by Jim Boullion | Mar 10, 2022 | Action Alert, Advocacy, Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, Legislative Watchlist, Local Government
Yesterday, in a unanimous vote of 31-0 (2 not voting), the State Senate voted against concurrence in the Assembly amended version of the EV charging bill, SB 573. The bill aimed to define who can provide EV charging services, how customers will pay for it, and the electricity source for the chargers.
Wisconsin law does not have specific guidance on EV charging, so non-utility-owned EV charging stations set their fees on a per-minute basis, not on the amount of energy delivered. This policy results in owners of slower charging vehicles paying more for power than owners of fast charging vehicles. SB 573 would have allowed businesses to set fees based on the amount of electricity used, but several provisions to the bill concerned clean energy advocates.
“While this bill addressed some of the issues with current policy, it would have also disincentivized solar-powered EV chargers and severely limited local government investment in EV charging,” said Heather Allen, Executive Director at RENEW Wisconsin. “RENEW Wisconsin opposed SB 573 in its current form and applauds yesterday’s Senate decision.”
SB 573 would have prohibited charging a fee if any non-utility-generated electricity was provided through a non-utility-owned EV station. The provision would limit the use of rooftop solar and stand-alone solar+storage EV charging equipment in Wisconsin, which provides numerous benefits such as controlling energy costs, facilitating EV charging in rural areas, increasing resilience and safety, and providing carbon-free electricity.
The restrictions on local government ownership or operation of publicly available EV chargers would have reduced access to EV chargers in many underserved areas because revenue from electricity sales alone may not generate enough income to justify private business investment in small towns, urban streets, or other locations. Local government participation allows EV infrastructure to expand in areas where private businesses are not investing.
“While this particular legislation did not pass, the issues the bill was attempting to resolve remains unsettled,” said Jim Boullion, Director of Government Affairs at RENEW Wisconsin. “RENEW Wisconsin will continue to work towards better policies that help everyone in Wisconsin benefit from the fast-developing electric vehicle revolution.”
by Jim Boullion | Feb 23, 2022 | Action Alert, Advocacy, Electric Vehicles, Legislative Watchlist
On February 15th SB 573 passed the State Senate on a (mostly) partisan vote of 19-13. All Democrats voted against the bill. Sen. Steve Nass was the only GOP Senator who voted against it.
The State Assembly has placed the bill on today’s floor calendar (Wednesday, February 23rd) for a vote. If it passes the Assembly the bill goes to the Governor for his consideration.
RENEW Wisconsin is opposed to the bill in its current form (Senate Substitute Amendment 3). While this legislation clarifies that selling electricity to electric vehicles (EVs) by the minute or kilowatt does not subject EV charging station owners to utility regulation, it has several provisions that are of concern:
- Requires that all electricity sold through an electric vehicle charger must come from the local utility. This stipulation would prohibit EV chargers that get any of their electricity from a non-utility-owned rooftop or standalone solar+storage system from being available to the public if they charge a fee.
- No local governments, which includes cities, villages, towns, counties, school districts, special purpose districts, or any state agency, may own, operate, manage, lease or control an EV charging facility available to the public. Local governmental units may authorize a utility or private entity to operate a charger on their property.
For background, you can view RENEW’s testimony on this bill here.
Please contact your legislators in the Assembly and ask them to oppose this legislation unless those issues are corrected!
Thank you for your support!
Please email RENEW Wisconsin Director of Government Affairs, Jim Boullion, if you have any questions.
by Jim Boullion | Feb 14, 2022 | Action Alert, Advocacy, Electric Vehicles, Legislative Watchlist
On Friday, February 11th SB 573 was recommended for passage on a 3-2 vote by the Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology, and Telecommunications. The bill was immediately put on the State Senate floor calendar for tomorrow, Tuesday, February 15th. If the bill passes the Senate, it will go to the State Assembly, where it would be available for full adoption at any time before the end of the floor session on March 10th.
This legislation clarifies that selling electricity to electric vehicles (EVs) by the minute, kilowatt, or other means does not subject EV charging station owners to utility regulation as long as the owner meets several requirements. Among those requirements in the amended bill are several provisions that are of concern:
1. Requires that all electricity sold through an electric vehicle charger must come from the local utility. This stipulation would prohibit EV chargers that get any of their electricity from a non-utility-owned rooftop or standalone solar+storage system from being available to the public if they charge a fee.
2. No local governments, which includes cities, villages, towns, counties, school districts, special purpose districts, or any state agency, may own, operate, manage, lease or control an EV charging facility available to the public. Local governmental units may authorize a utility or private entity to operate a charger on their property.
For background, you can view RENEW’s testimony on this bill here.
Please contact your legislators in both the Senate and Assembly, and ask them to oppose this legislation unless those issues are corrected!
Thank you for your support!
Please email RENEW Wisconsin Director of Government Affairs, Jim Boullion, if you have any questions.
by Heather Allen | Feb 2, 2022 | Advocacy, Legislative Watchlist, Local Government, Policy
Federal clean energy and climate investments are more crucial than ever. Congress must deliver a deal that includes clean energy investments in the Build Back Better Act.
This is a make-or-break moment to shore up the electric grid and help accelerate renewable energy and energy efficiency adoption in the U.S. These investments will make the difference between leading the global clean energy economy or lagging behind the rest of the world.
According to the Solar Energy Industry Association, the Build Back Better Act would drive $234 billion into the economy over the next four years and require at least 450,000 workers to get it done – double the size of today’s solar workforce!
In the last few weeks of 2021, the Build Back Better Act (Biden’s flagship climate and clean energy proposal) hit roadblocks. Regardless of the political stalemate, the critical importance of the Act’s clean energy and climate provisions cannot be overstated. As Stewart MacKintosh wrote in The Hill, “Achieving global climate change goals depends on the U.S. starting to implement Biden’s net-zero carbon emissions plan today- not two (or god forbid) four or more years from now. We have no extra time.”
The Build Back Better (BBB) Act is the third and most ambitious part of Biden’s original Build Back Better plan, including COVID-19 economic relief, social services, welfare, and infrastructure. Significant portions of the agenda were signed into law with two bills in 2021, The American Rescue Plan Act (March 2021) and the Infrastructure and Jobs Investment Act (November 2021).
BBB is the most powerful tool the Federal Government has in play to curb U.S. emissions and reach the climate and clean energy goals established in the Paris Agreement. BBB provisions would mobilize billions of dollars to expand access to clean energy and electric vehicles, improve the efficiency of buildings, electrify heating and cooling, support American clean energy industry growth, and help American manufacturers and other businesses reduce energy use and emissions. BBB also contains funding for social infrastructure, environmental justice investments, natural climate solutions, and rental assistance.
Image/Figure from https://rhg.com/research/us-climate-policy-2030/
This figure from the Rhodium Group shows that “Joint Action” can reduce emissions by 50% below 2005 levels. Joint Action refers to the collective impact of legislation adopted in 2021, BBB climate and clean energy provisions, and state and local action. BBB is the most critical element in this suite of actions and will accelerate clean energy adoption, save money for consumers, and reduce emissions.
Businesses and Workers Support Build Back Better
Last summer, Wisconsin businesses signed a letter calling on Congress for ambitious clean energy investments. Since that time, an increasing number of companies and organizations have signaled their support for clean energy investment to drive jobs and economic activity.
West Virginia coal miners called on Joe Manchin to support Build Back Better.
Provisions in the bill would support miners dealing with Black Lung Disease, provide incentives to develop clean energy projects on closed mines, and support the right to unionize.
400 companies signed a letter calling on lawmakers to pass Build Back Better.
“The climate components of the Build Back Better package are both fiscally responsible and critically needed to ensure a stable climate for businesses and communities, help companies save money with affordable clean energy, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness by building upon the important measures in the infrastructure package that passed Congress this fall,” said Hugh Welsh, president and general counsel, DSM North America.
Wisconsin’s solar installers, in particular, recognize that Build Back Better will provide greater access to clean energy, especially for farms and low-income families.
“The extension of the business and residential tax credits for solar are critical for our industry. But adding refundability to both 48C and 25D is a game-changer for low and moderate-income households, farms, and other entities that don’t have the tax liability to realize the normal tax credits and finally enables them to go solar. It has the potential to bring the equitable distribution of the benefits of solar to millions.” Josh Stolzenburg, CEO Northwind Solar, Amherst, Wisconsin.
Contact your senator today and ask them to support climate and clean energy provisions of Build Back Better. There is no time to waste.
by Jim Boullion | Feb 1, 2022 | Action Alert, Advocacy, Electric Vehicles, Legislative Watchlist
AB 588 / SB 573 (Sen. Cowles and Rep. VanderMeer) will have a hearing in the State Senate and a committee vote in the Assembly this week at the State Capitol. This legislation attempts to clarify that selling electricity by the kilowatt-hour (instead of by the minute as is the current practice) to electric vehicles (EVs) does not subject EV charging station owners to utility regulation. However, the bill has been amended with several provisions that are of concern:
- Requires that all electricity sold through an electric vehicle charger must come from the local utility, prohibiting EV chargers that get any of their electricity from a rooftop or standalone solar+storage system from being available to the public if they charge a fee.
- No city, village, town, county, school district, or state agency may own, operate, manage or lease a publicly available charging facility. Municipalities may authorize a utility or private entity to operate a charger on their property.
The Senate Committee on Utilities, Technology, and Telecommunications has scheduled a Public Hearing on SB573 for Wednesday, February 2, 2022, at 10:30 am, 400 Southeast. The public may testify at this hearing. Keep testimony under 5 minutes and provide a written copy if possible.
Members: Julian Bradley (Chair), Roger Roth (Vice-Chair), Van Wanggaard, Brad Pfaff, Jeff Smith
Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities has scheduled an Executive Session to vote on AB588 on Thursday, February 3, 2022, at 11:00 am, 412 East, State Capitol, Madison. There is no public testimony at this hearing (the public hearing was in October). View RENEW’s testimony on this bill here.
Members: Mike Kuglitsch (Chair); David Steffen (Vice-Chair); Travis Tranel; Loren Oldenburg; Warren Petryk; Adam Neylon; Tyler Vorpagel; Gary Tauchen; Kevin Petersen; Cody Horlacher; Beth Meyers; Lisa Subeck; Deb Andraca; Supreme Moore Omokunde; Sara Rodriguez
Please contact your legislators, especially if they are members of one of those committees, and express your concerns with this legislation.
We also encourage you to attend the hearing in the Senate Utilities Committee on February 2nd to oppose these restrictions.
Thank you for your support!
Please email RENEW Wisconsin Director of Government Affairs, Jim Boullion, if you have any questions.
by Andrew Kell | Nov 10, 2021 | Advocacy, Community, Focus on Energy, Local Government, Policy, PSC Priorities, Public Service Commission
In 2019, Governor Evers issued Executive Order #38 to establish a goal for carbon-free electricity in Wisconsin by 2050. As the state regulator of utilities, the Public Service Commission (PSC) is tasked with regulating the number one sector source for greenhouse gas emissions in Wisconsin[1]. As a result, PSC decisions play a key role in determining whether Wisconsin will be able to achieve a zero-carbon grid by 2050.
The PSC reviews utility proposals for construction projects, rate increases, and new utility programs for their customers. However, the PSC reviews these proposals separately from one another, and historically without the integration of other utility plans, carbon reduction goals, and cross-sector emission-reduction strategies. The good news is that the PSC has begun to explore how to incorporate these factors within its decision-making processes going forward.
In keeping with a recent trend of investigating policy issues (such as Electric Vehicles and Parallel Generation), this past spring the PSC opened a docket (5-EI-158) to pursue a “Roadmap to Zero Carbon.” As described in the Notice of Investigation, the PSC intends to evaluate government and utility goals to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050, recommendations from recent Wisconsin reports on clean energy and climate change, and the development of partnerships to achieve carbon-free electricity by 2050.
The Zero Carbon Roadmap docket garnered much interest from active PSC intervenors (such as RENEW), with participation from environmental, health, and business advocates as well. Members of the general public also participated with input and suggestions. PSC staff issued a memo for public comment on scoping of priorities. After gathering public input, PSC staff issued a follow-up memo to the Commissioners in August that summarized stakeholder input and provided the Commissioners with options on the next steps. The Commissioners then discussed the memo and issued an order in September to take some initial actions.
In short, the PSC decided to leverage ongoing planning processes and to investigate a potentially new approach to utility ratemaking. Below is a summary of these initial steps:
- The PSC will gather more robust carbon-reduction planning information from utilities during the current biennial Strategic Energy Assessment (SEA). Utilities will soon respond to the PSC staff’s initial data request, and PSC staff will issue a draft report by next spring for public comment;
- Additionally, the PSC will seek public input on ways in which the state’s Focus on Energy program (Focus) can better incorporate beneficial electrification, programs for low-income customers, demand response, and other utility voluntary programs into its program design over the next four years. This is called the Quadrennial Planning Process, and a PSC staff recently issued a memo for comment on scope; and
- Finally, the PSC will organize a workshop on Performance-based Regulation (PBR). This workshop will gather information and perspectives on how rethinking utility goals and investment incentives can lead to a more equitable clean-energy future. The PSC will also consider customer affordability issues in relation to the transition to a zero-carbon grid.
Even with these planning processes already underway, the book is not closed on the Roadmap to Zero Carbon docket. RENEW recently reached out to Joe Fontaine, PSC Policy Advisor, to get a better sense of next steps for the investigation docket itself. Fontaine said:
“Commission staff is excited to kick off the Roadmap by addressing four of the highest priorities identified by commenters and approved by the Commission. Each of these four areas — more transparent resource planning, development of performance-based regulation concepts, and further analysis of affordability and energy efficiency issues — can help us develop a strong general foundation to address a wider range of issues related to the clean energy transition, in this investigation as well as in other Commission dockets. Future decisions in the Roadmap will be well-informed by the analysis and stakeholder input we’re receiving at each step in the investigation. Potential next steps will be determined as we make progress on these initial priorities over the next few months.”
The PSC’s Roadmap to Zero Carbon activities is running in parallel with the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy’s (OSCE) Clean Energy Plan drafting process. Beyond the electricity sector, the Clean Energy Plan will assess, and make recommendations on, strategies cutting across all economic sectors statewide. The OSCE recently gathered public input during several public listening sessions, focusing on 1) economic and environmental justice, 2) infrastructure and industry, 3) transit and transportation, and 4) clean energy and energy efficiency. The OSCE continues to gather written comments through its website.
RENEW is also proactively partnering with Clean Wisconsin and GridLab to conduct a zero-carbon grid study for the PSC’s consideration. While the scope is still being finalized, the study will use modeling designed to answer important policy questions, such as:
- What is the right mix of renewable resources in-state and out-of-state?
- What is a good balance between utility-scale and distributed solar resources?
- How much transmission is needed in a zero-carbon future?
- What will be the health, jobs, and economic impacts as we make this clean grid transition?
Stay tuned on these zero-carbon planning activities and upcoming study developments. RENEW plans to organize presentations and panel discussions on these topics at our Renewable Energy Summit on January 27, 2022.
[1] See the Department of Natural Resources’ Wisconsin Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report of August 2020. Figure 1, on page 3, presents emissions by sector. Electricity generation is the highest emitting sector and represents 33 percent of all Wisconsin emissions.
