RE: Public Comment on PSC Dockets:
     9300-DR-105
Petition of Midwest Renewable Energy Association to Determine Applicability of a Third-Party Financed Distributed Energy Resource Systems
AND
     9300-DR-106
Verified Petition of Vote Solar of Distributed Energy Resource Systems in Wisconsin 

As a Wisconsin utility ratepayer, I am opposed to third-party financing and ownership of renewables. For over a century, regulated electric utilities have been entrusted to sell electricity in Wisconsin. This regulation of utilities ensures they serve all customers and maintain affordability and reliability in pricing. Allowing third-party financing and ownership to sell power essentially deregulates the electric market in Wisconsin.

Third-party ownership will open Wisconsin to out-of-state companies that prioritize their profit margins over the safety and reliability of our power grid.  When solar projects are constructed at utility scale with a skilled Wisconsin workforce, the projects spur investments in local wages that are spent locally, making our communities stronger. Furthermore, under third-party ownership, wealthy homeowners will benefit at the expense of the rest of the population, which still must pay the fixed costs of maintaining the state’s electrical grid and distributing power.

Currently, all of Wisconsin’s investor-owned utilities have programs already approved by the PSC to provide customers with opportunities to help achieve their specific sustainability goals, while not compromising safety or raising energy costs for working families. I urge the Public Service Commission to reject these petitions.