,

State Regulators Will Soon Vote On We Energies’ Rate-Increase Proposal

Solar Oppose Plan, Say That The Utility May Be Behind Fake Consumer Petition Backing Proposal

By
Eric Allix Rogers (CC-BY-NC-SA).

One of the big fights between the solar power industry and Wisconsin utilities could be decided as early as this Friday.

The state Public Service Commission will rule soon on a rate case from Milwaukee-based We Energies. Solar power advocates say certain parts of the utility’s proposal to increase the fixed charges on customers’ bills would hurt solar installers and customers.

An Arizona-based coalition of solar advocates calling itself Tell Utilities Solar Won’t Be Killed, or TUSK, also wants to know if We Energies was partly behind a fake consumer petition endorsing the rate plan. TUSK spokesperson Mike Scerbo said his group has set up a confidential hotline for We Energies employees to call and tell what they know about the petition.

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

“People can leave their name or they can leave a comment anonymously,” he said. “But I think the people of Wisconsin really need to know one way or the other.”

Scerbo said his coalition will protect the confidentiality of any callers. He said the hotline has received a few calls, but nothing with any hard information. We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey says his company had nothing to do with the fake petition, and says the PSC threw it out anyway.

“At this point there is no petition on the record,” he said. “So there isn’t a petition that’s been accepted by the Public Service Commission, and another petition that was a pro-solar petition was also thrown out. So as the PSC has said, there is no point in investigation at this point.”

The fake petition also endorsed a controversial rate proposal from Madison Gas and Electric. That company also said it had no involvement with the petition, and wants an investigation.