dividend rate per share, the payment date and the record date for shareholders. The company’s investor newsletter, Inside View, is published periodically to provide additional information to investors about MGE Energy and Madison Gas and Electric, including topics such as earnings, renewable generation investments, regulatory approvals and shareholder meetings.
Renewable generation and energy storage
MGE Energy’s recent disclosures place particular emphasis on renewable generation and energy storage. The Darien Solar Project and the Paris Battery Energy Storage System are cited as examples of new, cost-effective renewable generation and storage projects that support asset growth and system reliability. Company materials also reference regulatory approval of innovative energy storage projects and more local solar, as well as proposed rate changes and new programs related to solar and renewable natural gas.
These activities indicate that MGE Energy is integrating renewable energy and storage resources into its electric system, while working within the regulatory framework that governs rates and programs for its customers. The company’s investor communications link these investments to its broader priorities, including sustainability, reliability and customer-focused programs.
Regulatory and reporting environment
As a public utility holding company with a principal regulated utility subsidiary, MGE Energy files periodic and current reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Recent Form 8-K filings cover topics such as quarterly earnings releases, dividend increases, financial presentations and the entry into material definitive agreements related to financing. These filings identify MGE Energy, Inc. as a Wisconsin corporation and parent of Madison Gas and Electric Company, also a Wisconsin corporation.
The company’s 8-K filings describe the combined reporting format used for MGE Energy and Madison Gas and Electric in certain instances, while clarifying that each registrant furnishes information on its own behalf. The filings also outline key financial covenants and definitions, such as consolidated indebtedness, consolidated total capitalization and priority debt, which are relevant to understanding the company’s capital structure and borrowing arrangements.
MGEE stock and investor information
MGE Energy’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol MGEE. As an investor-owned utility holding company, MGE Energy communicates regularly with shareholders through earnings releases, dividend announcements, SEC filings and its Inside View investor newsletter. These communications provide insight into the company’s financial performance, capital investment plans, renewable generation projects, regulatory developments and dividend practices.
Investors researching MGEE stock can review the company’s historical earnings releases, dividend history and SEC filings to understand how MGE Energy’s regulated electric and gas utility operations, non-utility investments and capital structure contribute to its overall financial profile. The company’s emphasis on long-term dividend growth, renewable generation investments and regional utility service in Wisconsin are recurring themes in its public disclosures.