The Electric Wire

Consumer advocates are statutorily-designated organizations that represent the interests of customers before public utility commissions. David Springe, Executive Director, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, and Tom Content, Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, join the Electric Wire to discuss more about the role and function of consumer advocate organizations, some of the challenges they face, and ways to keep energy affordable.

Links:

Home - NASUCA

Citizens Utility Board – Your

CUB Tracks

CUB Tracks on

***

CFC is hosting a Power Breakfast focused on the role nuclear power plays in Wisconsin’s energy generation mix on Thursday, April 13, at the

We’d love to see our Electric Wire listeners at the Power Breakfast! You can register for the Power Breakfast at our EventBrite page, here:

We will have a special table reserved for Electric Wire listeners!

Special thanks to our event sponsors! “Energy Density” Sponsors include Fredrickson law firm and the Nuclear Energy Institute. “All the Power” sponsors include NuScale Power, Wisconsin Counties Association, and Stafford Rosenbaum LLP.

Commissioner Ellen Nowak joined the Electric Wire podcast to reflect back on her 11 years at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, as her term comes to a close on March 1, 2023. Nowak joined episode co-hosts Sen. Julian Bradley (R-Franklin), Chair of Wisconsin's Senate Committee on Utilities and Technology, and CFC Executive Director Kristin Gilkes to recall memories from the past decade at the PSCW, including her work on issues such as modeling and educating about the impacts of the proposed Clean Power Plan, Economic Development Rates, overseeing the Focus on Energy program, cyber security issues, NARUC leadership, and much more.

Interview begins just before the 5:00 mark.

Links mentioned in the episode:

NARUC Resolution:

https://pubs.naruc.org/pub/64709C9B-1866-DAAC-99FB-CE1E322EBACF?_gl=1*qvn4o7*_ga*MTI3NTY0MjgwMS4xNjc3MTg5MjUw*_ga_QLH1N3Q1NF*MTY3NzE4OTI1MC4xLjEuMTY3NzE4OTI1My4wLjAuMA

Electric Wire podcast, Episode 9 – Utility Regulation and Protecting Customers (with Commissioner Ellen Nowak)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5szygleajsI&t=618s

All about the Inflation Reduction Act!

Our panel breaks down some of the major energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), federal legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 16, 2022, which included sweeping changes to existing renewable energy production and investment tax credits, game-changing incentives for electric vehicles and electrification, and a host of rebates and other programs to spur home and building efficiency upgrades.

Our Panel Includes:

· Kathy Kuntz, Director, Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change

· Andrew Hanson, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP

· Anne Blair, Senior Director of Policy, Electrification Coalition

How You Can Take Advantage of the IRA – From the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate

https://daneclimateaction.org/what-you-can-do/federal-funding

Electric School Bus Funding in the IRA

https://stnonline.com/special-reports/inflation-reduction-act-offers-latest-school-bus-electrification-funding-opportunities/

The IRA makes school buses eligible for electrification funds through a new Clean Heavy Duty Vehicles program run by the EPA as part of the Clean Air Act.

The new program includes $1 billion for medium and heavy duty commercial electric vehicles, charging infrastructure and related workforce training. Class 6 and 7 school buses are eligible.

A Customer’s Guide to how to save money with IRA programs:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/

White House IRA Guidebook:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/cleanenergy/inflation-reduction-act-guidebook/

IRS Information on Tax Credits for EV purchases

https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/credits-for-new-electric-vehicles-purchased-in-2022-or-before

The Year-in-Review crew is back to discuss all things energy in 2022. Our panel answers questions about their top energy stories, ideas, projects, and podcast episodes of the year! 

Topics this year include: the Inflation Reduction Act, energy reliability, nuclear fusion, the Inflation Reduction Act, Miss Wisconsin (and now, Miss America!) Grace Stanke and her clean energy platform, electric vehicles, storage as the new solar, and the Inflation Reduction Act. (Notice a pattern?)   

Our panel includes:  

• Carrie Templeton, Chief of Staff to PSCW Chairperson Rebecca Valcq 

• Chris Hubbuch, energy reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal 

• Matthew Spencer, Director of Government Affairs, Madison Gas and Electric  

• Jennifer Shilling, Government Relations Manager, Dairyland Power Cooperative  

Our panel answers the question of what they’d do with “All the Power” in the industry with answers ranging from more news coverage of energy issues (guess!); encouraging Wisconsin’s use of federal funds for clean energy projects; and, highlighting the positive work of the electric industry.   

Show Links:   

Spence & Chris - Favorite Episode of the Electric Wire:  

Electric Wire, Episode 28 - Shining a Light on Investor-Owned Utilities with Jeff Keebler https://youtu.be/M6g_x2Fd9XY

Carrie - Favorite Episode of the Electric Wire:  

Episode 23: The Future of Utilities with Rebecca Ryan and Lauren Azar https://youtu.be/fgfVpRNS04o   

Jen - Favorite Episode(s!) of the Electric Wire:  

Electric Wire, Episode 24 - Nuclear Power and the Clean Energy Transition with Brent Ridge https://youtu.be/KGw0c7H8Vis  

Electric Wire, Episode 30 - Getting to Know Wisconsin's Electric Cooperatives https://youtu.be/sUjZS7wfNq4

Electric Wire, Episode 18 (2021) - New Energy for an Old Coal Plant: Beloit College Powerhouse Interview with Dan Schooff https://youtu.be/AsQh0eadEGA   

Kristin - Favorite Episode(s)  of the Electric Wire:  

Electric Wire, Episode 27 - The Reality of Retail Choice with Laurel Peltier https://youtu.be/r6fD7EMD_BY  

Electric Wire, Episode 21 - A Second Wind: Recycling Wind Turbine Blades https://youtu.be/IebcxHpMf5M 

Chris Hubbuch’s story about the Inflation Reduction Act and heat pumps:  https://madison.com/news/local/environment/a-little-bit-for-everybody-how-the-inflation-reduction-act-boosts-clean-energy/article_d6e7fb5a-468f-5126-9b17-33d4883a7888.html   

Link to provide feedback about the Electric Wire podcast:  https://forms.gle/yL5va4kR7RU4qiju8   

Don’t forget you can also give us some stars and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts! Thanks for listening!

Rob Richard of the Wisconsin Electric Cooperatives Association joins Kristin Gilkes as co-host of the latest episode of the Electric Wire, which is all about electric cooperatives.

We’ll meet representatives from four electric cooperatives from across the state, including:

· Robert Cornell, Manager, Washington Island Electric Cooperative

· Monica Obrycki, President and CEO, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative

· Karen Newbury, Director, Price Electric Cooperative (also WECA Board member and Dairyland Power Cooperative Board member)

· Nate Boettcher, President and CEO, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services

Our discussion includes stories about cooperation among co-ops, energy generation and reliability, the new Charge EV network for electric vehicle charging at cooperatives, and bringing broadband to cooperative members.

Note: WECA is a Founding Member of the Customers First! Coalition.

Links:

Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association:

Washington Island Electric Cooperative

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative

Price Electric Cooperative

Pierce Pepin Electric Cooperative

CHARGE EV network:

In this episode, we will learn more about the 81 cities, towns and villages across Wisconsin that own and operate a municipal electric utility. These municipal utilities are organized together through the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin (MEUW),  and we brought together a panel of experts to share more about the unique benefits of public power, including: Tim Heinrich, President and CEO of MEUW; Tyler Vorpagel, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at MEUW;  Troy Adams, General Manager, Manitowoc Public Utilities; Jill Weiss, Utilities Director at Stoughton Utilities; and, Rick Wicklund, General Manager, Sun Prairie Utilities.   

Note: MEUW is a member of the Customers First! Coalition. 

Links from Episode:   

Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin  

https://www.meuw.org/   

Manitowoc Public Utilities 

https://www.mpu.org/ 

Sun Prairie Utilities 

https://www.sunprairieutilities.com/   

Stoughton Utilities 

https://stoughtonutilities.com/   

Great Lakes Utilities 

https://www.greatlakesutilities.org/   

WPPI Energy 

https://wppienergy.org/

We take a closer look at the investor-owned utility model with Jeff Keebler, Chairman, President, and CEO of Madison Gas and Electric. Jeff shares more insights on how investor-owned utilities work, how they're regulated, and the new technologies changing the power dynamics in the industry.  

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) electric power sector survey data, almost 3,000 electric distribution companies—or utilities—are operating in the United States. EIA classifies utilities into three ownership types: investor-owned utilities, publicly run utilities such as municipal utilities, and cooperatives.   

This episode features investor-owned utilities, or IOUs, which are large electric distributors that issue stock owned by shareholders. Almost three-quarters of utility customers get their electricity from these companies.   

Upcoming episodes will discuss municipal utilities and electric cooperatives.   

Note: MGE is a member of the Customers First! Coalition, which produces the Electric Wire podcast.   

Links and additional reading:   

Energy Information Administration (EIA):  https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=40913    

Madison Gas and Electric https://www.mge.com/   

Wisconsin Utilities Association https://www.wiutilities.org/  

Edison Electric Institute https://www.eei.org/  

American Gas Association https://www.aga.org/   

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin https://psc.wi.gov/   

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin: Electric Service Territory Maps https://maps.psc.wi.gov/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bb1a9f501e3d472cbde970310540b466   

Wisconsin Legislative Council: Overview of Wisconsin’s Public Utility Regulatory System https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lc/information_memos/2017/im_2017_01

Laurel Peltier of the Maryland Energy Supplier Reform Coalition joins to discuss her first-hand experience with retail choice in Maryland. Laurel helps customers decipher their energy bills and has found countless examples of customers who would be saving money if they had stayed with their regulated utility.   

Laurel's web site:  https://www.energysupplierhelpdesk.org/ 

Laurel's recommendation for saving money on energy bills starts with energy efficiency! Wisconsin customers can get information on energy efficiency audits and energy saving measures from Focus on Energy, here: https://focusonenergy.com/

[Note: Audio Only Episode] New Ford F150 Lightning owners Nick and Alicia Schmidt join the Electric Wire to share some of their experiences as the first recipients of Ford's F150 Lightning EV. We discuss EV charging, the Lightning's infamous "frunk", and their experience towing an Airstream behind the Lightning.   

Link to NPR story on Nick and Alicia from earlier this summer:  https://www.npr.org/2022/06/20/1104920656/ford-electric-f150-lightning-electric-vehicles-automakers

Andy Bochman, Senior Grid Strategist, Idaho National Lab and Bob Stone, Business Manager, IBEW 2150, join host Kristin Gilkes to discuss a range of issues including preserving jobs and reliability in the coal to cleaner power transition, and how Andy's coined the term "global weirding." A must-listen episode that serves as a follow up to our recent conversation with Brent Ridge of Dairyland Power Cooperative about their exploration of nuclear energy.