Tiffany campaign: Unveils plan to lower utility costs and put affordability and reliability first

GREEN BAY, WI – Tom Tiffany unveiled his plan to change the direction of Wisconsin energy policy, lower pressure on utility bills, protect reliable baseload power, and put affordability and reliability first at the Public Service Commission.

Since Governor Tony Evers’ appointees gained a majority on the PSC, the commission has approved more than $2 billion in utility rate increases, rubber-stamping approximately 71% of utility requests. During a comparable period when Scott Walker’s appointees held the majority, the PSC approved approximately $300.1 million in utility rate increases, or roughly 25%.

Meanwhile, more rate hikes are on the horizon. We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service are both seeking increases that could raise typical residential electric bills by more than 14% by 2028.

“For too long, Wisconsin’s energy policy has focused on government mandates instead of what should come first for ratepayers: affordability and reliability. David Crowley would maintain the status quo of rubber-stamping rate increases at the PSC to meet his Green New Deal mandates. Families should not be forced to pay higher utility bills to satisfy government mandates,” said Tom Tiffany.

David Crowley signed Milwaukee County’s Climate Action 2050 plan in 2025, with an estimated $441 million price tag to pursue Green New Deal goals. As governor, Crowley would continue Governor Evers’ 100% Green New Deal goal by 2050, imposing more mandates as Wisconsin families already face rising utility bills.

Tiffany’s Plan for Affordable, Reliable Energy:

• Stop closing baseload power: Wisconsin needs reliable power available around the clock. Tiffany will stop prematurely shutting down dependable baseload generation while ratepayers are still paying for plants that no longer produce electricity. He will appoint PSC commissioners who put reliability and affordability first.
• Protect farmland: Wisconsin should not pave over productive farmland with massive industrial-scale wind, solar, and data center projects or carve unnecessary transmission corridors through family farms. Tiffany will protect private property rights, prioritize existing infrastructure and corridors, and give local communities a meaningful voice.
• Embrace new nuclear: Wisconsin should lead the next generation of American nuclear energy. Tiffany will work to remove regulatory barriers to new nuclear development, including advanced and small modular reactors, so we can produce reliable, around-the-clock power right here in Wisconsin.
• Lower utilities’ guaranteed profit rate: Wisconsin’s major investor-owned utilities are currently authorized by the PSC to earn about a 9.8% return on equity, above the national average and higher than rates approved for utilities in neighboring states like Illinois and Minnesota. This return is built into customer rates. Tiffany would look to lower it and reduce costs for Wisconsin ratepayers.
• Close the revolving door: Tiffany will require PSC commissioners to have a cooling-off period after leaving office before accepting a job with an investor-owned utility or transmission company.

“As governor, I will change the direction of the Public Service Commission and appoint commissioners who put affordability and reliability first. We will protect reliable baseload generation, embrace new nuclear power, and protect Wisconsin farmland from industrial-scale wind, solar, data centers, and transmission lines. We will scrutinize utilities’ guaranteed rates of return and close the revolving door between the PSC and the utilities it regulates. Wisconsin needs an energy policy that puts the people paying the bills first,” said Tom Tiffany.