MADISON – The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) is currently accepting public comments on the draft Strategic Energy Assessment (SEA). The SEA is a report published every two years that provides data and technical analysis to evaluate Wisconsin’s current and future electricity supply.

Ten electric providers operating in Wisconsin submitted historical and forecasted electric system operation information to the PSC for use in developing the draft SEA. This information includes goals and efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; utility resource planning analysis and decisions; demand response offerings; trends in transmission costs; and details on the Commission’s work to analyze and address customer affordability.

This information is submitted approximately one year before the draft SEA is released for public comment. Due to SEA reporting timelines required under state statute and administrative code, some parts of the SEA may be outdated by the time it’s published. This timing misalignment hinders the development of a comprehensive electrical system analysis and resource planning transparency.

In many states, utility regulatory agencies use Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) or other long-term planning processes to review energy providers’ generation and capital spending plans, gather robust stakeholder and public input, and in some cases, exercise regulatory authority over final resource addition and retirement decisions. However, in Wisconsin, there is no IRP process and the Commission does not prescribe the type of generation resource power providers retire or seek approval to build.

IRP processes are typically established through legislative authorizations, which do not currently exist in Wisconsin. In the late 1990’s, the Wisconsin Legislature moved away from Wisconsin’s prior IRP process and replaced it with the SEA.

Background on the 2026-2032 SEA

In November 2025, as part of the biennial SEA development process, ten Wisconsin electric providers submitted to the PSC specific historical information up to that point in time, as well as forward-looking forecasts spanning fall 2025 through 2032. Commission staff analyzed this information and other sources of information current at that time to develop a draft SEA for public review.

Therefore, certain information contained in this draft SEA is not yet updated and is subject to change in the final SEA as more recent data and information become available. For the Final SEA, the Commission has requested updated actual and forecasted information from electric providers and will incorporate this and updated information from other sources into the Final SEA.

Public Participation Opportunities

The PSC is holding a virtual public hearing related to the draft SEA on Thursday, August 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The PSC is accepting public comments on the draft SEA in writing online or via US mail by Monday, September 28, 2026.

It is important to note that a member of the public may submit comments either by testifying at the public hearing or submitting a comment in writing. Public comments received by the public comment deadline become part of the official record considered by the Commission when making its decisions.

The Notice of Hearing with more information about public participation is available here.

Background on the Public Service Commission

The PSC is a quasi-judicial body composed of three full-time Commissioners who make decisions in cases brought to the PSC related to utility operations, rates, and construction projects. In each case, the Commissioners are responsible for independently reviewing the application and the full record of evidence, analyzing and weighing the evidence, and ultimately reaching a decision that complies with state law. 

The PSC has no direct regulatory oversight of the development or operations of data centers and does not grant permits to construct or operate data centers in Wisconsin. The PSC does regulate the electric, gas, and water utilities that are obligated to provide service to facilities, including data centers, located in their service territories.

Additional information about the PSC is available here.

An online version of this release is available here.