Madison, WI — The Assembly Committee on Agriculture held a hearing Wednesday on Assembly Bill 493, legislation that would authorize community solar programs and expand access to affordable, locally generated energy in Wisconsin.
The bill’s sponsor in the Assembly, State Representative Scott Krug (R-Rome), was joined by a broad coalition of Wisconsin farmers, landowners, business leaders, workers, and energy experts who urged lawmakers to advance the proposal as families across the state face record-high electricity bills and farmers look for new ways to keep their operations viable amid mounting pressure from low commodity prices and rising costs.
Lobbyists paid by the state’s investor-owned utilities, who have long opposed policies that expand competition and customer choice, also attended the hearing to testify against the legislation. These utilities are currently reporting record profits, which was discussed at multiple points during the hearing, including the fact that many of them are owned by out-of-state shareholders.
Leadership’s rapid re-referral of AB 493 to the Assembly Agriculture Committee signaled growing momentum behind community solar at a time when energy affordability has become a top concern for Wisconsin households and employers.
Duane Hinchley, a fifth-generation Wisconsin farmer who runs Hinchley Dairy Farm, recently taped an ad in support of the legislation where he says that community solar would help his family stay on the property they’ve farmed since 1961. Hinchley remarks that as, “dairy has been exiting the state, commodity prices have been very low margins,” so, “community solar is a new avenue, a new opportunity to support and sustain our farm.” Watch the ad here.
Polling on the legislation shows overwhelming support for locally controlled community solar in Wisconsin, with 79% of voters statewide in favor driven largely by rising energy bills and the promise of lower costs. Support is especially strong in key battleground districts, where 66% of voters say they would back a legislator who votes for the bill and majorities across parties favor urgent action and local control.
Perhaps because of this widespread support, this legislation has emerged as one of the most aggressively lobbied-against energy bills in the state: According to a recent report by the Wisconsin State Journal, monopoly utilities have spent heavily to block community solar, underscoring the high stakes of a policy that would give customers more choice and competition in the energy market.
“Community solar is about lowering costs, strengthening rural economies, and giving Wisconsinites more control over their energy future,” said Representative Krug. “This bill creates new income opportunities for farmers and landowners, supports local jobs, and helps protect families from rising utility bills.”
“Utilities have incorrectly stated that enabling community solar in Wisconsin would cost the state billions of dollars when, in fact, it can save every subscriber as much as 10 percent on their electric bills and make valuable improvements to the grid,” said energy expert Karl R. Rábago. “It is time to give customers lower-cost energy choices. Community solar is a smart option for customers seeking local control and more affordable electricity.”
“This model expands energy choice without subsidies, without mandates, and without turning more power over to monopoly utilities,” said Will Flanders, Ph.D., Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty. “In fact, it introduces competition at precisely the moment Wisconsin needs it most.”
Community solar would allow multiple customers to subscribe to a shared local solar project, lowering electricity costs, creating new income streams for farmers and landowners, and strengthening Wisconsin’s energy resilience.
Witnesses Who Testified in Support of Community Solar Legislation:
- State Representative Scott Krug (R-Rome)
- Craig Bain, family farm owner, Arpin
- Bonnie Beyer, family farm owner, Bovina
- Jeff Roberts, land owner and small business owner, Hartland
- Dave Johnson, land owner and small business owner, West Bend Sand & Stone, Barton
- Thomas Schneider, land owner, Door County
- Phillip Ley, land owner, Dodgeville
- JD Smith, Arch Electric
- Terry Hamer, Arch Electric
- Jacob Feutz, Faith Technologies Incorporated
- Karl Rábago, Rábago Energy, LLC
- Dr. Will Flanders, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty
- Lisa Nelson, Walmart
- Eric Austin, Walmart
- Sarah Moon, Fieldworks
- Brandon Smithwood, Dimension Energy
