CUB: Saves Ratepayers Millions on New Power Plant

More information:
Charlie Higley, (608) 251-3322 x. 14

MADISON – The Citizens Utility Board (CUB) knocked millions of dollars off the price of a new power plant being built near Sheboygan Falls.

Today the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approved Wisconsin Power & Light’s (WP&L) request to lease and operate a new 300 megawatt gas-fired power plant currently being built by Sheboygan Power LLC, an affiliate of WP&L. The new plant is expected to begin operating in June.

CUB intervened at the PSC, arguing that the price of $145 million for the plant asked for by WP&L was too high. Instead, CUB argued that the price for a key component of the power plant (the combustion turbines) had dropped in recent years, and that ratepayers should receive the savings. The PSC agreed with CUB and reduced the price of the power plant by $11 million.

CUB also argued that WP&L would make too much in profit if the PSC agreed to the deal as proposed by the utility. CUB urged the PSC to reduce the amount of profit that WP&L will earn on this power plant. Although the reduction was not as much as CUB requested, the PSC reduced WP&L’s profits by $2 million.

“Thanks to CUB’s involvement in this power plant case, ratepayers will save millions of dollars on their future electric bills,” said Charlie Higley, executive director.

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The Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin is a member-supported nonprofit organization that advocates for reliable and affordable utility service and that represents the interests of residential, farm, and small business customers of electric, natural gas, and telecommunication utilities before regulatory agencies, the legislature, and the courts.