While most states have been increasing energy efficiency and local renewable energy spending to keep costs and emissions in check, Wisconsin electric customers have been burdened with seven new, high-capacity transmission lines over last nine years. What have we gained?
• Electricity rates climbing from average to highest in the Midwest.
• Carbon emissions continuing to rise.
• Crushing utility debt on WI electric bills for the next 20-40 years.
• Record breaking fixed fee increases even as electricity use drops.
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We ask you to join more than 3,100 electric customers in petitioning the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (WPSC) to comprehensively evaluate non-transmission alternatives for yet another transmission proposal (05-CE-146) as our electricity use continues to decline and more cost-effective, locally beneficial alternatives flourish.
The high interest utility debt for this project would be assumed by electric customers across all or part of eleven states: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Arkansas.
In signing this electronic version of this petition http://bit.ly/PetitionPSC you are requesting the WPSC to require determination of the benefits electric customers would receive if the same billions sought for transmission expansion were spent instead on energy efficiency, modern load management tools and developing local renewable energy. See full text of the petition below.
Sponsored by S.O.U.L. of Wisconsin [Save Our Unique Lands]
http://soulwisconsin.org/ email: iinfo@SOULWisconsin.org
La Farge, Wisconsin 54639
Petition to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, American Transmission Company and ITC Transmission Holdings Corporation regarding “Cardinal Hickory Creek” 05-CE-146 that includes a high voltage transmission option (the “Project”) between Dane County, Wisconsin and Dubuque County, Iowa. In signing this petition I hereby request the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in cooperation with applicants to ensure that the application includes a clear, consumer-friendly, comprehensive, cost-benefit analysis of non-transmission alternatives including equally valued investments in accelerated energy efficiency, load management and distributed generation both as stand alone resources and in combination with each other and also providing load reducing support of lower voltage transmission facilities that would be avoided by the Project. The funding amounts for the alternative investments should match that Wisconsin ratepayers would assume over 40 years including financing, operation, maintenance and all other costs. I request that the above information along with year by year estimates of total carbon emissions for the MISO north region and Wisconsin over a 10 year study window be made available in complete, accountable form for public evaluation before the application is deemed complete or else the Commission is hereby instructed to not issue notice of proceeding for this docket.
