MILWAUKEE — The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin will hold a public hearing Tuesday to consider a We Energies rate increase proposal that could raise monthly energy bills by about $22 by 2028.
We Energies is requesting an increase that would raise rates by $13.35 per month in 2027 and $8.69 per month in 2028 for a household that uses 660 kilowatt-hours a month.
Watch the video report below:
To put the 2027 increase in perspective, $13.35 could otherwise buy about 3.5 gallons of gas at the current rate of $3.87 per gallon, about five rides on the Milwaukee County Bus or groceries like milk, eggs and bread.
Abra Fortson, a resident of the Lindsay Heights neighborhood and the owner of Jump Consulting, said she is concerned about what the rate increases could mean for families.
"Especially when you consider that the median income for the city and county, I'm not sure about the state, hasn't changed. How are we justifying the impact of rate hikes on families that already have not seen median income increases in some 10 years?"
Brendan Conway, a spokesperson for We Energies, said the company is working to offset costs for customers.
"We're working hard every day to keep bills as low as possible. The rate filing that the Public Service Commission is considering hundreds of millions of dollars of federal tax credits, fuel cost savings that we're providing back to customers and it in fact, we propose to give customers back another $30 million this fall."
Public hearings are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday at Marquette University Alumni Memorial Union.
After the public hearing, the commission will make a decision on the new rates, which could result in an increase or even a decrease. If approved, the new rates would take effect in January 2027.
—————
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
