9300-DR-105
Petition of Midwest Renewable Energy Association to Determine Applicability of a Third-Party Financed Distributed Energy Resource Systems
AND
9300-DR-106
Verified Petition of Vote Solar of Distributed Energy Resource Systems in Wisconsin
As a Wisconsin utility ratepayer and member of the unionized Wisconsin building trades, I am opposed to third-party financing and ownership of renewables in Wisconsin.
In areas where third-party ownership is permitted, solar developers often use non-union labor for their installations. Third-party ownership will open Wisconsin to out-of-state companies that prioritize their profit margins over the safety and reliability of our power grid. When solar projects are constructed at utility-scale with a skilled union workforce, the projects spur investments in local wages that are spent locally, making our communities stronger.
Furthermore, under third-party ownership, wealthy homeowners will benefit at the expense of the rest of the population, which still must pay the fixed costs of maintaining the state’s electrical grid and distributing power. As a ratepayer, I am opposed to raising energy costs for working families.
I urge the Public Service Commission to reject these petitions, which would deregulate Wisconsin’s utilities and allow for third-party ownership.