Wisconsin

Restructuring Overview  |  Public Benefits

Legislation Passed
Electric N Gas N

Electric
Overview

• The retail electricity market is not deregulated in Wisconsin, and retail electricity prices continue to be regulated by the PSC. The state did implement a public benefits charge to fund energy assistance and weatherization programs.
• In 1998, Wisconsin deregulated the wholesale electric power market by allowing construction of merchant wholesale power plants by independent power producers.
• July 2003: Gov. Jim Doyle signs a budget into law that raids Wisconsin’s fund for energy conservation and low-income energy assistance of $47 million. Money collected from Wisconsin electricity customers for energy conservation -- helping pay for everything from more efficient appliances and light bulbs to construction of more environmentally friendly homes -- will instead be used to help balance the state budget during the next two years.

Natural Gas
Overview

• In November 1996, Wisconsin Gas Company, the largest local distribution company (LDC) in the state, with 35% of the residential market, initiated a pilot program to provide services to residential and small commercial customers. This small pilot program was limited to the West Bend area and a maximum cumulative number of therms. The program was expanded slightly and extended three times. At the end of the second year, 1,368 residential and 671 commercial customers were enrolled. In the third year, these numbers increased to 1,550 and 758, respectively. In the fourth year (November 1, 1999 through October 31, 2000), the program was expanded to include customers in three more municipalities. Further expansion of unbundled service is still under investigation. As of December 1999, 1,869 residential customers (0.1% of total residential customers) were served by competitive suppliers.

Choice Status

• The residential pilot programs have since been closed since October 31, 2001. Plans may develop in the future, but there is nothing on the books right now specifically for the residential customer.

Utility Regulatory Commission
Public Service Commission
1-800-225-7729
http://psc.wi.gov

Consumer advocate
Department of Justice
Office of Consumer Protection
608-266-1221
www.doj.state.wi.us/columns/

Public Benefits

Wisconsin has not passed restructuring legislation, but its "Reliability 2000" law addressed long-term energy reliability issues and created public benefits funding for energy efficiency, renewables and low-income energy programs. The state Department of Administration Division of Energy administers some new programs under the umbrella program "Wisconsin Focus on Energy;" individual programs operated by utilities will transition to DOA administration by January 2003. Funding for the low-income energy portion of the public benefits fund varies each year and comes from three sources: prior utility (gas and electric) low-income expenditures, a new access fee or customer charge on all electric bills, and the current year’s federal LIHEAP and weatherization allocations – totally about $122 million for FY 2001. The low-income programs are permanently funded. (Click here for details on the state’s low-income energy and general residential energy programs.)