The Electric Wire

Wisconsin is taking action to access federal funding through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program which will help install EV fast charging stations along the state's major highway corridors. Our special guests for this episode include: Emma Heins of the Electrification Coalition and Kaleb Vander Wiele of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Links from Episode

Wisconsin Department of Transportation – Electrification

Chairperson Rebecca Valcq joins us to reflect on her five years leading the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin as she prepares for her final day at the agency on February 2, 2024. We discuss her proudest moments, biggest challenges, memorable cases, and much more. Lori Sakk, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, joins to co-host this episode.

Chairperson Valcq discusses the following during our conversation:

• What’s been happening at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin since the last time we spoke (5:05)
• Looking back at expectations for the job (7:00)
• Proudest moments (9:22)
• Biggest challenges (12:16)
• Major cases (18:38)
• Generic dockets (20:25)
• Memorable episodes of the Electric Wire podcast (25:15)
• Memorable WPUI programs (28:00)
• Sharing wisdom from experience (31:20)
• Legacy (34:44)
• All the Power moment (37:28)
• What’s ahead (40:10)

Links from Episode:

Wisconsin  Public Utility Institute (WPUI):

The year-in-review roundtable is back with both new and familiar faces to help us recap this year in Wisconsin energy news. We discuss the top stories, ideas, and developments in 2023, as well as making some predictions for the year ahead.

Our special guests include:

·      Kara Pennoyer, Chief of Staff to Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Chairperson Rebecca Valcq

·      Matthew Spencer, Director of Government Relations, Madison Gas and Electric

·      Carrie Templeton, Regulatory Relations and Policy Manager, Alliant Energy

·      Andy Bochman, Senior Grid Strategist, Idaho National Laboratory

Key Moments

03:25 - Top Energy Stories of the Year

07:10 – Top Sustainable Energy Developments of the Year

12:50 – Most Promising Energy Idea of the Year

18:30 – “Shock” of the Year

25:00 – Favorite Episode of the Electric Wire This Year

32:45 – Predictions (Reflecting Back & Looking Forward)

42:30 – “All the Power” Moments

2023 Reflection Clips

49:15 –Episode 37: Brent Ridge, CEO of Dairyland Power Cooperative, discusses hydropower using mine storage

52:05 –Episode 38: Cindy Smith, Chief Legal Counsel at Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, discusses public participation and process at the PSCW

55:40 –Episode 33: Sen. Julian Bradley discusses an “all of the above” approach to energy during his “All the Power” moment

Links to Previous, Highlighted Episodes

Electric Wire, Episode 40: Tours at MGE EV Fast Charging Hub and O’Brien Solar Fields

Wisconsin’s state-wide energy efficiency program, Focus on Energy, helps electric customers achieve cost-savings through energy conservation measures. Our guests on this episode discuss more about the program, why it was created, what’s in it for customers, costs and benefits, the program’s four-year planning process, and more. We are joined by Lisa Stefanik, Managing Director, Focus on Energy, and Jolene Sheil, Portfolio Manager for Focus on Energy, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Matthew Spencer, Director of Government Relations, Madison Gas and Electric, and Board Member for the Statewide Energy Efficiency and Renewable Administration (SEERA), co-hosts.

Key Moments

4:43 – What is the Focus on Energy program?

5:50 – When, how, and why was Focus on Energy created?

7:15 – More on the roles of the program’s administrator, APTIM; the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin; and, the Statewide Energy Efficiency and Renewable Administration

9:55 – How is Focus on Energy funded and what is the relationship between the state’s electric utilities and Focus on Energy?

14:35 – What does Focus on Energy do for Wisconsin’s electric customers?

17:30 – How does the program reach out to customers about available offerings?

18:48 – How are decisions made about what energy efficiency programs to offer?

22:50 – What are the costs and benefits of the program?

23:40 – More on the benefits of the program (bill savings, grid improvements, environmental, and economic benefits)

29:10 – What are the top performing programs? (Industrial projects; discussion of LED lightbulbs)

39:00 – Related federal funding from the Inflation Reduction Act

43:50 – The Quadrennial Planning Process

48:30 – Renewable energy funding

50:29 – Issues that arose during COVID-19 pandemic

Links from Episode

Cindy Smith has served as the Chief Legal Counsel at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for over a decade and across three administrations. She joins the Electric Wire to discuss her role at the PSCW, ways the public can participate in the PSCW’s deliberative process, and how the energy landscape has changed over the past decade.

Cindy will answer the following questions and more over the course of the episode:

·      What should the public know about the process for participating in cases before the PSC? (12:19)

·      What are some of the cases of interest to the public that are currently before the Commission or coming up? (27:20)

·      How has the energy landscape changed since Cindy started at the Commission and how do those changes impact the work of the PSCW? (30:00)

·      What are the most memorable cases that have come through the PSCW during Cindy’s time there? (36:32)

Links from Episode

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Homepage:

Mine storage is a specific form of pumped hydro energy storage that is currently being explored in a partnership between Dairyland Power Cooperative, Michigan Technological University, and Sweden-based Mine Storage.

This episode of the Electric Wire podcast includes executives from Dairyland Power Cooperative, with President and CEO Brent Ridge, and VP of Strategic Growth John Carr, both returning to the podcast to discuss this new possibility for energy storage.

Dr. Timothy Scarlett is an Associate Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology at Michigan Technological University, and he joins the conversation to explain some of the specific considerations when using mines for pumped hydro energy storage.

In the introductions alone, you will learn more about Dairyland’s interest in energy storage options and their plans for how it could complement other new technologies, such as small modular nuclear reactors (SMR’s).

Other highlights from the episode include:

19:00–Dr. Scarlett answers how pumped hydro storage using mines works

25:45–Brent Ridge and John Carr discuss how Dairyland will decide whether or not to move forward with a potential project

28:45–Brent Ridge answers which he thinks we will see first: mine storage for pumped hydro projects or new SMR’s

29:45–Each of the guests discuss the challenges with implementing pumped hydro storage

32:00–Dr. Scarlett discusses a case study demonstrating the capacity for mine storage projects

45:30–Each of the guests discuss what they would do if they had “All the Power” in the industry

Learn more about the recent announcement of the partnership between Dairyland Power Cooperative, Michigan Tech University, and Mine Storage at the following links:

Consumer advocates are statutorily-designated organizations that represent the interests of customers before public utility commissions. David Springe, Executive Director, National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, and Tom Content, Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, join the Electric Wire to discuss more about the role and function of consumer advocate organizations, some of the challenges they face, and ways to keep energy affordable.

Links:

Commissioner Ellen Nowak joined the Electric Wire podcast to reflect back on her 11 years at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, as her term comes to a close on March 1, 2023. Nowak joined episode co-hosts Sen. Julian Bradley (R-Franklin), Chair of Wisconsin's Senate Committee on Utilities and Technology, and CFC Executive Director Kristin Gilkes to recall memories from the past decade at the PSCW, including her work on issues such as modeling and educating about the impacts of the proposed Clean Power Plan, Economic Development Rates, overseeing the Focus on Energy program, cyber security issues, NARUC leadership, and much more.

Interview begins just before the 5:00 mark.

Links mentioned in the episode:

NARUC Resolution:

All about the Inflation Reduction Act!

Our panel breaks down some of the major energy provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), federal legislation signed into law by President Joe Biden on August 16, 2022, which included sweeping changes to existing renewable energy production and investment tax credits, game-changing incentives for electric vehicles and electrification, and a host of rebates and other programs to spur home and building efficiency upgrades.

Our Panel Includes:

· Kathy Kuntz, Director, Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change

· Andrew Hanson, Partner, Perkins Coie LLP

· Anne Blair, Senior Director of Policy, Electrification Coalition

How You Can Take Advantage of the IRA – From the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate

The Year-in-Review crew is back to discuss all things energy in 2022. Our panel answers questions about their top energy stories, ideas, projects, and podcast episodes of the year! 

Topics this year include: the Inflation Reduction Act, energy reliability, nuclear fusion, the Inflation Reduction Act, Miss Wisconsin (and now, Miss America!) Grace Stanke and her clean energy platform, electric vehicles, storage as the new solar, and the Inflation Reduction Act. (Notice a pattern?)   

Our panel includes:  

• Carrie Templeton, Chief of Staff to PSCW Chairperson Rebecca Valcq 

• Chris Hubbuch, energy reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal 

• Matthew Spencer, Director of Government Affairs, Madison Gas and Electric  

• Jennifer Shilling, Government Relations Manager, Dairyland Power Cooperative  

Our panel answers the question of what they’d do with “All the Power” in the industry with answers ranging from more news coverage of energy issues (guess!); encouraging Wisconsin’s use of federal funds for clean energy projects; and, highlighting the positive work of the electric industry.   

Show Links:   

Spence & Chris - Favorite Episode of the Electric Wire:  

Rob Richard of the Wisconsin Electric Cooperatives Association joins Kristin Gilkes as co-host of the latest episode of the Electric Wire, which is all about electric cooperatives.

We’ll meet representatives from four electric cooperatives from across the state, including:

· Robert Cornell, Manager, Washington Island Electric Cooperative

· Monica Obrycki, President and CEO, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative

· Karen Newbury, Director, Price Electric Cooperative (also WECA Board member and Dairyland Power Cooperative Board member)

· Nate Boettcher, President and CEO, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services

Our discussion includes stories about cooperation among co-ops, energy generation and reliability, the new Charge EV network for electric vehicle charging at cooperatives, and bringing broadband to cooperative members.

Note: WECA is a Founding Member of the Customers First! Coalition.

Links:

In this episode, we will learn more about the 81 cities, towns and villages across Wisconsin that own and operate a municipal electric utility. These municipal utilities are organized together through the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin (MEUW),  and we brought together a panel of experts to share more about the unique benefits of public power, including: Tim Heinrich, President and CEO of MEUW; Tyler Vorpagel, Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at MEUW;  Troy Adams, General Manager, Manitowoc Public Utilities; Jill Weiss, Utilities Director at Stoughton Utilities; and, Rick Wicklund, General Manager, Sun Prairie Utilities.   

Note: MEUW is a member of the Customers First! Coalition. 

Links from Episode:   

Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin  

We take a closer look at the investor-owned utility model with Jeff Keebler, Chairman, President, and CEO of Madison Gas and Electric. Jeff shares more insights on how investor-owned utilities work, how they're regulated, and the new technologies changing the power dynamics in the industry.  

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) electric power sector survey data, almost 3,000 electric distribution companies—or utilities—are operating in the United States. EIA classifies utilities into three ownership types: investor-owned utilities, publicly run utilities such as municipal utilities, and cooperatives.   

This episode features investor-owned utilities, or IOUs, which are large electric distributors that issue stock owned by shareholders. Almost three-quarters of utility customers get their electricity from these companies.   

Upcoming episodes will discuss municipal utilities and electric cooperatives.   

Note: MGE is a member of the Customers First! Coalition, which produces the Electric Wire podcast.   

Links and additional reading:   

Laurel Peltier of the Maryland Energy Supplier Reform Coalition joins to discuss her first-hand experience with retail choice in Maryland. Laurel helps customers decipher their energy bills and has found countless examples of customers who would be saving money if they had stayed with their regulated utility.   

Matthew Spencer of Madison Gas & Electric joins host Kristin Gilkes for a short conversation previewing an upcoming event hosted by the Customers First! Coalition to discuss state policies impacting electric vehicle adoption.   

The event is titled "CFC Power Dialogue: A Candid Conversation about Electric Vehicle Policies" and will be held from 2 pm - 6 pm on Tuesday, May 3, 2022 at the Madison Club in Madison, WI.   

Rebecca Ryan and Lauren Azar join the Electric Wire for a conversation about change in the energy industry and in our world. Rebecca, one of the nation’s leading futurists, discusses local and global trends that everyone should be preparing for. Lauren, one of America’s most respected utility attorneys, leads the conversation about change in the energy industry, as they answer the following questions, and more:

· How do we get those in the utility industry to start thinking like futurists?

· How important are governmental or industry goals to get where we want to go?

· What does the future look like for EV’s and electrification?

· What are the craziest changes coming by 2050 that we haven’t thought of yet?

Cari Anne Renlund, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Madison Gas and Electric Co., joins Kristin Gilkes, Executive Director of the Customers First! Coalition, as co-host (and bonus guest) for a lively and inspiring conversation about the direction of the industry.

Links from the Episode:

On February 23, 2022, several legislators invited representatives from Wisconsin’s investor-owned utilities to provide information to legislative offices at the Wisconsin State Capitol about the higher-than-average costs of natural gas heating bills this winter.

On this episode of the Electric Wire podcast, we share a recording of the briefing, including information provided by Bill Skewes, Executive Director, Wisconsin Utilities Association; Rich Stasik, Director of State Regulatory Affairs, WEC Energy Group; Sara Mead, Director of Gas Supply, WEC Business Services; and, Matt Vincent, Senior Manager of Energy Markets and Fuel Supply, Alliant Energy.

Energy Information Administration: Fluctuating weather this winter has significantly affected natural gas prices…

Episode 21 of the Electric Wire podcast features a conversation about wind turbine blade recycling with Nicholas Killen, Director, Head of Manufacturing Lifecycle Services, Regional Manufacturing AME, Vestas Blades. Commissioner Tyler Huebner of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin joins Kristin Gilkes, Executive Director of the Customers First! Coalition, as a co-host.

The interview addresses the following questions and more:

How do wind turbines work and how long do they last?

What is the process for recycling wind turbine blades?

What does the recycled material become at the end of the recycling process?

What is the future for the recycling of blades?

What are the costs and benefits of recycling the blades?

Both Killen and Commissioner Huebner share what they’d do with “all the power” in the industry for the final question of the episode.

The Year-in-Review Crew is back to break down the top energy stories and ideas of 2021! Carrie Templeton, Heather Allen, Chris Hubbuch, and Matthew Spencer join to share their picks for top energy story, idea, and shock of the year, along with their predictions for 2022 and, of course, what they'd do with "all the power." We also ask the Crew to share their favorite Electric Wire episodes of the year, and those episodes are linked below.

Favorite Electric Wire Episodes of 2021:

Kristin Gilkes:

Is there a second life for retired power plants? We joined Dan Schooff, currently the Chief of Staff and Secretary at Beloit College, and a former Beloit-area legislator and WI Department of Administration Secretary, to tour the Beloit College Powerhouse on the banks of the Rock River to see the transformation that has taken place there. The Beloit College Powerhouse was originally a coal plant built in the early 1900’s and was recently reimagined as a student center for the college. Dan led the efforts on this massive undertaking, and in our interview, he shares more about preserving and restoring the historic power plant, and the core mission of sustainability that drove efforts to use geothermal heating and cooling on this award-winning structure. The YouTube version of this podcast has video clips from our tour included, and our Twitter page, @theelectricwire, has pictures from the tour as well.

Sit back, crack open a PBR, and enjoy the latest episode of the Electric Wire podcast featuring an interview with Joe Fontaine, the case coordinator for the Public Service of Wisconsin’s current open docket on the Roadmap to Zero Carbon (5-EI-158). Joe helps navigate the Commission’s recent order in this docket, and we discuss upcoming items relating to Performance Based Regulation (PBR), the Focus on Energy Quad Planning Process, utility resource planning, and consumer affordability.

Link to article:

Daniel Witt, Head of State and Local Public Policy at Lucid Motors, joins the podcast to discuss more about Lucid, the benefits of electric vehicles, EV battery reuse and recycling, making supply chains local, and policies impacting the electric vehicle industry.

Links mentioned in the episode:

Lucid Motors

The latest episode of the Electric Wire is a “hot take” episode, where we’ve conducted four separate mini-interviews, about 5-6 minutes each, to talk about community solar in Wisconsin.

Back in 2017, the Customers First! Coalition put together a whitepaper about the community solar projects and models that fit within the regulatory structure here in Wisconsin. In this podcast episode, we’ll follow up on some of those innovative projects mentioned in the whitepaper.

Our guests include:

• Commissioner Ellen Nowak, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (Interview begins at ~2:45)
• Deb Erwin, Manager of Regulatory Policy, Xcel Energy (11:00)
• Lynn Thompson, President and CEO, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative (17:50)
• Cheri Salmon, Manager of New Products and Services, Madison Gas and Electric (23:30)

Links mentioned in Episode

On this episode, our goal is to help listeners better understand how energy assistance is administered, how pandemic-related funding is being distributed, and what resources are available to in-need households as Wisconsin’s moratorium on disconnecting electric customers from service comes to an end on April 15.

Our guests include:

• Barb Klug, Home Energy Plus Bureau Director; Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources
  Wisconsin Department of Administration
• Kristy Nieto, Administrator, Division of Digital Access, Consumer and Environmental Affairs
  Public Service Commission of Wisconsin

You’ll find answers to these questions and more:

• What energy assistance funding has come from the federal government since the beginning of the pandemic and how is Wisconsin administering programs to distribute this assistance?
• What is a first step for a customer who is behind on their bill? Who should they reach out to first and how do they know what they are eligible for?
• What role does the PSC play in helping customers stay on track with paying their bills and settling any disputes with utilities?
• What are some common questions from legislative offices as they try to connect their constituents with resources?

The following resources are mentioned in this episode:

Energy Benefits & Eligibility

Widespread power outages and skyrocketing customer bills due to a frigid February freeze in Texas are raising questions about the way the state regulates power providers.

We brought in a panel of experts to weigh in on questions about regulation, reliability, and what went wrong in Texas. Our panel:

• John Carr, VP – Power Supply, Dairyland Power Cooperative
• Paul Griffin, Executive Director, Energy Fairness
• Kira Loehr, Partner, Perkins Coie

We’ll address the following questions in this roundtable discussion:

• What is the role energy choice played in the Texas system outages?
• How can we prevent this type of massive, prolonged power outage from happening here?
• Are grid updates needed to prepare for more extreme weather events?
• Was any generation source the clear winner or loser coming out of this situation?

Links Referenced

We’re talking utility regulation! We start with a simple question – why are utilities regulated? (Ok, this question technically doesn’t get asked until minute 7:56, but who’s counting?) We also sort through some common terms on this topic, including discussion about deregulation, restructuring, and retail choice. These topics were central to the founding of the Customers First! Coalition over twenty years ago.

Our first interview is with Commissioner Ellen Nowak of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. We discuss some basics of utility regulation from a regulator’s perspective, as well as her take on topics like retail choice and performance-based ratemaking.

What was the energy story of 2020? What about the "shock" of the year? Who's got the next bright idea for 2021? On the latest episode of The Electric Wire podcast, we've got an outstanding roundtable to help review the year of 2020 and look ahead to some brighter days in 2021. 

Our roundtable includes:

• Chris Hubbuch, Reporter, Wisconsin State Journal
• Carrie Templeton, Chief of Staff, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
• Heather Allen, Executive Director, RENEW Wisconsin
• Matt Spencer, Government Affairs, Madison Gas & Electric

Links Mentioned During Podcast:

Kristin Gilkes is joined by Marge Anderson, Executive Vice President at Slipstream, to discuss green buildings and the upcoming October Energy webinar series hosted by the Customers First! Coalition and Slipstream. Kathy Kuntz, Acting Director of the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change also joins to discuss the Dane County Climate Action Plan’s recommendations on buildings and more. We discuss measures listeners can take today to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient.

Interview with Kathy Kuntz begins at 14:13.

Today we begin to unpack energy storage from a customer angle and discuss the first “storage as transmission only asset” project being developed in Wisconsin. First, CFC Executive Director Kristin Gilkes interviews Tom Content, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), to discuss potential customer benefits from increased use of energy storage and how CUB will evaluate utility storage proposals going forward. Our second interview is with Bob McKee, Strategic Projects Director at American Transmission Company, who gives an overview of the company’s “SATOA” project impetus, timeline, and multi-faceted benefits.

Interview start times:

Tom Content – 3:29

Bob McKee - 21:10

Links discussed in the podcast:

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Chairperson Rebecca Valcq and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes join Kristin Gilkes and co-host Bob Stone of the IBEW 2150 to discuss Wisconsin’s carbon reduction goals, the Governor’s Climate Change Task Force, and the appointment of Wisconsin’s newest PSC Commissioner.

Interview with Chairperson Valcq begins at 9:30

Interview with Lt. Governor Barnes begins at 27:02

Registration is still open for the April 29, 2020 Power Lunch. As we get closer to the event date, we will evaluate options to determine if we need to either postpone the event or host it online.

Customers First! Coalition Executive Director Kristin Gilkes and RENEW Wisconsin’s Jane McCurry co-host this special episode all about electric vehicles (EVs) and EV policies. Gilkes and McCurry share personal and nostalgic experiences as EV drivers and discuss some of the advantages of choosing electric transportation. They also discuss current topics such as battery recycling and mining. Later, they’re joined by a panel of EV policy experts including Corey Singletary, Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin; Debbie Branson, Madison Gas & Electric; and Deb Erwin, Xcel Energy to discuss EV rates and utility issues, including how EVs can ultimately benefit all utility customers. Finally, we have added an extended interview with Deb Erwin from Xcel Energy to delve more deeply into the company’s efforts to study fleet savings that can result from electric vehicle conversion and an EV Roadmap for the City of Eau Claire.

Panel Discussion begins at 16:40.

Extended Interview with Deb Erwin begins at 1:05:25

APRIL 29, 2020, POWER LUNCH REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Register here:

The Rise of Solar! The first episode of our Energy Innovation Series focuses on solar power in Wisconsin. Heather Allen of RENEW Wisconsin joins to give a lay of the land and share her personal story of getting involved in renewable energy. Jeff Ripp of Alliant Energy discusses Alliant Energy’s recent announcement regarding an investment in 1GW of solar. Rep. Mike Kuglitsch discusses legislation he is working on to aid solar and wind workforce training grants.

INTERVIEW START TIMES

Heather Allen – 10:30

Jeff Ripp – 35:00

Rep. Kuglitsch - 47:15

LINK TO POWER LUNCH REGISTRATION: