Wisconsin regulators have approved another rate increase, but the final impact on customers’ monthly bills has not yet been determined.
MILWAUKEE —
We Energies customers will see our energy bills increase over the next two years after Wisconsin regulators approved a rate increase, although the final amount has not been determined.
Preliminary estimates were released Friday after this report was released:
- Increase of 3.9% in 2027 and 3.5% in 2028.
- The typical electricity bill impact for We Energies residential customers will be between $7 and $8 per month in 2027 and between $6 and $7 per month in 2028.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission, a three-member nonpartisan board, met for more than 10 hours Thursday before voting on the request. This will be the energy company’s sixth rate increase since 2020.
In April, We Energies said the proposed rate changes would increase bills by about $13 per month in 2027 and an additional $8 to $9 per month in 2028. The PSC did not finalize the rates Thursday.
We Energies said the increase would support “key investments” including more power produced in Wisconsin, continued tree pruning to reduce power outages and the installation of underground power lines to harden the grid against severe weather.
“Our customers rely on us every day to get the energy they need, and we recognize our responsibility to continue to provide safe and reliable energy, while keeping customer bills as low as possible,” a We Energies spokesperson said. “During this months-long process, we worked with client groups and Commission staff to reduce costs to clients by tens of millions of dollars. »
The Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, an independent, nonprofit consumer advocacy group, expects the increase to be less than We Energies had requested.
“Based on where (the PSC) stands on key issues, we can confidently say that this rate hike will be much lower than what the utility has requested,” said Tom Content, the group’s executive director. “The savings could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars, but unfortunately not enough to prevent an increase from taking effect. »
The Clean Economy Coalition of Wisconsin echoed that assessment, saying that while reducing the requested increase was “a significant step toward holding the utility accountable and protecting customers from excessive costs,” the decision underscored the need for stronger protections against repeated increases and broader reform.
We Energies said that whatever the final increase, Wisconsin’s energy costs will remain below the national average and in line with rates elsewhere in the Midwest.
The commission’s written order, which will include final rates, is expected within a few weeks.
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