Megan Wittman, megan.wittman@sierraclub.org
Milwaukee, WISCONSIN – The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved an increase for We Energies residential rates by 13-14%. We Energies proposed a 19% increase. As the most profitable utility in the state, this rate increase continues to reward We Energies for bad decisions, such as past investments in fossil fuels. As We Energies continues to propose new gas plants, the PSC deserves more transparency. The PSC should equally scrutinize We Energies’ plans for a new $2 billion methane gas plant– which will likely increase costs even more for customers in the coming years as fossil fuels grow increasingly expensive.
“We are disappointed in this decision, but we’re not going to stop fighting to put people first. We appreciate the Commission scrutinizing We Energies' claims about the needs for this increase. We Energies' poor investment in fossil fuels have put us in this place. Going forward, we hope to see the Commission continue to investigate We Energies' claims about the needs of its customers. This will be more critical than ever as the Commission rules on decisions about new gas facilities that could result in stranded assets, hurting our communities even more,” said Cassie Steiner, Senior Campaign Coordinator of Sierra Club - Wisconsin. “For so many people, higher utility bills mean greater financial strain for everyday needs– from affording rent or their mortgage, to being able to put food on the table for their family. People shouldn’t have to choose between affording groceries and keeping the lights on.”
We Energies makes more than double the revenue of the next highest utility and has one of the highest electricity rates in the Midwest. In the last two years, We Energies has already increased rates more than 13% following a decades-long trend of raising costs. Over the past two decades, customers’ bills have more than doubled at a rate faster than inflation.
More than half of Wisconsin residents live paycheck-to-paycheck, and We Energies’ increased rate will undoubtedly put greater financial strain on folks trying to make ends meet. Raising costs would disproportionately affect Black, Hispanic, and Latinx communities in the Milwaukee area. Black and Hispanic/Latinx neighborhoods have more than 2x the energy burden of white neighborhoods and racial disparities of energy burden in Milwaukee still remain among the highest in the nation.
“350 Wisconsin is deeply disappointed by yesterday's PSC decision to prioritize corporate profits over the needs of everyday Wisconsinites. This decision will hurt people already struggling to pay for everyday needs for their families, like putting food on the table, affording basic healthcare, and keeping their homes at a livable temperature. At a time when so many communities are facing uncertainties about their futures, the people of Wisconsin deserve to know that their public agencies are looking out for them, not the corporations. We look forward to seeing We Energies and WPS implement their long-promised affordability programs to help these struggling communities, and we hope to see better decisions from the PSC and the utilities in the future,” said Emily Park, Co-Executive Director of 350 Wisconsin.
More than 300 public comments were submitted to the PSC in opposition to the rate case. Last month, advocates took to the street to rally against We Energies rate increases and plans for new methane gas ahead of the PSC’s public hearing in downtown Milwaukee.
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.