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Task
Force on Energy Efficiency and Renewables |
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SB 459 and AB 841 are companion bills that incorporate
the recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Energy
Efficiency and Renewables. The task force met through 2003
and 2004 to consider ways to update and improve state energy
policies relating to conservation and renewable energy. |
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Several representatives of CFC member organizations
served on the Governor’s Task Force, and CFC has made
enactment of the Task Force recommendations a priority. For
CFC, support for boosting energy efficiency programs and utilizing
more renewable energy has been driven by the need to keep the
costs of modernizing the state’s energy infrastructure
as low as possible, and address the rising prices of fossil
fuels. More recently, the damage caused by hurricanes Katrina
and Rita to the natural gas production facilities in the Gulf
of Mexico and the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas
has forced natural gas prices much higher and could make conservation
and renewable energy an even greater priority. |
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Environmental
Trust Financing: 2003 Wisconsin Act 152 |
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The environmental trust financing law gives utilities
in Wisconsin the option to finance certain environmental control
activities through bond financing rather than through the traditional
approach. Bond financing lowers costs to consumers as utilities
forego a return on equity investment. Environmental control
activities eligible for this financing approach under the Act
include installing pollution control equipment on existing plants
or retiring older plants.
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CFC
Statement at Assembly Energy Committee Hearing January 28, 2004 |
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MISO Act: 2003 Wisconsin
Act 40 |
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Also known as the MISO amendment, 2003 WIS. Act
40 allows the state's Public Service Commission to authorize
the state transmission utility, the American Transmission Company,
to withdraw from the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO),
the grid operator for the transmission of high voltage electricity
across much of the Upper Midwest, if it deems such withdrawal
is in the public interest. |
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Generation Siting
Incentives Act: 2003 Wisconsin Act 31 |
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2003 Wis. Act 31 increases the financial aid available
to communities to host new power plants. |
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Legislative
Council Act Memo |
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Leased
Generation Law: 2001 Wisconsin Act 16 (pp
553–554) |
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The leased generation law, included as a part
of 2001 Wis. Act 16, allows the Commission to choose long term
leases as the financing mechanism for new power plants. At the
same time, this law also preserves the Public Service Commission's
jurisdiction over the operation and maintenance of these leased
plants. |
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Reliability 2000:
1999 Wisconsin Act 9 (Excerpt from budget
legislation) |
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Included as a part of the 1999-2001 state budget,
Reliability 2000 maintained limits on utility diversification,
allowing additional energy-related diversification only if the
utility divested its transmission assets. Reliability 2000 also
encouraged the divestiture of transmission assets to an independent
transmission company now called the American Transmission Company,
created a new statewide energy efficiency and energy assistance
program known as Public Benefits and created the state renewable
portfolio standard. |
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Legislative
Fiscal Bureau Summary
(see pages 30-45 for a discussion of Reliability 2000) |
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Legislative Council
Staff Information Memorandum |
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Legislative Brief |
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1997 Electric Reliability
Act 204 |
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This legislation is the precursor to Reliability
2000. It shortened approval times for needed new generation
and high voltage transmission lines, required construction of
new generation; including renewables, required the independent
operation of transmission facilities and authorized wholesale
merchant plants. Additionally, the legislation also improved
Wisconsin's strict standards for approving new generation and
transmission. |
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Legislative Brief |
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