Wis Alliance for Retired Americans; NAACP State Conference; Coalition of Wis. Aging Groups press release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 16, 2014
Contact: A.J. Nino Amato, CWAG President / CEO 608.514.3317
RE: Public Utilities rate increase
MADISON - During most of the 20th Century and the first 14 years of this century, if you conserved energy usage on your
monthly utility bill and/or invested in energy efficient products and furnaces in your home or small business, you saved a great
deal of money on your monthly utility bill
And for nearly 90 years, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has rewarded utility customers and public utility
companies for promoting energy conservation and energy efficiency programs and services, through Wisconsin's progressive
utility rate-making structure and public process.
Tragically however, three of Wisconsin public utility companies now want to reverse 90 years of a "fair and balanced" utility
rate-making structure, for the sole purpose of increasing their corporate profits, without regards to its negative financial impact
on the elderly, disabled, low-income individuals and families, and citizens of color in Wisconsin.
That is why the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG), the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans (WIARA) and the
Wisconsin State Conference of the NAACP are shocked and deeply disappointed that Madison Gas and Electric, the
Wisconsin Public Service Corporation and WE Energies are proposing a radical rate-making plan, which will nearly double
the fixed rate charge per month on the backs of all residential and small businesses customers, throughout most of
Wisconsin.
Worse yet, this new rate-making scheme, will unfairly cause financial harm to Wisconsin's 1.3 million elderly and people with
disabilities - along with forcing low-income families to make tough choices, in order for them to pay their monthly utility bill.
Given this unexpected and radical departure from "fair and balanced" utility rate-making, CWAG, WIARA and Wisconsin's
NAACP State Conference, are asking the Public Service Commissioners to deny the proposed fixed rate increases for all
three public utilities.
According to CWAG's President, A.J. Nino Amato, a former senior utility executive for over thirteen years at Wisconsin Power &
Light Company, now Alliant Energy, also pointed out;
"It's time for the Public Service Commissioners of Wisconsin to order each of the public utilities, to establish a formal
Residential and Small Business Collaborative, with representation from environmental, utility consumer groups and
environmental justice advocates - so they can all work together in developing a cost-effective, long-term planning process
and business model . . . for dealing with today's realities of Global Climate Change. This collaborative would focus on how
utility customers and utility management can lower Wisconsin's carbon emissions/use of coal - and provide low-cost
renewable energy choices to all of its customers."
As for the triple digit proposed monthly fixed rate increases, WIARA Executive Director, Billy Feitlinger said: "With the growing
income inequalities in Wisconsin, we know for a fact, that seniors on fixed income, as well as low-income individuals and
families, have been forced each month to either cut their medication in half or skip a meal and go to bed hungry at night - just
in order to pay their monthly utility bills . . . this fixed rate increase is not only unfair, it is bad public policy."
Betty Banks, who serves on the State NAACP Health and Environmental Justice Committee, said; "With Wisconsin becoming
a health hazardous zone for children of color, and the health care disparities of color, it is morally imperative for the Public
Service Commissioners to deny MG&E, WPSC and WE Energies, their unjust rate-making proposal."
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 16, 2014
Contact: A.J. Nino Amato, CWAG President / CEO 608.514.3317
RE: Public Utilities rate increase
MADISON - During most of the 20th Century and the first 14 years of this century, if you conserved energy usage on your
monthly utility bill and/or invested in energy efficient products and furnaces in your home or small business, you saved a great
deal of money on your monthly utility bill
And for nearly 90 years, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has rewarded utility customers and public utility
companies for promoting energy conservation and energy efficiency programs and services, through Wisconsin's progressive
utility rate-making structure and public process.
Tragically however, three of Wisconsin public utility companies now want to reverse 90 years of a "fair and balanced" utility
rate-making structure, for the sole purpose of increasing their corporate profits, without regards to its negative financial impact
on the elderly, disabled, low-income individuals and families, and citizens of color in Wisconsin.
That is why the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG), the Wisconsin Alliance for Retired Americans (WIARA) and the
Wisconsin State Conference of the NAACP are shocked and deeply disappointed that Madison Gas and Electric, the
Wisconsin Public Service Corporation and WE Energies are proposing a radical rate-making plan, which will nearly double
the fixed rate charge per month on the backs of all residential and small businesses customers, throughout most of
Wisconsin.
Worse yet, this new rate-making scheme, will unfairly cause financial harm to Wisconsin's 1.3 million elderly and people with
disabilities - along with forcing low-income families to make tough choices, in order for them to pay their monthly utility bill.
Given this unexpected and radical departure from "fair and balanced" utility rate-making, CWAG, WIARA and Wisconsin's
NAACP State Conference, are asking the Public Service Commissioners to deny the proposed fixed rate increases for all
three public utilities.
According to CWAG's President, A.J. Nino Amato, a former senior utility executive for over thirteen years at Wisconsin Power &
Light Company, now Alliant Energy, also pointed out;
"It's time for the Public Service Commissioners of Wisconsin to order each of the public utilities, to establish a formal
Residential and Small Business Collaborative, with representation from environmental, utility consumer groups and
environmental justice advocates - so they can all work together in developing a cost-effective, long-term planning process
and business model . . . for dealing with today's realities of Global Climate Change. This collaborative would focus on how
utility customers and utility management can lower Wisconsin's carbon emissions/use of coal - and provide low-cost
renewable energy choices to all of its customers."
As for the triple digit proposed monthly fixed rate increases, WIARA Executive Director, Billy Feitlinger said: "With the growing
income inequalities in Wisconsin, we know for a fact, that seniors on fixed income, as well as low-income individuals and
families, have been forced each month to either cut their medication in half or skip a meal and go to bed hungry at night - just
in order to pay their monthly utility bills . . . this fixed rate increase is not only unfair, it is bad public policy."
Betty Banks, who serves on the State NAACP Health and Environmental Justice Committee, said; "With Wisconsin becoming
a health hazardous zone for children of color, and the health care disparities of color, it is morally imperative for the Public
Service Commissioners to deny MG&E, WPSC and WE Energies, their unjust rate-making proposal."