— Republican advocates for community solar in Wisconsin say their bill would lead to lower energy rates through competition while getting more local buy-in for projects.
During a recent joint appearance on WisconsinEye, Sen. Duey Stroebel and Rep. Scott Krug touted legislation they’re reintroducing that would allow customers to subscribe to a community solar facility and get credits on their electricity bill.
According to an overview from WisEye, subscriber organizations wouldn’t need to be utilities and projects would need to pass local government bodies with a two-thirds majority vote. Plus, the state Public Service Commission would establish rates for the customer bill credits based on the costs and benefits of the solar facility in question.
Stroebel said the bill would allow more avenues for power generation other than the state’s large investor-owned utilities.
“It creates competition, and competition creates more affordable rates, and that’s really what we need in the state of Wisconsin,” the Saukville Republican said. “Because our energy rates are high compared to others in the Midwest, and this is part of a solution to fix that problem.”
Utilities in the state are opposed to the legislation, with the Wisconsin Utilities Association arguing in a statement it would “chiefly benefit the out-of-state community solar developers at the expense of” non-subscribing energy customers.
“Meanwhile, the developers would benefit from using Wisconsin’s electric grid with no obligation to maintain service and reliability, to prove the generating asset is necessary or cost effective, or to be a provider of last resort, as Wisconsin’s utilities are required to do,” the group said last month.
Krug noted Wisconsin remains a net importer of energy, arguing allowing community solar projects would expand access in both rural and urban areas while adding more energy to the grid. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the state consumes nearly six times as much energy as it produces.
While more solar projects are being developed in Wisconsin, solar still makes up less than 1 percent of the state’s overall energy mix, PSC figures show. Krug highlighted rising demand for more renewable energy in the state, and blamed that low figure on regulatory restrictions.
“Right now, the ability for people to do more is hindered by regulation, and that’s the problem we have right now,” the Nekoosa lawmaker said, adding the bill would “get rates to the point where everybody can afford it” and give landowners more options for making money.
He also noted each project would be linked to the community through an “anchor” facility, which could be a grocery store, school, or small- to medium-sized employer. Because local residents could buy into these projects to reduce their electricity bills, Krug argued projects will benefit the entire community.
“This is a win-win option for all of Wisconsin, because you’ve got all the political sides that should be there coming together,” he said. “The far left on the green side, and the far right on the open market type people. All open to this idea, and this concept around the country that 22 other states are already doing. It’s just time for us to kind of jump in on the same thing.”
Still, Stroebel acknowledged the bill doesn’t have bipartisan support. But he said “we can get there” as lawmakers learn more about the bill. He said it’s supported by organizations in Wisconsin representing farmers and grocers, pointing to a “large contingency” of backers.
Watch the full interview: https://wiseye.org/2023/04/04/newsmakers-solar-energy-and-community-solar-in-wisconsin/
— A Swiss company called ABB has announced plans to open a new manufacturing facility in New Berlin and boost U.S. production of industrial electric drives.
ABB on Tuesday began pouring concrete for the new facility’s foundations, according to the release. The $100 million investment, expected to be completed in late 2024, will replace a nearby facility that currently employs about 720 workers. Over the next three years, the company says it will add about 100 new jobs.
The New Berlin project is the largest of seven projects the company is pursuing in the United States, with others in Tennessee, Georgia, New Mexico, Michigan, Pennsylvania and South Carolina. The company recently announced details for these investments, totaling about $170 million.
Bjorn Rosengren, CEO of ABB, says the U.S. market is critical to the company’s success. As its largest market, the United States makes up 24 percent of ABB’s annual revenue, per the release.
“Currently, 85 percent of ABB’s sales in the US are from products produced locally, which provides customers with a more secure supply chain and keeps good-paying manufacturing jobs in America,” he said in the release.
In a separate release from the White House, President Biden called ABB’s announcement “another win for Wisconsin.” He said federal initiatives including the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS and Science Act are helping drive investments like these.
“This investment in an electric drives and services manufacturing facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin will create good-paying jobs, shore up our transportation and infrastructure supply chains here at home, and help build a clean energy economy,” Biden said in the emailed statement.
See more project details: https://new.abb.com/news/detail/101645/abb-invests-170-million-in-the-us
See the White House release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/president-joe-biden-statement-on-abb-clean-energy-investments/
— Organizers for the Madison-based Social Good Accelerator are taking applications for the program through April 21.
This accelerator program aims to help diverse entrepreneurs develop their businesses, with a focus on stability and sustainability. The 12-week accelerator includes a mix of in-person and virtual activities, including workshops, peer-to-peer groups and individual coaching.
This year’s program begins May 23.
Apply here: https://socialgoodmadison.org/accelerator/
See more at Madison Startups: https://www.madisonstartups.com/social-good-accelerator-taking-apps-for-2023/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report … </b></i>
— A researcher at Marquette University is getting a $650,000 federal grant for a project that could impact new drug development.
And Madison-based Nordic Consulting announced it’s adding two health systems as clients and expanding IT.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
Sign up here: http://forms.gle/o8FtqTLviGJPja8C9
#TOP STORIES#
# Apprentice work a lucrative career alternative to college
# ABB to grow production, add 100 jobs with $100M New Berlin project
# Wisconsin legislators reach settlement with controversial factory farm
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=405&yr=2023
#TOPICS#
# CONSTRUCTION
– Brookfield pocket neighborhood plan scrapped for ranch-style condos. Here’s why.
– Wisconsin construction industry reacts after Protasiewicz wins State Supreme Court swing seat
# ECONOMY
– Milwaukee-area home sales are slowing, bidding wars continue
# EDUCATION
– Washington County task force proposes merging 2-year UW campus with Moraine Park Technical College
– Voters approve Ashwaubenon School District’s $19.5 million referendum, saving teachers from layoffs
– UW-Madison’s Babcock Hall renovations: A delicious blend of tradition and innovation
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=404&yr=2023
– $38.6 million Oconomowoc schools project funding referendum passes
# FOOD AND BEVERAGE
– Waukesha ribs restaurant with ties to Oprah will close in June
– New cocktail lounge in the mix for downtown Oconomowoc
# POLITICS
– Mount Pleasant incumbents survive challenges from Foxconn critics
– Milwaukee seeks proposals for housing thousands of police officers during RNC
# TRANSPORTATION
– Latino Academy gets $2M grant for commercial driver’s license program
– Wisconsin Department of Transportation releases online highway map going back 100 years
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
President Joe Biden: Statement on ABB Clean Energy Investments
