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Are Wisconsin Energy Consumers Being “Railroaded”? |
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In the summer and
fall of 2005 disruptions in coal deliveries to Wisconsin utilities
coincided with the damage caused to energy infrastructure by
Gulf of Mexico hurricanes. The peaking of natural gas prices
when combined with coal delivery problems sent a strong signal
about the growing role rail transportation of coal has in the
price of electricity in our state. A shortage of coal pushed
utilities into relying on natural gas-fired generation and
the regional bulk power market at a time when natural gas prices
had jumped and produced what the Public Service Commission
of Wisconsin estimates was a $50 million hit on state consumers. |
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Apart from the continuing difficulty Wisconsin
utilities are experiencing getting adequate shipments of coal
for the state’s fleet of baseload power plants, the excessive
rates utilities are being asked to pay by railroads are adding
more costs on Wisconsin power producers and their customers. |
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The Customers First! Coalition’s concern
about the impact rail shipping rates and poor service are having
on electric rates in Wisconsin led us to help form a coalition
of shippers and customers that is going by the name Badger-CURE,
a state version of the Consumers United for Rail Equity (C.U.R.E.)
national group that is leading the effort to persuade Congress
to rein in the monopoly power large railroads are able to exercise
over some of their “captive customers”. The coalition
has expanded quickly to include more than 40 businesses and
organizations representing all sectors of the state’s
economy as well as the major customers groups representing
utility ratepayers in our state. The growing number of Badger-CURE
members is evidence that high rail rates and poor service is
a problem that extends beyond the production of energy, into
manufacturing and agriculture. |
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To create more awareness of the issue, the Customers
First! Coalition has sponsored a free webcast in conjunction
with the online political news service - WisPolitics.com |
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We hope you find it informative. |
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To access the webcast follow this
link:
• http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=67028 |
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For more information about the captive
shipper issue:
• BadgerCURE
fact sheet and roster
• H.R. 3318 by Reps.
Green and Baldwin
• S.
3612 by Senators Kohl and Feingold |
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The Public Service Commission of
Wisconsin has opened a docket (05-UI-110) to investigate
coal shipping issues and coal procurement practices:
• PSCW
news release |
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Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - CFC
Webcast |
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To provide more information about the role that
greater energy efficiency and renewable energy can have in
Wisconsin’s future, CFC sponsored a webcast featuring
interviews with several experts who are prominently involved
in the issue. The CFC webcast was developed conjunction with
the online political news service WisPolitics and can be viewed
using this link to the WisPolitics website. |
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To access the webcast follow this
link:
• http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=60973 |
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