The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has released a draft assessment of the state’s energy situation. A consumer group says the report shows people are paying too much for electricity.
The Strategic Energy Assessment comes out every two years. The draft of the latest study says residential customers in Wisconsin with a median income pay a smaller percentage of their wages on electricity than the national average and fall in the middle of the range compared with neighboring states. But Tom Content of the Citizens Utility Board says Wisconsin residential rates have gone up 37 percent in nine years.
“We’re concerned, because that’s more than twice the rate of inflation. As the cost of living goes up, our electricity prices have gone up twice as fast,” Content told WPR.
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PSC needs to try harder to hold rates down, he said.
“I think it’s a combination of trying to make sure the utilities are as efficient as possible and promoting the ability of customers to save on their own energy bills and making it easier for that to happen,” Content said.
Content argues Wisconsin invested too much in coal and natural gas power plants, and customers are being asked to help pay the bills.
The PSC maintains direct rate comparisons between states can be misleading due to the complexities of energy regulation and the energy markets in general. The PSC says it will take comments on the draft Strategic Energy Assessment for the next three months.
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