The Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group Inc. (WIEG) a nonprofit association representing 25 of Wisconsin’s largest energy consumers and 35,000 jobs, on Monday urged lawmakers to reject renewed efforts to revive the transmission Right of First Refusal (ROFR) legislation. It has been defeated in two consecutive sessions and is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks. The ROFR legislation would remove competitive protections and would result in higher costs for consumers.
Wisconsin, which once paid among the lowest rates in the country for electricity, now pays among the highest in the Midwest. Its electric rates have now exceeded the Midwest average for over 20 years.
Wisconsin utilities have recently announced new capital plans over the next five to 10 years. New public capital plans include over $18 billion for generation, battery storage, and distribution, plus a minimum of $9 billion in new transmission. Over 4,000 megawatts of fully dispatchable generation resources have been retired over the last decade leaving billions in “stranded assets.” The Wisconsin Public Service Commission recently authorized roughly $550 million in additional electric and natural gas rates for 2025 and 2026.
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