Regulators Meet To Discuss We Energies Rate-Change Proposal

Editor’s Note: The PSC has now approved the We Energies proposal in a 2-1 vote. A story on the development is forthcoming.

Wisconsin regulators on the state’s Public Service Commission met on Friday to begin discussing whether to approve a rate-change proposal by the Milwaukee-based utility We Energies.

We Energies wants to raise the fixed charge on customers’ bills by about $7 dollars a month. The proposal is one of three utility rate cases in the state that have put state electric companies at odds with customers and the solar power industry.

Milwaukeean Jackie Ivy of the group Moral Mondays said that it’s an increase that a lot of city residents can’t afford.

“You lookin’ at a large population of folks who are low-income, fixed-income,” she said.

Ivy said that low-income people can get federal energy assistance aid, but that the lines of people waiting to receive the assistance are often long.

Elizabeth Ward of the Alliance for Fair Utilities said more customer money going to We Energies, means less spending elsewhere.

“That’s $7 that’s a meal that somebody could be paying for at a local business,” said Ward. “That’s something somebody could be buying at a local shop.”

Ward says other parts of We Energies’ rate proposal would punish the solar power industry and solar customers.

Gov. Scott Walker, for his part, said he didn’t want to comment on the rate case ahead of Friday’s Public Service Commission meeting. He was asked if higher electricity charges sap the savings from state-led cuts in property and income taxes.

“Certainly its part of the reason why we want to keep those costs down. But if we can find other ways to encourage our utilities and others to keep costs down, I think that’s important for us,” said Walker.

Two of the three PSC Commissioners — Phil Montgomery and Ellen Nowa — are Walker appointees. Last week, they both outvoted Doyle appointee Eric Callisto to approve a rate increase for Green Bay utility Wisconsin Public Service Corp.