DE PERE — Today, Congressman Tony Wied (R-WI) sent a letter to the chairs of the Wisconsin State Legislature’s committees on energy and utilities, urging swift consideration of Senate Bill 3 and Assembly Bill 7, which would rightfully restore local governments’ ability to influence the siting of large-scale energy projects.
In the letter, Rep. Wied calls attention to the statutory imbalance created by 2009 Wisconsin Act 40, which significantly curtailed local input in energy development decisions. The letter urges support for legislation introduced by State Senator Howard Marklein and State Representative Travis Travel that would require approval from affected towns and counties before the PSC can proceed with any large-scale wind or solar development.
“This commonsense legislation reaffirms a basic principle that should never have been compromised: communities deserve to have a say over what takes place in their own backyards,” said Rep. Wied. “It’s time to return power to the people in these towns and counties that have been shut out of the decision-making process for far too long.”
The Congressman’s letter highlights recent examples of solar and wind projects approved despite repeated objections from the very communities expected to host them. He also cited the absence of developer engagement in his own district, where Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources declined to attend a local listening session on their proposed Fox Solar project.
In addition to his outreach to state lawmakers, Rep. Wied sent a separate letter to PSC Chair Summer Strand urging the Commission to adopt reforms that prioritize community engagement and transparency.
“The PSC has repeatedly ignored the voices of rural Wisconsin,” said Rep. Wied. “Unelected bureaucrats should never have the power to override the will of a community. If a town doesn’t want its landscape transformed into an industrial corridor, the people who live there should have the final say.”
The letters reflect growing frustration across rural Wisconsin, where residents feel steamrolled by centralized decision-making and corporate interests. Rep. Wied is calling on state lawmakers and regulators to act swiftly to return power to local communities and ensure that no energy project is forced on a community without its consent.
Read the letter to lawmakers HERE.
Read the letter to PSC HERE.
