PSC Sides With RENEW on Solar Interconnection Issues

PSC Sides With RENEW on Solar Interconnection Issues

by | Nov 13, 2026 | Public Service Commission, Renewables, Solar

Last week, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) spent nearly 12 hours reviewing and deciding on issues within the WE Energies and WPS rate cases. The Commissioners’ deliberations resulted in slashing rate increases requested by the utilities, as well as big wins for RENEW Wisconsin and rooftop solar in our state! Thanks to everyone who joined us in this effort by writing public comments to the PSC.

In our discussions with business member Eland Electric earlier this year, RENEW learned about unreasonable practices from utilities related to connecting rooftop solar systems to the grid when they are paired with a battery system. In many cases, WE Energies and WPS put roadblocks in the way of Eland Electric as they attempted to install solar + battery systems. These utilities refused to accept certified controls that ensure batteries do not export energy to the grid.

Essentially, the utilities added the capacities of solar and battery systems together. This blocked such systems from being able to take advantage of net metering, even though the batteries have certified controls that prevent them from sending the customer’s stored solar power to the grid. This practice not only blocked homeowners from benefiting from net metering but also resulted in increased costs when it came time to connect the system to the electric grid. This economically undermined customers’ ability to add battery storage and use their own solar energy production for reliability purposes.

Separately, Eland Electric also found that utilities were aggregating rooftop solar systems from separate customers by using an arbitrary “premises” definition. Examples included duplexes and a “tiny homes” project for veterans. These projects all had separate solar systems under separate electric meters, but the utilities wanted to add them up together. Similar to the solar + battery issue described above, these utilities had been leveraging their “premises” definition to increase interconnection costs and bump solar systems out of net metering.

When these rate cases began in April, RENEW worked directly with Jesse Michalski at Eland Electric to address these utility hurdles. After digging into the details, we found that utilities were blatantly ignoring PSC interconnection rules and national lab certifications. RENEW then implemented a strategy requesting that the PSC review our technical arguments and regulate these utilities through rate case decisions. Our actions included serving discovery to the utilities and providing expert testimony from Eland’s Jesse Michalski as well as RENEW’s Andrew Kell and Ben Behlke. RENEW’s staff attorney, Sherif Halaweish, also represented us through legal filings and briefings to the PSC.

In the end, all three Commissioners agreed with RENEW! While we await written orders from the PSC, based on their verbal decisions, we expect the PSC will require utility changes in 2027. 

Kudos to the Commissioners for not only going through utility accounting and rates with a scalpel, but also for digging into these important interconnection issues and ordering utility changes that will enable solar and battery systems! RENEW looks forward to working with our member solar installers to keep identifying and removing obstacles for Wisconsinites trying to go solar. With the knowledge that the PSC can and will correct unreasonable interconnection practices, RENEW will continue to work to increase our dialogue with utilities to directly address these issues.

Casa Esther Goes Solar to Help Neighbors Pay Rent

Casa Esther Goes Solar to Help Neighbors Pay Rent

by | Nov 10, 2026 | Renewables, Solar, Solar for Good

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program helped Casa Esther install rooftop solar at its Omro building. The solar array, powered by a $5,000 grant, is expected to reduce the nonprofit’s electricity costs by about $1,100 a year—savings it plans to put toward neighbors’ basic needs.

Casa Esther began in 2008 to support immigrant families new to the Omro area. Today, it serves people across Winnebago County. In 2025, the nonprofit provided more than $62,000 in rental assistance to over 210 households.

Casa Esther also helps neighbors with utility bills and provides gas and grocery cards. Its gardens contribute about 20 pounds of fresh food to local food pantries each week.

Starting in 2027, Casa Esther plans to direct its electricity savings toward its basic-needs budget. Lower power bills for the nonprofit can mean more support for a neighbor trying to pay rent or keep the lights on at home.

RENEW Wisconsin member installer Appleton Solar installed the 4.6-kilowatt rooftop system at Casa Esther’s building at 320 N. Webster Ave. The panels are expected to produce about 6,500 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.

The project also reflects Casa Esther’s commitment to caring for the planet. “Part of our mission is to work to preserve a sustainable planet for all. Making a strong commitment to utilizing renewable energy sources is one way we can fulfill that piece of our mission,” said Executive Director Sara Kosmicki.

One of Kosmicki’s favorite moments was welcoming Gov. Tony Evers to see the new panels. “It was really exciting for a small non-profit like us to have the Governor visit and to have an opportunity to show off the new panels, as well as share more about who we are and the work we do,” she said.

Solar for Good helps Wisconsin nonprofits install solar so they can direct more of their budgets toward their work.

LEARN HOW TO SUPPORT SOLAR FOR GOOD
Strum Public Library Turns the Page With Solar

Strum Public Library Turns the Page With Solar

by | Nov 10, 2026 | Renewables, Solar, Solar for Good

Strum Public Library is the hum of the Strum community. People gather there—morning coffee hours bring neighbors together, and a friendly face is always waiting. With just over 1,000 residents, a library is so much more than a place to find books for the Village of Strum in Trempealeau County.

Now, thanks to a new solar canopy, in part funded by Solar for Good, Strum Public Library is entering a new chapter.

“I Almost Fell Over”

The savings arrived faster than anyone expected. The library’s utility had warned Library Director Dawn Hering it could take six months to see a change. Instead, her first bill came in at $17.09, compared to more than $400 before. The next bill? Just around $16.

“I almost fell over when we got our first bill,” Dawn said. “So we’ve already saved about seven hundred dollars.”

Why the Library Went Solar

Keeping a rural library funded is hard, and finding steady support for its services has become a real challenge. In 2025, the library saw a rare chance to change that.

“Investing in solar would drastically reduce our utility expenses, therefore, we could then provide more resources for our community,” Dawn said.

Neighbors rallied behind the idea, and sustainability quickly became the library’s goal for the year. Support came from the community, a $5,000 Solar for Good grant, and the Winding Rivers Solar Program.

Where the Savings Go

Dawn already has plans for those dollars:

  • Expanding the library building
  • Adding a car engine fault code reader to the library’s “library of things” kits
  • Supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which starts in January 2027 and gives children ages 0-5 a free book every month

Essential Services, Not Just Books

It is easy to think of a library as a place to borrow books. For this small rural town, it is much more. Strum’s library started in the late 1920s as a door-to-door book drive and opened in its current form in 1956 with 2,300 donated books. Today it offers technology access, educational programs, skills development, digital resources, and community outreach, along with free public computers and copy, scan, and fax services.

In many rural communities, a school acts as a second hub. Where there isn’t one close by, the library may be the main place for learning, services, and community.

Healthcare, Social Security, taxes, and social services now run through the internet. For older residents who are not comfortable online, can’t use a computer, or don’t have family nearby, the library is often the only place to turn.

“It’s a daily thing around here,” Dawn said. “If you don’t have internet, you don’t accomplish much.”

For a lot of Strum, the library is how those essential services become accessible.

Help Us Do More of This

Strum is one of many nonprofits using solar to put more of their budgets toward the people they serve. Solar for Good has helped make more than 250 projects possible. The program runs on the support of donors who believe clean energy should reach every corner of Wisconsin, and a gift goes directly toward supporting grants for the next group of organizations.

SUPPORT SOLAR FOR GOOD
Share Your Support Sinnissippi Solar

Share Your Support Sinnissippi Solar

by | Nov 5, 2026 | Public Service Commission, Renewables, Solar

Public comments are open now through November 9 for Sinnissippi Solar, a 100 Megawatt (MW) solar project. If approved, the solar project will be located in Jefferson County and is planned for completion in 2029. Projects like this have a wide range of local and statewide benefits. Show your support for this project and tell the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) why this solar project is vital for Wisconsin!

You can use the listed benefits below to craft your message.

Sinnissippi Solar isn’t just about the clean energy it will produce. The 100 MW facility in Jefferson County has many benefits.

  • Economic Growth: Sinnissippi Solar is expected to create 192 temporary construction jobs, as well as several long-term local jobs for operations and maintenance. Due to associated economic stimulus related to the development of this project, Sinnissippi Solar is expected to contribute $69.3 million in statewide economic output, $41.9 million of which will occur in Jefferson County. Landowners will also benefit from consistent lease payments during the project’s 30-year lifespan.
  • Community Benefits: Once in service, Sinnissippi Solar will contribute more than $15 million in utility-aid payments over 30 years. Local governments will receive $500,000 annually, with $283,333 for Jefferson County and $216,666 for the Towns of Watertown, Ixonia, and Concord.
  • Emissions Reductions: Sinnissippi Solar will reduce emissions from energy production by about 315 million pounds of CO2 in the first year of operations. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, this is the equivalent of taking more than 31,000 vehicles off the road for a full year. Additionally, non-GHG emissions reductions will result in health, economic, and environmental benefits. Wisconsin can expect more than $690,000 in economic benefits associated with public health improvements in Sinnissippi Solar’s first year of operations alone.

Submit your comments today and tell the PSC you support the approval of Sinnissippi Solar!

TAKE ACTION
Let’s Get Down to Business!

Let’s Get Down to Business!

by | Nov 4, 2026 | RENEW Wisconsin, Renewables

Now that the dust has settled on this year’s election cycle, it’s time to get to work to ensure Governor-elect Crowley delivers on the promises made on the campaign trail. This means taking direct climate action that creates jobs, ensuring any data centers built are powered by renewables, and expanding clean energy development to protect Wisconsinites from high energy prices.

With the state legislature behind Crowley, we have an opportunity to lay a strong foundation for the clean energy future we talk about so often. This doesn’t mean the path ahead will be a walk in the park.

It may feel like the wind is at our backs, but as we pursue legislation and policy that is favorable to clean energy, we cannot let perfection be the enemy of progress. We must also remember that as we build our clean energy future, the expansion of renewable energy must be equitable and benefit all Wisconsinites.

At RENEW Wisconsin, we are hoping to see an all-of-the-above approach to renewable energy take shape through legislation and policy. We want to see Integrated Resource Planning put into practice so we can meet our future energy needs with minimal cost to utility customers. We want to see Community Solar and Plug-in Solar legalized so that more people can benefit from lower utility bills through solar. We want to see Net Metering legislation that ensures people will continue to see a good return on their investment in rooftop solar.

None of this will happen overnight. There will be many competing interests at our state’s Capitol over the next couple of years, but with the help of our partners and support of people like you, we can capitalize on this moment. It’s time to begin the work of building an economy we can all afford.

HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN
The High Price of Leaving MISO: Wisconsin Cannot Afford to Go It Alone

The High Price of Leaving MISO: Wisconsin Cannot Afford to Go It Alone

by | Oct 9, 2026 | Advocacy, Transmission

There is something appealing about Wisconsin taking control of its own energy future. We are an independent-minded state. We believe in self-reliance, local accountability, and keeping decisions close to the people who live with their consequences. These are good instincts. But independence is not the same as isolation, and when it comes to electricity, the difference can be extraordinarily expensive.

Consider what would happen if Wisconsin’s five investor-owned electric utilities and American Transmission Company (ATC) left the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). The idea might be presented as a way to escape regional bureaucracy, regain control over transmission planning, or reduce costs. Yet before celebrating such a departure, Wisconsin residents should ask: How much is the bill?

The answer is not simple, but the potential costs are substantial.

Leaving Does Not Mean Walking Away from the Bill

MISO is the regional organization that coordinates wholesale electricity markets and transmission operations across much of the Midwest. Its members benefit from access to a broad electricity market, shared reliability resources, and coordinated transmission planning.

They also share financial obligations.

Over the years, MISO has approved major transmission investments intended to strengthen reliability, reduce congestion, and connect electricity generation across state lines. These investments include Multi-Value Projects (MVPs), whose costs are allocated across participating areas under established rules.

Those financial commitments do not necessarily disappear when a transmission owner withdraws.

Under MISO’s federally approved tariff, withdrawing transmission owners can remain responsible for some outstanding obligations. The exact costs would depend on the projects involved, applicable agreements, and regulatory determinations.

This matters for Wisconsin because ATC owns and operates much of our state’s high-voltage transmission infrastructure. If ATC withdrew alongside Wisconsin’s investor-owned utilities, the financial consequences would extend well beyond ordinary administrative expenses.

For preliminary analysis, policymakers might examine scenarios involving $250 million, $750 million, or $1.5 billion in withdrawal-related obligations. These figures are illustrative stress tests, not actual estimates of what Wisconsin would owe.

The distinction matters. We should not invent an exit penalty simply to make a political argument. We should insist on calculating the actual costs before anyone proposes putting Wisconsinites on the hook.

Who Ultimately Pays?

Utility costs tend to find their way into household and business electricity bills. With this in mind, suppose Wisconsin were to pay $750 million in withdrawal-related obligations. Divided evenly among approximately 2.8 million electric utility customers, that represents roughly $268 per customer.

This is just an illustration, not a prediction of actual bill increases. Real costs would depend on regulatory decisions, financing, customer classes, and the entities legally responsible.

Still, the math shows how significant the financial risk could be. And these costs don’t include the build-out of new services to replace the ones MISO currently provides for our state.

Ultimately, we would pay to leave one system and then pay again to participate in or build another. That alone is not necessarily an argument against every possible withdrawal from MISO. But it is a powerful enough reason to demand evidence that shows how a replacement would actually cost less.

The More Expensive Problem May Come After We Leave

MISO’s greatest economic contribution is not eliminating the cost of operating the electric grid. It is that regional cooperation lets utilities manage those costs across a larger system.

Wisconsin utilities can purchase electricity from generators throughout the region rather than relying exclusively on resources within our borders. Operating reserves can be shared. Transmission investments can be coordinated. Electricity can move more easily to where it is most needed.

These arrangements create economic efficiencies that would be difficult to reproduce on our own.

In its 2025 Value Proposition, MISO estimated that its operations generated approximately $7.6 billion in annual net benefits across its regional footprint. That is MISO’s own systemwide estimate, not a calculation of Wisconsin’s individual savings.

Leaving MISO would not automatically mean losing every regional economic benefit. Another market structure might preserve some or many of them. But Wisconsin would have to demonstrate that its alternative could deliver.

We Cannot Escape the Geography of Electricity

Our transmission lines connect with neighboring states. Our power plants operate within a larger interconnected system. Our industries depend on reliable electricity during periods when weather, demand, or equipment failures can strain available resources.

Regional cooperation becomes particularly valuable as Wisconsin expands renewable energy.

Wind and solar generation vary with weather and time of day. Being a part of a larger market allows electricity production from different locations and technologies to complement one another. Transmission connections help balance these resources.

Wisconsin also faces growing electricity demand from manufacturing, data centers, and other economic development.

Meeting those needs will require careful investment in generation, storage, and transmission. Leaving MISO would make it more difficult for Wisconsin to meet its energy needs.

The Price of Going It Alone

Wisconsin should pursue greater energy security. We should produce more affordable electricity within our borders, expand renewable generation, strengthen our transmission infrastructure, and reduce unnecessary dependence on imported fossil fuels.

But energy independence does not require abandoning regional cooperation.

In fact, a strong regional electricity market can make Wisconsin’s own investments more valuable, our system more resilient, and our energy economy more competitive.

Leaving MISO could expose Wisconsin to substantial outstanding financial obligations, additional transition expenses, and the possibility of higher long-term electricity costs. The precise amounts remain undetermined, which is exactly why an independent analysis must precede any serious proposal.

The common good demands something more practical: an electricity system that serves Wisconsin families, protects businesses, supports economic growth, and delivers reliable power at a reasonable cost.

Until someone can demonstrate that leaving would save money without compromising reliability, walking away would be a gamble Wisconsin has little reason to take.

And as with so many decisions about our energy future, the people who would ultimately bear the consequences are the people least able to afford another unnecessary expense.

Why RENEW is Suing the USDA

Why RENEW is Suing the USDA

by | Sep 28, 2026 | Advocacy, REAP, Renewables

In response to the United States Department of Agriculture’s decision to cut solar out of the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). On behalf of our members, RENEW has joined a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for the harmful actions it has taken. We are one of several plaintiffs, represented by Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC) with Earthjustice as co-counsel.

This is the first of several efforts by RENEW to represent the legal interests of our members as we expand the ways in which we are fighting against policies that restrict Americans from accessing or owning renewable energy.

The lawsuit, filed today, challenges the USDA’s new eligibility rules that block solar projects from REAP. Created in 2002, this program has received funding for more than two decades with a goal of helping farmers and rural small businesses save money through investments in energy efficiency and achieve self-reliance through renewable energy, with solar being one of the best options to accomplish this goal. 

The USDA’s updated criteria effectively cut solar from a bipartisan program built by Congress. As a result, cash-strapped rural communities have been denied access to affordable, reliable, and environmentally beneficial solar power during a period when energy prices have reached historic highs.

Making matters worse, the USDA has also decided to apply this new policy retroactively, affecting applications submitted under the USDA’s old rules. REAP applications can take months to prepare, and many applicants have already spent tens of thousands of dollars on equipment, engineering, and other costs that did and still should qualify for reimbursement. This abrupt, retroactive policy change leaves many holding expenses they likely cannot afford.

The lawsuit we’ve joined asks the court to:

  1. Invalidate USDA’s new anti-solar eligibility criteria.
  2. Order USDA to process REAP applications under the rules that were in place when USDA received them.

As finances get tighter and margins thinner, we cannot pull the rug out from the people who grow our food. REAP is supposed to help farmers keep their energy costs low. It is our hope that we can reverse this decision by the Trump Administration to protect farmers and rural business owners from the direct financial harm this rule change will cause.

Action Alert: Pairing Batteries With Solar Should Be Easy

Action Alert: Pairing Batteries With Solar Should Be Easy

by | Sep 25, 2026 | Action Alert, Advocacy, Renewables

This Action Alert might seem similar to one we sent earlier this month. We are, in fact, working to make it easier to pair batteries with residential solar across multiple utility territories!

Batteries are a great option for energy resiliency as they provide power during grid service outages. As they become more cost-effective, more people are hoping to pair them with solar. Unfortunately, utilities have been throwing hurdles in the way, preventing customers from storing and using the energy they create with their own rooftop solar array.

In WPS’ current rate case before the PSC, RENEW has addressed this issue head-on and is asking the PSC to step in and regulate utility interconnection practices.

When installing a solar array, utilities often factor in the size of a rooftop solar array when they determine the cost to connect the system to the electrical grid. WPS adds the capacity of batteries intended to store energy at home (non-exporting) to the solar capacity in order to increase these costs and also make it so customers can’t benefit from net metering.

This utility practice has effectively blocked all non-exporting batteries from being installed in WPS’ service territory. To solve this, we need the PSC to officially tell WPS to stop this unreasonable practice and allow customers to install batteries that they can pair with their rooftop solar arrays.

Join us in telling the PSC to regulate WPS and require the utility to allow customers to pair batteries with their own rooftop solar. The deadline to file public comments with the PSC is October 5th.

TAKE ACTION

Sample comment:

WPS is blocking customers from adding batteries to their solar systems, but the PSC can remove this unreasonable hurdle and enable customers to invest in their own energy resilience. Certified, non-exporting batteries help customers store their own solar power for when the grid goes down.

Yet WPS has made it impossible for customers to add these batteries by increasing interconnection costs and pushing solar customers out of net metering. I urge the PSC to do the right thing and allow customers to add batteries to their rooftop solar!

Action Alert: Tell the PSC Pairing Batteries With Rooftop Solar Should Be Easy

Action Alert: Tell the PSC Pairing Batteries With Rooftop Solar Should Be Easy

by | Sep 11, 2026 | Action Alert, Advocacy, Renewables

As batteries have become more cost-effective, they have also become more in demand, in part, for the energy resiliency they provide during grid service outages. But as more homeowners and businesses attempt to add batteries to their solar systems, utilities have been throwing hurdles in the way, preventing customers from storing and using the energy they create with their own rooftop solar array.

In WE Energies’ current rate case before the PSC, RENEW has addressed this issue head-on and is asking the PSC to step in and regulate utility interconnection practices. 

When installing a solar array, utilities often factor in the size of a rooftop solar array when they determine the cost to connect the system to the electrical grid. WE Energies adds the capacity of batteries intended to store energy at home (non-exporting) to the solar capacity in order to increase these costs and also make it so customers can’t benefit from net metering.

This utility practice has effectively blocked all non-exporting batteries from being installed in WE Energies’ service territory. To solve this, we need the PSC to officially tell WE Energies to stop this unreasonable practice and allow customers to install batteries that they can pair with their rooftop solar arrays.

Join us in telling the PSC to regulate WE Energies and require the utility to allow customers to pair batteries with their own rooftop solar. The deadline to file public comments with the PSC is September 18.

*The deadline has passed for this comment period