With so much breaking energy news, co-hosts Kristin Gilkes (CFC) and Tom Content (CUB) first review recent headlines, including: the announced closure of the coal-fired Columbia Energy Center in Portage, WI; a new solar/storage proposal from WEC and MGE; diversity and equity reporting requirements at the PSCW; recent WI state budget and legislative news; and the devastating electric system failures in Texas. We are joined by a panel to discuss coal plant closures and the clean energy transition from the perspective of several different stakeholders, including Todd Stuart of the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, Scott Smith of Madison Gas and Electric, and Dan Litchfield of Invenergy. Panel begins at 21:00.

We’re talking utility regulation! We start with a simple question – why are utilities regulated? (Ok, this question technically doesn’t get asked until minute 7:56, but who’s counting?) We also sort through some common terms on this topic, including discussion about deregulation, restructuring, and retail choice. These topics were central to the founding of the Customers First! Coalition over twenty years ago.

Our first interview is with Commissioner Ellen Nowak of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. We discuss some basics of utility regulation from a regulator’s perspective, as well as her take on topics like retail choice and performance-based ratemaking.

Next, Bill Malcolm of AARP joins to discuss his views on regulation and protecting utility customers. Follow Bill on Twitter @RTOWatchdog. He’s also available to connect on Facebook and LinkedIn. AARP web site: https://www.aarp.org/

Interview with Commissioner Nowak begins at minute 3:30.

Interview with Bill Malcolm begins at minute 35:00.

CUB Illinois: Report: Since 2015, IL Customers Have Lost $1 Billion With Alternative Suppliers

Link to download referenced 2019 Illinois Commerce Commission report: https://www.icc.illinois.gov/downloads/public/July%201%20ORMD%20Final%20PR.pdf

What was the energy story of 2020? What about the "shock" of the year? Who's got the next bright idea for 2021? On the latest episode of The Electric Wire podcast, we've got an outstanding roundtable to help review the year of 2020 and look ahead to some brighter days in 2021. 

Links Mentioned During Podcast:

Keep Wisconsin Warm Fund:

Annual Renewable Energy Summit Registration Link: 

Wisconsin State Journal: Xcel Energy proposes microgrids to improve reliability for large customers

In this episode of the Electric Wire, we take a look at polling and the 2020 Presidential Election results with pollster Charles Franklin, @pollsandvotes. Later in the podcast, we host a Customers First! Coalition member roundtable with some of the government affairs representatives for CFC members, including Matt Spencer of Madison Gas & Electric, Jennifer Shilling of Dairyland Power Cooperative, Joseph Owen of WPPI Energy, and Rob Richard of Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association.

Interview with Franklin begins at 7:10

Government Affairs Roundtable begins at 33:55

Kristin Gilkes is joined by Marge Anderson, Executive Vice President at Slipstream, to discuss green buildings and the upcoming October Energy webinar series hosted by the Customers First! Coalition and Slipstream. Kathy Kuntz, Acting Director of the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change also joins to discuss the Dane County Climate Action Plan’s recommendations on buildings and more. We discuss measures listeners can take today to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient.

Interview with Kathy Kuntz begins at 14:13.

Register for October Energy webinars: www.customersfirst.org/events

Information about Oregon, WI School District new net-zero elementary school: https://www.nationalsolartour.org/event/forest-edge-elementary-school

Today we begin to unpack energy storage from a customer angle and discuss the first “storage as transmission only asset” project being developed in Wisconsin. First, CFC Executive Director Kristin Gilkes interviews Tom Content, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), to discuss potential customer benefits from increased use of energy storage and how CUB will evaluate utility storage proposals going forward. Our second interview is with Bob McKee, Strategic Projects Director at American Transmission Company, who gives an overview of the company’s “SATOA” project impetus, timeline, and multi-faceted benefits.

Interview start times:

Tom Content – 3:29

Bob McKee - 21:10

Links discussed in the podcast:

WisEye.org archived coverage of energy storage presentation at the CFC Game Changers Power Breakfast (link will start at ~57:00 mark): https://wiseye.org/player/?clientID=2789595964&eventID=2019021061&startStreamAt=3427

Wisconsin Energy Distribution and Technology Innovation Report: https://www.m-werc.org/wedti-report

MISO Generator Interconnection Queue – Active Projects Map: https://api.misoenergy.org/PublicGiQueueMap/index.html

Just in time for #AmericanWindWeek, CFC Executive Director Kristin Gilkes interviews Scott Coenen of the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum regarding the organization’s mission and the status of wind in Wisconsin from that group’s perspective. Brian Rude and Jennifer Shilling of Dairyland Power Cooperative discuss their roles within the organization and on the CFC Board, as well as DPC’s investment in wind energy on behalf of co-op customers.

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Chairperson Rebecca Valcq and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes join Kristin Gilkes and co-host Bob Stone of the IBEW 2150 to discuss Wisconsin’s carbon reduction goals, the Governor’s Climate Change Task Force, and the appointment of Wisconsin’s newest PSC Commissioner.

Interview with Chairperson Valcq begins at 9:30

Interview with Lt. Governor Barnes begins at 27:02

Registration is still open for the April 29, 2020 Power Lunch. As we get closer to the event date, we will evaluate options to determine if we need to either postpone the event or host it online.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-lunch-building-toward-net-zero-carbon-registration-93806500769

Customers First! Coalition Executive Director Kristin Gilkes and RENEW Wisconsin’s Jane McCurry co-host this special episode all about electric vehicles (EVs) and EV policies. Gilkes and McCurry share personal and nostalgic experiences as EV drivers and discuss some of the advantages of choosing electric transportation. They also discuss current topics such as battery recycling and mining. Later, they’re joined by a panel of EV policy experts including Corey Singletary, Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin; Debbie Branson, Madison Gas & Electric; and Deb Erwin, Xcel Energy to discuss EV rates and utility issues, including how EVs can ultimately benefit all utility customers. Finally, we have added an extended interview with Deb Erwin from Xcel Energy to delve more deeply into the company’s efforts to study fleet savings that can result from electric vehicle conversion and an EV Roadmap for the City of Eau Claire.

Panel Discussion begins at 16:40.

Extended Interview with Deb Erwin begins at 1:05:25

APRIL 29, 2020, POWER LUNCH REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Register here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-lunch-building-toward-net-zero-carbon-registration-93806500769

The Rise of Solar! The first episode of our Energy Innovation Series focuses on solar power in Wisconsin. Heather Allen of RENEW Wisconsin joins to give a lay of the land and share her personal story of getting involved in renewable energy. Jeff Ripp of Alliant Energy discusses Alliant Energy’s recent announcement regarding an investment in 1GW of solar. Rep. Mike Kuglitsch discusses legislation he is working on to aid solar and wind workforce training grants.

INTERVIEW START TIMES

Heather Allen – 10:30

Jeff Ripp – 35:00

Rep. Kuglitsch - 47:15

LINK TO POWER LUNCH REGISTRATION:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-lunch-building-toward-net-zero-carbon-registration-93806500769