Wisconsin Public Service Commission has approved rate hikes, but not $1.9 billion

Electric and natural gas are always on Wisconsin residents’ minds, especially during the winter months. 

Like many other things, the cost of electric and natural gas has been rising.

That’s because of a host of factors, with the increases governed by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, an independent regulatory agency. The body sets new rates and approves major construction projects such as power plants, water wells and transmission lines.

The Wisconsin chapter of Americans for Prosperity took note of those increases, which are typically approved only a few at a time, did some math and posted Dec. 4, 2023, on X, formerly Twitter:

"Wisconsin utilities have charged ratepayers more than $1.9 billion of increases since 2019." 

That’s an eye-popping number, especially when there are concerns about inflation’s impact on state residents’ pocketbooks.

Is the math right? No.

When we contacted Americans for Prosperity, spokesperson Emilee Taylor told us the initial post — which was deleted after we asked about it — contained an error: The $1.9 billion should be $1.5 billion. 

A follow-up tweet used the correct figure. But our practice is to rate initial statements, which typically reach the widest audience.

When asked for more information about how the group reached the $1.5 billion number, Taylor sent links to Public Service Commission meeting agendas from the past several years that show approved increases. 

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"The Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group used PSC agendas to calculate $1.5 billion in approved rate increases since 2019. In our calculations, we account for both electric and natural gas — operating under the assumption that most Wisconsinites associate the two related as they are sometimes on the same utility bill," Taylor said in a Dec. 18, 2023, email.

"All items added together—rate cases, fuel cases, and fuel surcharges — for electric and natural gas utilities equals $1.5 billion: $1.3 billion in electric, and $250 million in natural gas."

When we contacted the commission, Communications Director Meghan Sovey shared an analysis assembled by employees. 

According to that information, since 2019 there have been nearly $959 million in increases authorized for electric retail customers, and about $269 million in increases authorized for natural gas customers. 

Those numbers include some recently authorized increases that won’t take effect until 2024 and 2025. 

Their total: $1.472 billion in increases. 

Those increases are split across consumers, and no one person or community is footing the bill for that amount. And a large portion of the increase is being paid by businesses, and not directly by consumers.

Americans for Prosperity claimed "Wisconsin utilities have charged ratepayers more than $1.9 billion of increases since 2019." 

After we asked, the organization said the tweet contained an error, deleted it, then updated the number to $1.5 billion. While Americans for Prosperity did delete the tweet, we are still rating that $1.9 billion claim. 

The lower figure was on point, but as is our practice, we rate the original claim — not what groups and individuals do later to make it more accurate. 

We rate that original claim False.