AB470 adopts a “right of first refusal” for incumbent public utilities to build transmission projects.
The Assembly passed AB470 on February 15, 2024, by a vote of 85 to 12. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill ends competitive bidding of new and large-scale multi-billion-dollar transmission projects in Wisconsin, granting exclusive control over the state’s electric grid to existing public utilities, further expanding their monopolies. Removing the benefits of competition and restricting access to utility providers will result in higher electricity rates and less reliable service, harming both families and businesses. Rather than contribute to Wisconsin’s energy inflation and threatening its industries through corrupt, corporate-sponsored protectionism, the Legislature should encourage competition and free-market enterprise, which spur innovation and create cost-savings for customers.