Take Action for Fair Energy Rates and Affordable Solar Power in Wisconsin!

UPDATE: Wisconsin Power & Light has changed its proposal; read more HERE for updated talking points.

Two of Wisconsin’s major utilities – Madison Gas & Electric (MGE) and Wisconsin Power & Light (WPL) – have proposed increases in their rates for electricity and natural gas, in addition to significant changes to the rules governing sales of energy back to the grid by rooftop solar users (a process known as net metering).

As the climate crisis continues to worsen, longer, more severe, and more frequent heat waves will increasingly burden low-income individuals and families with high energy bills. This burden will be even higher if the proposed rate increases are approved. At the same time, proposed changes to net metering may put the cost savings, freedom, and independence that comes with rooftop solar even further out of reach for those experiencing the greatest climate and energy burdens.

These proposals are a threat to climate justice in Wisconsin… but we have the opportunity to take action now!

Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission will make the final decision whether to approve or deny the proposed changes from MGE and WPL, and they want to hear from YOU!

If you’d like to submit a comment to the WI Public Service Commission about Madison Gas & Electric’s (MGE) proposed changes to its rates and net metering policies, we’ve put together some sample language and talking points to help you get started.

You do not need to be a customer of MGE or WPL to submit a comment, but we particularly encourage those in MGE and WPL’s service territories to make their voices heard. Your comment will carry extra weight if it’s unique, so please feel free to modify the suggested comment as much as you want, or draft a completely new one!

Talking points:

Low-income households already spend a higher share of their income on energy, and heat waves and other effects of the climate crisis will only make this worse.
Net metering (the ability to sell excess energy generated by rooftop solar back to utilities) is a key tool for making rooftop solar affordable and accessible to households, small businesses, nonprofits, and municipalities. Limiting or eliminating net metering may hamper all but the most affluent households and organizations from installing rooftop solar panels.
Increased barriers to renewable energy access will also worsen the energy burden in low-income households, many of which are BIPOC and are already suffering the worst effects of the climate crisis and of historical redlining and disinvestment from their communities.
With upfront costs of rooftop solar reduced thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credits and rebates, lower income households were anticipating creator access to and affordability of these technologies. However, the proposed changes may prevent access to these programs just as they become more affordable.
The proposed changes and the PSC’s decision are likely to set a precedent for how net-metering will be addressed by other utilities in Wisconsin, which may have a significant impact on our state’s ability to meet its climate goals.
We believe the proposed changes are inconsistent with the conclusions of the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change (GTFCC). The 2020 GTFCC report identified energy burden as a significant issue facing Wisconsin’s low-income communities, and recommended an “immediate strategy” of expanding equitable net metering (page 111).
The proposals could undermine Wisconsin’s eligibility to receive Solar for All funding – a total of $7 billion from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. This fund was established to further climate and clean energy goals, and proposed changes will put Wisconsin communities at a disadvantage based on the programs’ evaluation criteria.
The proposals could also undermine the ability of local governments to achieve their climate and clean energy goals, including renewable energy goals set by counties and municipalities in the affected service areas (for MGE: the City of Fitchburg, City of Madison, City of Middleton, City of Monona, and Dane County; for WPL: City of Baraboo, City of Beloit, City of Madison, City of Middleton, Dane County, and City of Sun Prairie).
Without affordable and accessible carbon-free energy sources, MGE customers will remain reliant on fossil fuels. The climate crisis is already impacting Wisconsin – heat waves, drought conditions, and other extreme weather events are threatening agriculture, ecosystems, air and water quality, and human health. The transition to solar and other forms of renewable energy is critical to avoid further impacts from the climate crisis.

Madison Gas & Electric

How to submit a comment:

Join the live public hearings on Wednesday, September 6 at 1 PM or 6 PM on Zoom or in-person in Madison. Check the notice of public hearing here for more information on how to join.
Submit a written comment here through September 26.

Sample comment (please edit to fit your own voice):

I’m writing in support of fair energy rates and net metering policies for Wisconsin. The changes under review in Docket No. 3270-UR-125 would make investing in rooftop solar harder and more expensive, and would increase the energy burden on low-income households.

As the climate crisis continues to worsen due to the continued burning of fossil fuels, longer, more severe, and more frequent heat waves and other extreme weather events will increasingly burden low-income individuals and families with high energy bills. This energy burden will be exacerbated by the proposed rate increases.

Net metering empowers Wisconsinites to take control of their energy consumption, reduce their carbon footprint, and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future. It is the single most important policy enabling every Wisconsin home, farm, business, nonprofit, faith community, and institution to own solar. By reducing strain on the grid, stabilizing energy prices, and fostering job growth, the benefits of net metering extend well beyond the solar customer.

Madison Gas and Electric’s proposal before the Public Service Commission will unfairly reduce the compensation customers receive for the energy they produce with their investment in solar. In addition, the compensation rates may be subject to change every year, creating uncertainty over the system’s value in the long term. Advancing this proposal will make it more difficult for people who cannot afford the upfront cost of purchasing solar panels to find the financing they might need, and will discourage the adoption of rooftop solar, negatively impacting our local economy and hindering our ability to meet our state’s climate goals as laid out in the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change report in 2020 and Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan.

Rooftop solar can be a boon for historically marginalized communities, providing access to clean energy and reducing utility bills for households disproportionately burdened by high electricity costs. These savings free up resources for other essentials like education, healthcare, and better living conditions. Our energy policies should be making it easier for all Wisconsinites to reap the benefits of clean energy.

As Wisconsin is increasingly impacted by the effects of the climate crisis – heat waves, drought, crop damage, threats to water and air quality, and health impacts – we cannot afford to remain reliant on fossil fuels. Now is not the time to derail our progress on distributed solar and renewable energy in Wisconsin!

Thank you for your support on this important issue.

Wisconsin Power & Light

UPDATE: Wisconsin Power & Light has changed its proposal; read more HERE for updated talking points.

How to submit a comment:

Join the live public hearings on Wednesday, September 13 at 1 PM or 6 PM on Zoom or in-person in Madison. Check the notice of public hearing here for more information on how to join.
Submit a written comment here through October 4.

Sample comment (please edit to fit your own voice):

I’m writing in support of fair energy rates and net metering policies for Wisconsin. The changes under review in Docket No. 6680-UR-124 would make investing in rooftop solar harder and more expensive, and would increase the energy burden on low-income households.

As the climate crisis continues to worsen due to the continued burning of fossil fuels, longer, more severe, and more frequent heat waves and other extreme weather events will increasingly burden low-income individuals and families with high energy bills. This energy burden will be exacerbated by the proposed rate increases.

Net metering empowers Wisconsinites to take control of their energy consumption, reduce their carbon footprint, and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future. It is the single most important policy enabling every Wisconsin home, farm, business, nonprofit, faith community, and institution to own solar. By reducing strain on the grid, stabilizing energy prices, and fostering job growth, the benefits of net metering extend well beyond the solar customer.

Alliant’s proposal would create uncertainty for Wisconsinites looking to go solar, proposing to replace net metering with a complicated set of charges and credits that are subject to change. This complicated pricing formula will make it difficult for solar customers to budget for rooftop solar investments, ultimately disincentivizing new solar adoption and hindering our ability to meet our state’s climate goals as laid out in the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change report in 2020 and Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan.

Rooftop solar can be a boon for historically marginalized communities, providing access to clean energy and reducing utility bills for households disproportionately burdened by high electricity costs. These savings free up resources for other essentials like education, healthcare, and better living conditions. Our energy policies should be making it easier for all Wisconsinites to reap the benefits of clean energy.

As Wisconsin is increasingly impacted by the effects of the climate crisis – heat waves, drought, crop damage, threats to water and air quality, and health impacts – we cannot afford to remain reliant on fossil fuels. Now is not the time to derail our progress on distributed solar and renewable energy in Wisconsin!

Thank you for your support on this important issue.