Earlier this year, Alliant Energy, Xcel Energy, and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) filed applications for electric rate increases with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). The rate applications included other changes to utility programs and options like electric vehicle programs, language modifications to rooftop solar programs, changes to Time-of-Use (TOU) programs, and more. The changes proposed by utilities for clean energy programs caused RENEW to request and receive party status to participate in these three rate cases.

RENEW and all other parties to these cases were involved in negotiations with Alliant and MGE. Separately, both utilities were able to reach settlement agreements with all parties in their cases, and subsequently Alliant and MGE asked the PSC to approve the settlements. The settlements, as negotiated by all parties in these cases, would reduce the size of the rate hikes, improve support for customer programs, and improve access to clean energy options.

On November 6, 2025, the three Commissioners at the PSC verbally took up the proposed Alliant rate case settlement, and authorized the full agreement with no modifications. A decision on the MGE case is expected later this November.

RENEW and other parties who regularly intervene in these cases often take the opportunity to discuss contested issues with utility representatives, and work towards compromise where possible. The PSC has a long history of approving most utility proposals, so these settlement opportunities are essential for organizations, like RENEW, to have a seat at the table and directly influence the decision-making process. For RENEW, these opportunities allow us to prioritize policy issues, create new customer options, collaborate on future changes, and have a hand in final design of utility-proposed modifications to ensure clean energy options will remain technically and economically viable.

Alliant Settlement Points

Compromise on the Increase to residential customer charges:

• Alliant agreed to reduce the increase to residential customer charges as it originally proposed. Alliant originally proposed increases from $15 to $20 in 2026. The settlement reduces the proposed increase, which will increase the customer charge to $16 in 2026 and to $17 in 2027.

Collaboration on Electric Vehicle (EV) Programs:

• After removing some options for residential EV programs, Alliant agreed to have at least six meetings over the course of 2026 and 2027, with RENEW and interested parties, to discuss the implementation of an EV Program. The objective of these meetings will be to review program participation and performance, and EV program interaction with other Alliant programs, such as the Time of Use (TOU) and residential Distributed Resource (DR) programs.
• EV Residential Program: Alliant Energy will launch a new residential EV program offering a $500 rebate for Level 2 chargers purchased through its online marketplace. Per the settlement agreement, RENEW can collaborate with Alliant to add additional charger models commonly used by installers if they are not currently listed.
• EV Fleet Program: Alliant will also launch a fleet advisory program with 20 participating businesses and nonprofits. The program helps organizations assess whether transitioning their fleets to electric vehicles makes financial sense and provides guidance on next steps toward electrification.

Collaboration on TOU Outreach Initiative: 

• Alliant agreed to draft a Time of Use (TOU) branding, marketing, and outreach plan by March 15, 2026, and meet with RENEW and interested parties at least twice during 2026 to consider plan revisions and implementation details.
• As part of its broader branding, marketing, and outreach plan, Alliant agreed to consider rewards, incentives, or other ways to incentivize those who join the TOU program efforts alongside its new residential Demand Response (DR) program (see details below).
• Alliant agreed to improve the quality of residential data access, including quick integration into Alliant online tools for residential customers, with spreadsheet downloads that will easily integrate into customer analytical tools. Improved online tools and residential customer options will be available by June 1, 2026.
• Alliant agreed to have at least two meetings with RENEW and interested parties during 2026 related to improving Alliant’s online platform that supports TOU customers.

Collaboration on Residential DR Program:

• To support its new program, Alliant agrees to draft a residential DR program branding, marketing, and outreach plan by March 15, 2026, and meet with RENEW and interested parties at least twice during 2026 to consider revisions and implementation details.
• Beyond PSC reporting, Alliant agreed to provide event reporting on its website, with details on when events are called and customer savings that occurred due to Alliant’s DR program.

Collaboration on PSC 119 Interconnection Issues:

• Alliant agrees to joint meetings with RENEW and solar installer members at least twice in 2025, along with an additional two meetings in 2026. The purpose of these meetings will be to identify issues that are adding costs and time to solar interconnections in Alliant’s Wisconsin territory, discuss compromises and potential solutions, and discuss agreements that resolve these issues.

On December 1, 2025, new rules from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) will take effect, modernizing how electricity is metered in multifamily housing and mobile home parks. This update represents a major win for clean energy and affordable housing advocates as well as for developers across the state.

RENEW Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin, Elevate, Dane County, the City of Madison, the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and many other advocates and developers submitted comments supporting the change. Together, these groups urged the PSC to update outdated language to make it easier to design affordable, energy-efficient, and renewable-ready multi-family housing.

The rule, originally adopted in 1980 to comply with the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978, had not been substantially revised since 2002. It was intended to promote energy conservation by requiring every dwelling in a multi-unit building or mobile home park to have its own electric meter. While well-intentioned, the rule eventually outgrew the technology of its time. It began to restrict new energy-saving methods such as shared solar, geothermal heating, and high-efficiency heat pumps.

The updated PSC 113.0803 rule now establishes clear standards for when individual meters are not required. Multifamily or mobile home park projects can qualify if:

• High-efficiency equipment: Tenant-controlled systems meet Focus on Energy or federal efficiency standards, and projected energy use per unit is less than half the statewide average, factoring in onsite renewables.
• High-efficiency design: Newly constructed buildings meeting advanced performance standards through programs like Focus on Energy automatically qualify.
• Affordable housing participation: Buildings under contract with local, state, or federal affordable housing programs are eligible.

This rule change will open new opportunities for solar, geothermal, and other clean energy technologies, reduce administrative delays, support affordable housing, and expand Wisconsin’s pathway toward clean economic growth. This change opens up new avenues in our all-of-the-above approach to deploying renewables and ensures everyone in the state can benefit from clean, reliable energy.

On Thursday, October 30, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) authorized two important transmission projects. These projects are part of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s Long Term Transmission Planning (MISO LRTP) processes. They will be jointly owned and operated by Xcel Energy and American Transmission Company (ATC).

The Western Wisconsin Transmission Connection Project (Western Wisconsin Project) will run through the Eau Claire region, connecting Trempealeau County to Clark County. This transmission project will connect with the separate Grid Forward Central Wisconsin Project (Central Wisconsin Project), which will run from the central part of the state to Columbia County. These two projects are a necessary part of the state’s effort to expand renewable energy production in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest region. Updated and new transmission lines support the modernization and decarbonization of the resources that produce energy for Wisconsin’s homes and businesses.

RENEW participated in the legal proceedings for these transmission projects, in which the PSC considered the applications and found that these projects were in the public’s best interest. RENEW’s expert testimony detailed the need for both the Western and Central Wisconsin Projects from the perspective of renewable energy integration and economic development.

According to Xcel Energy, the Western Wisconsin Project alone will “support the full interconnection of over 43,000 megawatts (MWs) of potential new renewable generation in the upper Midwest.”

According to the Wisconsin Zero Carbon Study, Wisconsin will need to rely on an interconnected grid that works with those of neighboring states such as Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois to integrate renewable energy resources and decarbonize the grid. These two transmission projects will interconnect with another transmission project proposed by Dairyland Power Cooperative, which will be taken up by the PSC later this year. All three of these transmission projects will eventually interconnect with lines in Minnesota. As a result, these projects represent major building blocks for the transmission corridors modeled in the Wisconsin Zero Carbon Study.

As stated by RENEW Policy Director Andrew Kell in his testimony, utility-scale renewable resources will utilize these transmission projects “to support their interconnection and delivery of power to Wisconsin’s homes and businesses. The proposed transmission [projects are key examples] of infrastructure needed for Wisconsin’s clean energy economy.”

RENEW applauds the PSC for authorizing these projects, and we look forward to the many solar, wind, and clean energy storage projects that will be able to deliver clean, reliable energy once these transmission projects are completed.

On Thursday, September 25, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approved two utility-scale clean energy projects. Collectively, Badger Hollow Wind (Iowa and Grant Counties) and Whitewater Solar (Jefferson and Walworth Counties) add up to 298 Megawatts (MW) of clean energy!

Badger Hollow Wind

Starting with Badger Hollow Wind—the first 100+ MW project in more than a decade at 118 MW—is a major step forward in Wisconsin’s clean energy future. To meet our net-zero goals, we need to install about 21 Gigawatts of wind energy by 2050.

In taking up the Badger Hollow Wind application, the PSC addressed several issues. In their decision, they considered the requirements of Wisconsin’s wind siting rules and determined that the wind project is in full compliance with sound, shadow flicker, decommissioning, and more.

The PSC also noted public confusion about primary and alternative turbine sites, which are a required part of the process, and limited the wind project to no more than 19 wind turbine sites for the purposes of public clarity. They also applauded the use of an Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) to reduce blinking lights at night. While the Federal Aviation Administration requires blinking lights to avoid aviation incidents, ADLS will greatly reduce the frequency of blinking, and this will mark the first use of this new technology in Wisconsin!

Expanding the state’s portfolio of wind energy is essential to ensuring we have reliable, clean energy round-the-clock, but that’s not all the project will accomplish. In the testimony RENEW filed with the PSC to support this project, we highlighted several local and statewide benefits.

Benefits of Badger Hollow Wind:

Economic Growth: Badger Hollow Wind will create hundreds of jobs during construction, as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions. The project is expected to produce $3.2 million in additional economic activity in Wisconsin.

Community Benefits: Once in service, Badger Hollow Wind will contribute more than $500,000 in utility-aid payments each year. Over $300,000 of this will go to Grant and Iowa Counties, and over $200,000 of this will go to the towns of Clifton, Eden, Linden, Mifflin, and Wingville.

Landowner Engagement: Invenergy has been a good partner to landowners, respecting their property rights and regularly checking in with them to ensure their relationships are positive. Payments to landowners help farmers directly, but Invenergy intends to go the extra mile by building access roads to turbines that farmers can use for their operations.

Whitewater Solar

Whitewater Solar, unlike Badger Hollow Wind, is one of many solar projects to get approved over the last few years, but we’re excited all the same. The 180 MW project takes us another leap forward toward meeting our clean energy goals.

Just as we did with Badger Hollow Wind, RENEW filed testimony with the PSC to show how Whitewater Solar will benefit the state and the communities the project will call home.

During the open meeting, the PSC dove into proposed modifications and conditions to the solar project. Along with standard conditions, the PSC approved additional requirements that address concerns specific to the Whitewater Solar project. In particular, the PSC will require conditions related to the location used for temporary storage of construction equipment, a filing of signed Joint Development Agreements with local governments, and a landowner complaint process to make it easier for the developer to work with local residents before commencing construction.

Benefits of Whitewater Solar:

Economic Growth: Whitewater Solar will create hundreds of jobs during construction, as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions. It is expected that this project will produce $259 million in additional economic activity in Wisconsin.

Community Benefits: Once in service, Whitewater Solar will contribute more than $900,000 in utility-aid payments each year. These payments will go to Jefferson and Walworth Counties, the City of Whitewater, and the Towns of Whitewater and LaGrange. Utility-aid payments produce additional revenue for local governments to use to fix roads and support local municipal services, all without creating an additional tax burden for residents.

Collectively, these two projects will reduce emissions by 543,000 tons of CO2 in their first year of operation, which would otherwise come from fossil fuel generators if these projects were never built. This means cleaner air and water, along with mitigating climate change. If you expand that over the lifetime of each of these projects, that would lead to millions of tons of CO2 that we don’t send into our atmosphere. These projects will also lead to reductions in particulate matter and ozone pollution, which means healthier outcomes and reduced healthcare costs for Wisconsin residents. Those who suffer from asthma or have heart conditions are particularly at risk when it comes to air pollution.

Thanks to everyone who helped get these projects across the finish line. Comments from the public, testimony from our partners, and the work on the ground in communities across the state are needed for every project. Through our collective action, we make our clean energy future a reality.

On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) determined how the state would move forward with its investigation into net metering, which was opened in response to net metering changes proposed by Madison Gas & Electric and Alliant Energy.

Initially, a Wisconsin Value of Solar Study (VoSS) was expected to be a part of the overall investigation. PSC Chairperson Summer Strand indicated during the July 24 open meeting that she was content with the VoSS information already provided in the docket, and that a Wisconsin-specific VoSS effort would require more effort than it was worth. Commissioners Kristy Nieto and Marcus Hawkins ultimately agreed with this path forward.

Though a Wisconsin-specific VoSS won’t be a part of the investigation going forward, the PSC still plans to investigate and gather additional data and information about the state of rooftop solar in Wisconsin to help guide policy decisions. We are encouraged by their continued interest in establishing clarity and data on solar installations in Wisconsin. RENEW also hopes that the PSC considers the quick phase-out of federal tax credits for residential rooftop solar as they review installation trends moving forward.

The commissioners made it clear that they will include a review of adoption rates, an evaluation of net metering options and rate designs, and the expected impacts of rate designs on customers in their investigation. In relation to rate design options, the commissioners were also interested in the incorporation of time-of-use rates and other customer technologies, such as batteries and smart thermostats, and innovative programs, such as behavior demand response and virtual power plant options for the future.

RENEW Wisconsin participated in the process as it related to creating the parameters for the VoSS and will continue to offer input whenever we have the opportunity. We will also inform members and supporters alike when there are opportunities for the public to participate in the process.

On May 14, the RENEW Wisconsin policy team submitted testimony calling for no change to how Rice Lake Utilities (RLU) compensates customers for the solar energy they produce. This testimony is in opposition to what RLU has suggested for their net energy metering (NEM) policy, which would be a reduction in compensation for solar customers.

In this case, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) will consider a NEM formula for systems at 20 kilowatts (kW) and below, and a formula for systems between 20 and 100 kW. Systems that are 20 kW or below are typically residential rooftop arrays, whereas the larger ones are often on businesses or municipal buildings. RLU currently has three customers with systems above 20 kW, all of which are schools.

Although Rice Lake Utilities is a smaller utility in northwestern Wisconsin and does not have many customers with solar, what they have proposed could change the precedent at the PSC. RENEW has decided to intervene and provide testimony to prevent the potential for statewide changes to NEM policy.

RENEW’s policy team provided evidence to the PSC in support of maintaining the status quo for both larger and smaller solar systems. We also shared potential alternatives for how RLU could transition away from the status quo should the PSC decide to allow a change to NEM benefits. These alternatives are more in line with how utility-avoided costs for Wisconsin utilities are calculated.

Utility-avoided costs are the cost an electric utility pays to generate or purchase power. This could be described as — an avoided expense that a utility would have paid by generating themselves or purchasing it from a third party, had it not come from the customer’s solar array.

RENEW feels that before the PSC decides this case, they should consider the future of municipally-owned utility payment structures for NEM. RLU’s net monthly excess generation formula for NEM currently points to their base cost of power as its avoided cost reference, and that reference remains financially viable for RLU, as well as most Wisconsin utilities. With that in mind, we are concerned that the PSC’s decision in this case might set a precedent for other similar cases.

RENEW is hopeful that the PSC will agree that it is best to leave the current NEM pay structures in place until their Value of Solar Study and NEM investigation concludes.

Next Steps for RENEW

The RLU case is ongoing, and RENEW will have the opportunity to submit rebuttal testimony and participate in a party hearing this June. We will continue to advocate for fair payments to utility customers with solar arrays. There will also be an opportunity for the public to comment on the case before a decision from the PSC in July.

On Wednesday, RENEW Wisconsin’s Policy team submitted comments to the Public Service Commission (PSC) in response to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (LBNL) review of the Value of Solar Studies (VoSS). These comments represent a critical step toward shaping the future of solar energy in Wisconsin, with several organizations, including 350.org, the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative, Northwind Solar, and Appleton Solar, joining RENEW in support of these recommendations. Other organizations and utilities also submitted separate comments.

The context for this study and the review stems from rate case proceedings in the fall of 2023 involving Alliant Energy and Madison Gas & Electric (MGE). These rate cases included proposals to reduce or eliminate the current Net Energy Metering (NEM) policies for solar customers in these two utility territories. If approved, such changes would have reduced the financial benefits for consumers with solar arrays at their homes or businesses. These proposals were ultimately rejected by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC), and the Commission agreed to gather more information in a separate statewide investigatory docket. Last year, the PSC began working with Berkeley Lab and other national lab staff on a VoSS to better understand the full benefits of distributed solar energy to the grid and the economy.

RENEW’s comments offer key recommendations to strengthen solar policy in Wisconsin, ensuring it supports sustainable growth and a fair, data-driven approach to valuing solar energy. Here are the main points highlighted in RENEW’s submission:

1. Gather utility data required to estimate solar adoption rates

Accurate and comprehensive data are essential for determining solar energy adoption rates across Wisconsin. RENEW recommends that the PSC gather data from utilities, formulate methodologies, and report on solar adoption rates. This will enable policymakers to make informed decisions on future solar policies.

2. Decide whether an independent VoSS is appropriate for Wisconsin at this time

Before pursuing an independent Value of Solar Study (VoSS), RENEW recommends that the PSC assess whether such a study is appropriate for Wisconsin at this time. This evaluation should consider the unique circumstances of the state, including its zero-carbon energy goals and economic landscape.

3. Create more robust and consistent NEM policy throughout Wisconsin

RENEW advocates for the development of more robust and consistent Net Energy Metering (NEM) policies across the state. NEM is a cornerstone of Wisconsin’s solar energy development, and strengthening this policy will help ensure fairness and consistency for solar customers.

4. When appropriate, establish a VoSS stakeholder process and methodology to consider all values presented in the LBNL VOSS Review

When the time is right, RENEW recommends adopting a fair, transparent, and 

stakeholder-driven approach to a VoSS. This process should consider all the values outlined in the LBNL VoSS Review (economic, environmental, and grid-related) to ensure a comprehensive understanding of solar’s full benefits.

5. Contract with a third-party VoSS consultant using a stakeholder-driven review process

To ensure a fair and credible outcome, RENEW urges the PSC to engage an independent consultant to assist in leading the Value of Solar analysis. An experienced third-party expert can provide objective insight and guide the process in a way that respects the input of all participants, including utilities, customers, advocates, and other stakeholders.

6. Establish either a statewide or utility-specific VoSS driven by data

RENEW supports the creation of a statewide or utility-specific VoSS that is grounded in data and accurately reflects the value solar brings to the grid. This study should be informed by the utility data and stakeholder feedback gathered throughout the process.

7. Establish a glide path towards VoS tariffs only when NEM solar adoption rates increase to 10% in utility service territories

Finally, RENEW recommends a gradual transition to Value of Solar (VoS) tariffs, with a clear glide path based on solar adoption rates. Specifically, the transition to VoS tariffs should occur only when solar adoption reaches 10% in utility service territories.

Next Steps: Stay Tuned for Updates!

At this time, the PSC has not announced the next steps as the investigation remains open. However, the PSC will likely take up a verbal decision on the next steps soon. We’ll keep a close eye on the process and share any important updates with you as they happen.

Stay tuned for further developments as we continue to push for policies that support a clean, sustainable, and equitable energy future for Wisconsin.