Mandela Barnes Will Take on Greedy Utility Monopolies and Donald Trump

As The PSC Continues To Approve Billions In Rate Hikes, Wisconsin’s Utility Monopolies See Record Profits  

“As Governor, I Will Freeze Utility Rates And Take On Monopolies Like WE Energies Who Are Exploiting Ratepayers To Line Their Own Pockets”

As part of his Wisconsin Way agenda, Mandela Barnes is announcing his plan to ‘Freeze The Rates,’ taking on the utilities in Wisconsin and blocking another utility rate increase to lower energy costs for Wisconsin families.

“Wisconsin’s utility monopolies rake in some of the highest profit margins in the entire nation while our bills skyrocket. That’s not a coincidence. Utility companies have rigged the system to boost their profits and pay for the massive salaries of wealthy executives while Wisconsinites have had to cut back on essentials like food and prescriptions to keep the heat on.” said Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes. “As Governor, I will freeze utility rates and take on monopolies like WE Energies who are exploiting ratepayers to line their own pockets. During freezing Wisconsin winters, turning the heat on shouldn’t be a luxury, but greedy monopolies have made it one. That ends when I am Governor.”

Wisconsin’s utility monopolies have nation-leading profits, but continue to increase costs for Wisconsin ratepayers, causing a quarter of Wisconsin households to miss utility payments and more than a third to cut back on food and medicine to keep the lights on. Greedy companies like WE Energies recorded over a billion dollars in income last year and paid their executives over $32 million, while customers report increases of more than $300 per month. Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to break his promises to lower energy costs by repealing federal tax cuts and imposing disastrous tariffs that have spiked prices.

To Bring Down Utility Costs, Mandela Barnes Will:

Freeze the Rates:

  • Wisconsin families will not see another rate increase approved. He will only appoint Public Service Commissioners who will freeze the rates and deny any price hikes from the utilities.  
  • The Public Service Commission has historically been stacked with commissioners who use their roles as a stepping stone to becoming wealthy utility executives running the very companies they used to be regulating. Mandela Barnes will stop that revolving door as Governor.

Hold Greedy Utility Monopolies Accountable

  • Mandela Barnes will pass legislation that bans utility companies from using ratepayer money on lobbying and political expenses.
  • He will also cap executive pay for utility companies. When families are paying hundreds of dollars more per month for heating costs in the dead of winter, the executives of utility monopolies shouldn’t be making tens of millions of dollars.

Stop Greedy Utilities from Profiting Off Shuttered Fossil Fuel Plants

  • Loopholes have forced rate payers to pay for the debts of shuttered coal plants just so greedy utility monopolies can rake in massive profits even after a plant has shut down.
  • As governor, Mandela Barnes will close those loopholes and stop greedy utility companies from exploiting Wisconsin families.Utility monopolies will be required to take on those costs themselves and the burden off ratepayers.

Bring More Renewable Energy Online

  • As Governor, Mandela Barnes will build more renewable energy here in Wisconsin, create good-paying union jobs doing it, and lower energy costs for families and businesses.
  • He’ll cut red tape to get more renewable power built at home and invest in battery storage so that energy reaches the people who need it. More Wisconsin-made energy means lower bills and steady, good-paying union work for Wisconsinites.
  • As Lt. Governor, Mandela Barnes chaired Governor Evers’ Bipartisan Task Force on Climate Change and served as President of Forward Together Wisconsin where he delivered real investments that created jobs and lowered costs.

Cut Taxes and Costs for Property Owners

  • Tom Tiffany and Republicans in Congress recently repealed tax cuts for property owners who can take steps at home like sealing windows to prevent heat loss and updating HVAC systems to save money on monthly heating bills.
  • Mandela Barnes will pass state-level tax cuts to help Wisconsinites afford these commonsense improvements to lower their utility bills.
  • As Governor, he will also make utility companies eliminate re-connection fees for low-income households

Fight Back Against Donald Trump’s Price Hikes

  • Wisconsin will bring legal cases to the Federal Energy Regulator Commission to block steep price hikes from the grid operator for Wisconsin, Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO).

Part of his Wisconsin Way agenda to make life better for Wisconsin families, Mandela Barnes’ proposal to freeze utility rates and lower energy costs builds on his bold plans to make life more affordable and stand up to Donald Trump, including:

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