Protecting our children’s health is something we all can agree on. But Madison Gas and Electric’s (MGE) and Alliant Energy’s rate proposals would keep Wisconsinites reliant on fossil fuels that pollute the air in our kids’ lungs, contaminate the water in their cups, and destabilize the climate. Both proposals would harm rooftop solar by curbing net metering and would increase energy burden: MGE has proposed raising rates 9.6% for electricity and 4.5% for gas by 2025 and Alliant has proposed a 19.2% electric and 7.5% gas increase for residential customers by 2025. The burden of rate hikes would be shouldered primarily by families, with business/industrial customers receiving a lesser rate increase.

 

Both MGE and Alliant have significantly higher profit rates (return on equity) than the national average. MGE reported a profit of $111 million in 2022, more than double the size of the rate increases being sought. Alliant reported $350 million in profit in 2022. On a recent shareholder earnings call, their CEOs celebrated record shareholder profits and then delayed the retirements of polluting coal plants like Oak Creek. Then they turned around and told communities that the new price hikes were due to clean energy. Don't let these companies blame clean energy, while communities of color and low-to-moderate-income families continue to struggle to pay rising utility bills. 

 

See our FAQ for more details about net metering and energy burden as a health equity issue >>

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