The Electric Wire

The Electric Wire

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The Electric Wire episodes

  • Staying Connected with Rep. Adam Neylon

    Rep. Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee) joins the Electric Wire to discuss legislative guiding principles, his personal perspective on nuclear power, load growth, and bipartisan energy solutions.

    Mentioned in this discussion:

    WisconsinEye coverage of CFC’s 2025 Power Breakfast on Data Centers and Energy Use:

    https://wiseye.org/2025/05/06/customers-first-coalition-2025-power-breakfast/

    Electric Wire, Episode 36 - Considerations When Installing Solar Power at Your Home or Business

    https://youtu.be/g-FRPsCxc7E

    31 min
  • Good Energy and the Power of the People with Rep. Supreme Moore Omokunde

    Wisconsin State Representative Supreme Moore Omokunde (D-Milwaukee) joins the Electric Wire to discuss recent legislative initiatives, energy policy, and creating a bridge between urban and rural Wisconsin residents with climate initiatives.

    As mentioned in the episode, CFC is hosting our annual Power Breakfast on May 6, 2025, in Madison and this year's topic is data centers and energy use. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cfc-power-breakfast-2025-data-centers-and-energy-use-tickets-1246469396519

    17 min
  • 2024 Year-in-Review Roundtable + 2025 Predictions

    Our year-in-review crew is back to reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025. Special guests include: Kara Pennoyer, Chief

    of Staff to Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Chairperson Summer Strand; Matthew Spencer, Director
    of Government Relations, Madison Gas and Electric; Luke Fuller, Government Relations Manager, Dairyland Power Cooperative; Jessica Niekrasz, Vice President of Operations, BIOFerm.

    49 min
  • Episode 50! The 2024 Power Breakfast featuring Marcus Hawkins, Laurel Peltier, Brent Ridge, and more

    Earlier this year we celebrated some of our top episodes of the Electric Wire podcast in person by inviting previous podcast guests to Madison to speak at our annual Power Breakfast.


    Thanks to WisconsinEye, we are able to bring Power Breakfast audio and video to our listeners. Please visit wiseye.org to check out more live and archived footage from WisconsinEye and consider making a donation to this free service!


    This podcast episode follows the Power Breakfast agenda for speaker order:


    - Opening Remarks by Commissioner Marcus Hawkins, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

    - Laurel Peltier, Journalist and Energy Advocate

    - Brent Ridge, President and CEO, Dairyland Power Cooperative

    - Wisconsin's Energy Providers Panel

    - Rep. Lisa Subek, Ranking Member, Assembly Energy &

    Utilities Committee


    Thanks for listening!



    2 hr 22 min
  • Previewing the 2024 Power Breakfast with Justin Chasco

    Justin Chasco of Fredrikson & Byron joins the podcast to discuss CFC's upcoming Power Breakfast event, which will celebrate the 50th episode of the Electric Wire podcast.

    Registration and info about the event can be found here:
    https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-power-breakfast-the-best-of-the-electric-wire-tickets-923933468877

    30 min
  • Overview of Vista Sands Solar Project in Central WI with Jon Baker

    Jon Baker, Project Manager of the proposed Vista Sands Solar Project in Central Wisconsin, joins the Electric Wire to discuss the process, opportunities, and challenges that come with siting a large solar project. Read Jon’s recent opinion column highlighting the project, here: https://captimes.com/opinion/guest-columns/opinion-solar-project-furthers-conservation-clean-energy-goals/article_b0e07dba-0ef5-11ef-9435-dba12b87857a.html

    Register for CFC's August 15, 2024, Power Breakfast, here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-power-breakfast-the-best-of-the-electric-wire-tickets-923933468877

    42 min
  • Powering Wisconsin with Peder Mewis and Mike Kuglitsch

    On Episode 47 of the Electric Wire, we discuss the steps Powering Wisconsin is taking to help include utility-scale renewable energy in Wisconsin’s generation portfolio and the process it takes to get more renewable energy sited here in Wisconsin. Special guests include Peder Mewis, Clean Grid Alliance, and Mike Kuglitsch, Michael Best Strategies LLC, representing Powering Wisconsin. Matthew Spencer, Madison Gas & Electric, co-hosts. Read Peder’s recent Op-Ed on Wisconsin’s energy policies, here: https://captimes.com/opinion/guest-columns/opinion-lawmakers-taking-right-approach-to-renewable-energy/article_668ac7f6-03ed-11ef-8533-7b7ef69acb83.html

    Don't forget to register for CFC's Power Breakfast on August 15, 2024, here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-power-breakfast-the-best-of-the-electric-wire-tickets-923933468877

    54 min
  • Consumer Issues, Data Centers, and Recapping the NASUCA Conference with Tom Content

    Tom Content, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, joins host Kristin Gilkes to recap the recent NASUCA Conference in Madison, WI, and the issues discussed at the conference, such as data centers, transmission, EV buildout, innovative rate designs, and more.

    CFC's Power Breakfast on August 15 will highlight key speakers from the Electric Wire podcast as we celebrate our 50th episode. Register here:

    2024 Power Breakfast: The Best of the Electric Wire Tickets, Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at 8:15 AM | Eventbrite
    Key Moments from this Episode:

    4:00 – NASUCA Conference: Discussion of Consumer

    Impacts from Extreme Heat + PSCW Commissioner Kristy Nieto Introductory Remarks

    5:57 – Issues related to data centers

    8:10 – Considerations of direct selling baseload power to

    data centers in other states

    9:30 – Microsoft data center in WI

    10:15 – cost allocation for data centers

    11:06 – transmission issues discussed at conference

    16:22 – EPRI Electric Vehicles Buildout Tool for Utilities

    18:45 – Consumer issues on the horizon

    19:50 – Increasing demand/affordability tipping point

    20:50 – Bringing down costs

    23:15 – Tom’s “All the Power” moment

    25:12 – Appropriate levels of spending on energy efficiency

    27:00 – Upcoming CFC Power Breakfast on August 15

    Registration Link:

    2024

    Power Breakfast: The Best of the Electric Wire Tickets, Thu, Aug 15, 2024 at
    8:15 AM | Eventbrite

    31:20 – Upcoming CCIF report on innovative rate designs and time of use rates

    38 min
  • Wisconsin Moving Forward with National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan

    Wisconsin is taking action to access federal funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program which will help install EV fast charging stations along the state's major highway corridors. Our special guests for this episode include: Emma Heins of the Electrification Coalition and Kaleb Vander Wiele of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

    Links from Episode

    Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Electrification

    https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/projects/multimodal/electrification.aspx

    Interactive Map of Potential Charging Station Locations

    https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8405604ccc034f7c8c4e95e6776951a7#data_s=id%3AdataSource_7-189ad031f53-layer-11%3A17

    Electrification Coalition

    https://electrificationcoalition.org/


    Key Moments


    1:40 - Interview with Emma Heins begins

    4:40 - WI legislation

    8:00 - Additional aspects of legislation

    11:15 - Why federal incentives for EVs?

    13:00 - How will EV charging in WI change over the next year?

    14:30 - Other policy actions needed on EVs?

    17:40 - Emma's "All the Power" moment

    19:57 - Interview with Kaleb Vander Wiele begins

    25:00 - Changes in EV policies since 2017

    28:10 - NEVI

    30:30 - Charging Station Map (See map online: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/8405604ccc034f7c8c4e95e6776951a7#data_s=id%3AdataSource_7-189ad031f53-layer-11%3A17)

    38:22 - Where do we go from here?

    46:37 - Kaleb's "All the Power" moment

    49 min
  • Chairperson Rebecca Valcq Reflects on Her Time Leading the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

    Chairperson Rebecca Valcq joins us to reflect on her five years leading the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin as she prepares for her final day at the agency on February 2, 2024. We discuss her proudest moments, biggest challenges, memorable cases, and much more. Lori Sakk, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, joins to co-host

    this episode.

    Chairperson Valcq discusses the following during our

    conversation:

    • What’s been happening at the Public Service
    • Commission of Wisconsin since the last time we spoke (5:05)
    • Looking back at expectations for the job (7:00)
    • Proudest moments (9:22)
    • Biggest challenges (12:16)
    • Major cases (18:38)
    • Generic dockets (20:25)
    • Memorable episodes of the Electric Wire podcast
    • (25:15)
    • Memorable WPUI programs (28:00)
    • Sharing wisdom from experience (31:20)
    • Legacy (34:44)
    • All the Power moment (37:28)
    • What’s ahead (40:10)
    • Links from Episode:

      Wisconsin  Public

      Utility Institute (WPUI):

      https://wpui.wisc.edu/

      Upcoming Educational Programs from WPUI:

      https://wpui.wisc.edu/programs/

      Electric Wire, Episode 3 (Apple)

      https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/energy-innovation-with-wisconsin-energy-leaders/id1497322756?i=1000468353689

      Electric Wire, Episode 3 (Spotify)

      https://open.spotify.com/episode/6gpyBr1DZAFbYOq2rIc6Ja

      45 min

    About The Electric Wire

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    The Electric Wire Podcast is a production of the Customers First! Coalition, featuring Wisconsin energy and utilities interviews and news.

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