WisBusiness: Rep says businesses are cutting energy use without legislation

By Brian E. Clark

For WisBusiness.com

Major businesses will continue to reduce energy consumption to save money, regardless of what Congress or the Wisconsin Legislature do about climate change legislation, the head of the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group (WIEG) said today.

“The companies I represent are already doing this just to remain competitive,” said Todd Stuart, WIEG executive director. He spoke on a “Changing Business Practices in a Sustainable World” panel at the WisPoliticsc.com-sponsored Focus on Midwest Energy III Conference held today at The Madison Club.

WIEG represents industries that are the state’s biggest power consumers, some with utility bills of $1 million a month, he said.

Stuart said WIEG members do not want any state or federal mandates and would prefer to have their decisions directed by the marketplace. He said they operate on “thin margins” and fear energy costs will increase significantly because of requirements that utilities produce energy from solar or wind farms.

Still, even if no bills with renewable mandates are passed, state Public Service Commission Chairman Eric Callisto said he will seek to increase funding for the state’s Focus on Energy program. The program, which he lauded as extremely successful at helping “pick off low-hanging fruit” such as inefficient light fixtures, motors and heating and air conditioning systems, now raises $90 million annually from a 1.2 percent levy on utilities.   

Callisto also praised efforts to reduce carbon emissions and said he “would love to have price on carbon, the sooner the better.

“We need to transition to a carbon-constrained environment,” he said. “But the intent of the legislation is not to break the bank on this. We can do it in a reasonable way.”