October 2, 2025 – Germantown, Wi – Under Governor Tony Evers’ watch, Wisconsin families have been hit with relentless utility rate hikes year after year, rubber-stamped by the very agency designed to protect them, the Public Service Commission (PSC). Instead of acting as a watchdog for consumers, the Evers-appointed commissioners have become enablers for monopoly utilities, approving three consecutive years of higher energy bills. The result?
Working-class families, seniors on fixed incomes, and small businesses already struggling to make ends meet are footing the bill while utilities and their executives cash in.
In November 2024, the PSC again signed off on rate hikes for We Energies and WPS. At the same time, the Commission preserved a guaranteed 9.8 percent return on equity (ROE) for these monopoly providers. Disturbingly, ROE is not determined based on service reliability or infrastructure. It’s about enriching executives and rewarding shareholders.
While ratepayers are left scrambling to pay winter bills that can reach as high as $700 a month, utility executives enjoy multi-million-dollar salaries, bonuses, and stock awards.
The consequences are devastating. In 2024 alone, more than 187,000 Wisconsin households needed taxpayer-funded energy assistance just to keep the heat and lights on. That is not the sign of a healthy, affordable energy system; it is evidence that the PSC is failing at its most basic duty to protect the public.
Meanwhile, utilities are raking in record profits. Alliant Energy reported over $3 billion last year, and its CEO makes over $3,300 an hour. Yet Alliant, Xcel, and Madison Gas and Electric (MG&E) are lining up for even more, proposing rate hikes in 2026 and 2027 as high as 11.8 percent and 7.2 percent. For the average family, that’s another $18 a month siphoned away to pad shareholder profits. Most alarming for my district, We Energies asked for $418.8 million in hikes over just two years, which equates to an 18.5 percent increase for households, including an 8.58 percent spike in 2026 alone.
Enough is enough. Wisconsin families cannot continue to shoulder this burden while monopoly utilities and Wall Street investors thrive. The PSC was created to serve as a check on corporate greed, but it has abandoned that mission. By consistently approving rate hikes, the Commission has chosen profits over people.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The PSC can and must reject the proposed increases from Alliant, Xcel, MG&E, and We Energies. It must prove to the people of Wisconsin that it is willing to stand up to powerful utility interests and fight for ratepayers who are already stretched too thin by rising costs of living.
The bottom line is simple: Wisconsin families cannot afford Tony Evers’ energy policies any longer, and they cannot afford another PSC failure. It is the job of the PSC to protect ratepayers, and the time to act is now.
WCI COMMENTING RULES OF ETIQUETTE:
While open and honest debate is encouraged here, Washington County Insider asks that you comply with the following rules for posting. Those who do not comply will have their posts removed which may result in being banned from commenting.
Washington County Insider will not publish comments that:
Are considered likely to provoke, attack, or offend others. This is known as “trolling.” Trollers know when they are trolling, and so do we. *See definition of “troll” below. If you notice a few consistent blog trolls disappear, you’ll know why.
Are sexually explicit, abusive, or otherwise objectionable.
Contains inappropriate or vulgar language that is likely to offend.
Break the law or condone or encourage unlawful activity. This includes breach of copyright, defamation, and contempt of court.
Advertise products or services for profit.
Are seen to impersonate someone else.
Repeatedly post the same or similar messages (‘spam’)
Include personal contact details such as telephone numbers and postal or email addresses.
Include a link or photo that has not been approved by the editor prior to posting.
Are considered campaigning. See also “trolling” above.
Are unrelated to the topic.
NOTES:
Just because your comment doesn’t show up right away doesn’t mean you’re being censored. When you post a comment, it must first go through our filtering software. If it fails, your comment goes into a queue for manual approval.
Just because a comment or advertisement is on the site, doesn’t mean WCI endorses it.
The above rules are not intended to stop criticism or dissenters, but rather to stop those who are incapable of participating in a civilized manner.
*Trolling: a troll is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional response[2] or of otherwise disrupting normal, on-topic discussion,[3] often for the troll’s amusement. (source: Wikipedia)
All letters must include a US Postal address and direct cell/phone number for record keeping.
Email your political/election-related letters to the editor to washcoinsider@gmail.com