Dive Brief:
- Critics of We Energies recently-approved plan to increase flat fees say a state regulator should have recused herself after appearing on a panel along with the head of Wisconsin Energy Corp.
- Gale Klappa, chairman and CEO of Wisconsin Energy, spoke June 10 on a panel alongside Wisconsin Public Service Commissioner Ellen Nowak.
- Comments made during the panel, titled "Utility Regulation and Success in a Low Growth Economy," appear as though Nowak is advising Klappa, say solar supporters.
Dive Insight:
It's a late twist out of the solar fight going on in Wisconsin.
The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) had signaled it would sue to overturn new We Energies rates, which would include raising a monthly fee by about 75%, from $9 up to $16, along with a 3% drop in energy rates. But now Bloomberg is reporting that Klappa and Nowak appeared on an Edison Electric Institute panel together on June 10. And Bryan Miller, co-chairman TASC, said the discussion means Nowak should recuse herself before the decision becomes final.
Nowak supported the rate case in the 2-1 vote, and reportedly said at the panel that utilities should revise their rate structures to ensure solar panel owners paid their fair share. TASC has been a vocal opponent of what the group believes is an outright tax on solar energy.
The utility also proposed a 10-year grandfathering period for customers who already have installed renewable generation. And opponents did score one victory when regulators denied a proposal that would have blocked third-party ownership of grid-connected solar panels.