Fair
Wisconsinites must have access to the energy needed to reliably power their homes and businesses, along with sound, unbiased information about energy issues.
To ensure the grid can provide equitable, affordable and reliable access to power, each energy user must pay their fair share of the cost of energy infrastructure.
As the cost of installing renewable energy decreases, more Wisconsinites are mounting rooftop solar on both residential and commercial properties. These energy users are able to produce energy to consume on site when the sun is shining and to locally distribute excess energy via the electric grid. They can also count on the electric grid when their on-site energy production does not match their energy needs.
Customers with distributed energy generation rely on energy providers’ power lines, poles and grid infrastructure to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted power supply. Since all Wisconsinites use the electric grid, it is important that the costs of maintaining system reliability are fairly and equitably distributed. Energy providers must install the same number of poles and wires for a customer who accesses the grid once a year as they do for a customer using it every day. Nobody should incur a financial penalty based on how they choose to power their home or business.
Affordable
Fairness and affordability go hand-in-hand.
Customer electric bills are based on both energy usage and the energy providers’ cost of providing electric service, also known as fixed costs. This includes the cost of the fuels used to generate electricity and the cost to transport and deliver the electricity to the customer. Costs also include the maintenance of the electrical grid, as well as utility programs for low-income assistance, energy efficiency, environmental improvements, and other public benefits.
All users of the electrical infrastructure should pay their fair share of the fixed costs of the grid, since it delivers both reliable power when they need it and a platform to transport excess energy.
When customers do not pay their fair share, the fixed costs of the grid remain the same. Those fixed costs are then covered by a smaller number of customers making electricity more costly for everyone else.
Reliable
Wisconsin’s electric grid is a remarkable achievement, as it links electric generation units reliably, affordably and efficiently to millions of residential, commercial, and industrial users across the state. It accomplishes this connectivity through thousands of miles of lines and associated equipment that are designed and managed by hundreds of organizations, many of which are in turn regulated by both federal and state agencies.
While this expansive system serves us well, the world of electricity is facing dynamic and innovative change. The addition of distributed energy resources to the grid increases the two-way flow of power on the electric distribution system. To ensure the reliable delivery of electricity and the safety of the people working on the electric grid, an electric utility’s distribution system must manage and control the flow of two-way power. At the same time, electric utilities face integration challenges associated with the fluctuating levels of power created by renewable energy sources.
Our energy infrastructure requires upgrades and maintenance due to these changes, as well as a result of both natural aging and extreme weather. An aging infrastructure has an increased risk of failure, and investment is needed to ensure a high degree of reliability and to incorporate emerging and evolving energy technologies.
Our electric system delivers great value to Wisconsin customers, is the bedrock of Wisconsin’s economy and cannot be taken for granted. FRWD stands strong in support of the continued health and welfare of the electric system and of the hard working people who work every day, rain or shine, to ensure power flows from that system.
