The Electric Wire

Episode 21 of the Electric Wire podcast features a conversation about wind turbine blade recycling with Nicholas Killen, Director, Head of Manufacturing Lifecycle Services, Regional Manufacturing AME, Vestas Blades. Commissioner Tyler Huebner of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin joins Kristin Gilkes, Executive Director of the Customers First! Coalition, as a co-host. The interview addresses the following questions and more: How do wind turbines work and how long do they last? What is the process for recycling wind turbine blades? What does the recycled material become at the end of the recycling process? What is the future for the recycling of blades? What are the costs and benefits of recycling the blades? Both Killen and Commissioner Huebner share what they’d do with “all the power” in the industry for the final question of the episode. Video of episode is available on the Customers First! Coalition YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/IebcxHpMf5M Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on Twitter: @PSCWisconsin Nicholas Killen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-killen/ Electric Wire on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theelectricwire

The Year-in-Review Crew is back to break down the top energy stories and ideas of 2021! Carrie Templeton, Heather Allen, Chris Hubbuch, and Matthew Spencer join to share their picks for top energy story, idea, and shock of the year, along with their predictions for 2022 and, of course, what they'd do with "all the power." We also ask the Crew to share their favorite Electric Wire episodes of the year, and those episodes are linked below. Favorite Electric Wire Episodes of 2021: Kristin Gilkes: Episode 9 – Utility Regulation and Protecting Customers with Commissioner Nowak and Bill Malcolm https://youtu.be/5szygleajsI Episode 14 – 10 Powerful Moments on the Electric Wire https://youtu.be/9P509tDWlJg Matthew Spencer: Episode 16 – A Lucid EV Conversation with Daniel Witt https://youtu.be/8Y5EHkQ4UE4 Carrie Templeton: Episode 17 – Navigating the Roadmap to Zero Carbon with Joe Fontaine https://youtu.be/rzXT4GPNWkI Episode 14 – Energy Assistance during the Pandemic with Barb Krug and Kristy Nieto https://youtu.be/9ogRle6Rdms Heather Allen: Episode 15 – Thinking Outside the Landfill: A Conversation on Solar Panel Recycling with Chris Stearns https://youtu.be/2nKV15kL9LU Chris Hubbuch: Episode 17 – Navigating the Roadmap to Zero Carbon with Joe Fontaine https://youtu.be/rzXT4GPNWkI

How closely have you been tracking the energy provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (BIF) that recently passed Congress? Denise Bode, Partner at Michael Best Strategies, and Senior Partner, Michael Best & Friedrich LLC, helps us deconstruct the BIF and the Build Back Better plan that is still working its way through Congress. Denise leads the federal policy practice at Michael Best Strategies with over 30 years of experience in trade association and coalition management as well as development of public policy strategies, at both the state and federal level. She has been following these landmark pieces of legislation closely as they relate to the energy industry, including transmission, smart grid, electrification, and hydrogen infrastructure provisions. Jennifer Shilling of Dairyland Power Cooperative joins Kristin Gilkes of the Customers First! Coalition as co-host for the nineteenth episode of the Electric Wire podcast.

Is there a second life for retired power plants? We joined Dan Schooff, currently the Chief of Staff and Secretary at Beloit College, and a former Beloit-area legislator and WI Department of Administration Secretary, to tour the Beloit College Powerhouse on the banks of the Rock River to see the transformation that has taken place there. The Beloit College Powerhouse was originally a coal plant built in the early 1900’s and was recently reimagined as a student center for the college. Dan led the efforts on this massive undertaking, and in our interview, he shares more about preserving and restoring the historic power plant, and the core mission of sustainability that drove efforts to use geothermal heating and cooling on this award-winning structure. The YouTube version of this podcast has video clips from our tour included, and our Twitter page, @theelectricwire, has pictures from the tour as well. Link to YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsQh0eadEGA Link to Electric Wire Twitter page: https://twitter.com/theelectricwire

Sit back, crack open a PBR, and enjoy the latest episode of the Electric Wire podcast featuring an interview with Joe Fontaine, the case coordinator for the Public Service of Wisconsin’s current open docket on the Roadmap to Zero Carbon (5-EI-158). Joe helps navigate the Commission’s recent order in this docket, and we discuss upcoming items relating to Performance Based Regulation (PBR), the Focus on Energy Quad Planning Process, utility resource planning, and consumer affordability. Link to article: 'This is starting on the right path': Hawaii sees early successes with performance-based regulation (July 29, 2021) https://www.utilitydive.com/news/this-is-starting-on-the-right-path-hawaii-sees-early-successes-with-perf/604108/ Link to Docket 5-EI-158: https://apps.psc.wi.gov/APPS/dockets/content/detail.aspx?id=5&case=EI&num=158

Daniel Witt, Head of State and Local Public Policy at Lucid Motors, joins the podcast to discuss more about Lucid, the benefits of electric vehicles, EV battery reuse and recycling, making supply chains local, and policies impacting the electric vehicle industry. Links mentioned in the episode: Lucid Motors https://www.lucidmotors.com/ TechCrunch: Lucid Motors sees a second life for its EV batteries in energy storage https://techcrunch.com/2021/03/17/lucid-motors-sees-a-second-life-for-its-ev-batteries-in-energy-storage/

Not only is the energy produced by solar panels clean, but cutting-edge recycling technology makes them fully sustainable as well. On this episode of The Electric Wire, Kristin Gilkes is joined by Chris Stearns, National Sales Director at Cascade Eco Minerals, to discuss solar module recycling and the policies and costs impacting the demand for this process.

We’ve been bringing you the Electric Wire podcast as a way to stay informed on Wisconsin energy and utility news since February of 2020, and we thought it was time to take a look back on some of our favorite moments from the Electric Wire. Matt Spencer from Madison Gas and Electric joins Kristin Gilkes to co-host a countdown of Ten Powerful Moments (and one honorable mention) from the Electric Wire. Themes from these top moments include bringing stakeholders together to tackle big issues in the industry; protecting all utility customers; and visualizing the new energy innovations that are propelling the clean energy transition forward.

The latest episode of the Electric Wire is a “hot take” episode, where we’ve conducted four separate mini-interviews, about 5-6 minutes each, to talk about community solar in Wisconsin. Back in 2017, the Customers First! Coalition put together a whitepaper about the community solar projects and models that fit within the regulatory structure here in Wisconsin. In this podcast episode, we’ll follow up on some of those innovative projects mentioned in the whitepaper. Our guests include: Commissioner Ellen Nowak, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (Interview begins at ~2:45) Deb Erwin, Manager of Regulatory Policy, Xcel Energy (11:00) Lynn Thompson, President and CEO, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative (17:50) Cheri Salmon, Manager of New Products and Services, Madison Gas and Electric (23:30) Links mentioned in Episode 2017 CFC Community Solar Whitepaper http://www.customersfirst.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Community-Solar-reduced.pdf Electric Wire Podcast Episode: Utility Regulation and Protecting Customers http://www.customersfirst.org/electricwire/electric-wire-episode-9-utility-regulation-and-protecting-customers/ Electric Wire Podcast Episode: EV Road Trip http://www.customersfirst.org/electricwire/electric-wire-episode-2-ev-road-trip/

On this episode, our goal is to help listeners better understand how energy assistance is administered, how pandemic-related funding is being distributed, and what resources are available to in-need households as Wisconsin’s moratorium on disconnecting electric customers from service comes to an end on April 15. Our guests include: Barb Klug, Home Energy Plus Bureau Director; Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resources Wisconsin Department of Administration Kristy Nieto, Administrator, Division of Digital Access, Consumer and Environmental Affairs Public Service Commission of Wisconsin You’ll find answers to these questions and more: What energy assistance funding has come from the federal government since the beginning of the pandemic and how is Wisconsin administering programs to distribute this assistance? What is a first step for a customer who is behind on their bill? Who should they reach out to first and how do they know what they are eligible for? What role does the PSC play in helping customers stay on track with paying their bills and settling any disputes with utilities? What are some common questions from legislative offices as they try to connect their constituents with resources? The following resources are mentioned in this episode: Energy Benefits & Eligibility www.energybenefit.wi.gov - Home Energy Plus Application 1-800-506-5596 – On-demand energy assistance application and customer care center Public Service Commission Resources Call 1-800-225-7729 to talk to a customer care representative at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin or visit www.psc.wi.gov to find information or file a complaint online. More information from the PSC can be found in this press release: PSC Urges Consumers to Seek Assistance before Moratorium on Utility Disconnections End Noted in the podcast: Customers should reach out to their local utility provider first to begin the process of working out a payment plan if they’re at risk of disconnection for non-payment.

Widespread power outages and skyrocketing customer bills due to a frigid February freeze in Texas are raising questions about the way the state regulates power providers. We brought in a panel of experts to weigh in on questions about regulation, reliability, and what went wrong in Texas. Our panel: John Carr, VP – Power Supply, Dairyland Power Cooperative Paul Griffin, Executive Director, Energy Fairness Kira Loehr, Partner, Perkins Coie We’ll address the following questions in this roundtable discussion: What is the role energy choice played in the Texas system outages? How can we prevent this type of massive, prolonged power outage from happening here? Are grid updates needed to prepare for more extreme weather events? Was any generation source the clear winner or loser coming out of this situation? Links Referenced “The real problem in Texas: Deregulation,” Opinion Column by Paul Griffin, Utility Dive, https://www.utilitydive.com/news/the-real-problem-in-texas-deregulation/595564/ “Texas Energy Co-Op Files For Bankruptcy After Storm, High Bill,” NPR, https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/972408584/texas-energy-co-op-files-for-bankruptcy-after-storm-high-bill Other Readings “Texas Electric Bills Were $28 Billion Higher Under Deregulation,” Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-electric-bills-were-28-billion-higher-under-deregulation-11614162780?mod=hp_lead_pos7 “Texas Overcharged $16 Billion for Power During Freeze, Monitor Says” Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/articles/texas-overcharged-16-billion-for-power-during-freeze-monitor-says-11614894714 “The $16 Billion in Texas Power Overcharges? Monitor Says Only $3.2 Billion Can Be Undone,” Wall Street Journal, https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-16-billion-in-texas-power-overcharges-market-monitor-now-pins-figure-at-3-billion-11615479832?page=1 “Texas PUC doubles down on refusal to reprice $16B market 'error' under pressure from leg, governor,” Utility Dive, https://www.utilitydive.com/news/texas-puc-doubles-down-on-refusal-to-reprice-16b-market-error-under-pres/596595/ Other Podcast Episodes The Energy Gang Podcast: “The Texas Grid Failure,” https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-energy-gang/id663379413?i=1000510505053 Columbia Energy Exchange: “Making Sense of the Texas Energy Crisis,” https://columbiaenergyexchange.libsyn.com/making-sense-of-the-texas-energy-crisis

With so much breaking energy news, co-hosts Kristin Gilkes (CFC) and Tom Content (CUB) first review recent headlines, including: the announced closure of the coal-fired Columbia Energy Center in Portage, WI; a new solar/storage proposal from WEC and MGE; diversity and equity reporting requirements at the PSCW; recent WI state budget and legislative news; and the devastating electric system failures in Texas. We are joined by a panel to discuss coal plant closures and the clean energy transition from the perspective of several different stakeholders, including Todd Stuart of the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, Scott Smith of Madison Gas and Electric, and Dan Litchfield of Invenergy. Panel begins at 21:00.

We’re talking utility regulation! We start with a simple question – why are utilities regulated? (Ok, this question technically doesn’t get asked until minute 7:56, but who’s counting?) We also sort through some common terms on this topic, including discussion about deregulation, restructuring, and retail choice. These topics were central to the founding of the Customers First! Coalition over twenty years ago. Our first interview is with Commissioner Ellen Nowak of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. We discuss some basics of utility regulation from a regulator’s perspective, as well as her take on topics like retail choice and performance-based ratemaking. Next, Bill Malcolm of AARP joins to discuss his views on regulation and protecting utility customers. Follow Bill on Twitter @RTOWatchdog. He’s also available to connect on Facebook and LinkedIn. AARP web site: https://www.aarp.org/ Interview with Commissioner Nowak begins at minute 3:30. Interview with Bill Malcolm begins at minute 35:00. CUB Illinois: Report: Since 2015, IL Customers Have Lost $1 Billion With Alternative Suppliers https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/report-since-2015-il-customers-have-lost-1-billion-with-alternative-suppliers-301110974.html Link to download referenced 2019 Illinois Commerce Commission report: https://www.icc.illinois.gov/downloads/public/July%201%20ORMD%20Final%20PR.pdf

What was the energy story of 2020? What about the "shock" of the year? Who's got the next bright idea for 2021? On the latest episode of The Electric Wire podcast, we've got an outstanding roundtable to help review the year of 2020 and look ahead to some brighter days in 2021.  Our roundtable includes: Chris Hubbuch, Reporter, Wisconsin State Journal Carrie Templeton, Chief of Staff, Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Heather Allen, Executive Director, RENEW Wisconsin Matt Spencer, Government Affairs, Madison Gas & Electric Links Mentioned During Podcast: Keep Wisconsin Warm Fund: https://kwwf.org/ Annual Renewable Energy Summit Registration Link:  https://renewwisconsin.swoogo.com/2021RESummit Wisconsin State Journal: Xcel Energy proposes microgrids to improve reliability for large customers https://madison.com/wsj/business/xcel-energy-proposes-microgrids-to-improve-reliability-for-large-customers/article_ab848cd8-eeee-5609-81ac-f183932684cc.html

In this episode of the Electric Wire, we take a look at polling and the 2020 Presidential Election results with pollster Charles Franklin, @pollsandvotes. Later in the podcast, we host a Customers First! Coalition member roundtable with some of the government affairs representatives for CFC members, including Matt Spencer of Madison Gas & Electric, Jennifer Shilling of Dairyland Power Cooperative, Joseph Owen of WPPI Energy, and Rob Richard of Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association. Interview with Franklin begins at 7:10 Government Affairs Roundtable begins at 33:55

Kristin Gilkes is joined by Marge Anderson, Executive Vice President at Slipstream, to discuss green buildings and the upcoming October Energy webinar series hosted by the Customers First! Coalition and Slipstream. Kathy Kuntz, Acting Director of the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change also joins to discuss the Dane County Climate Action Plan’s recommendations on buildings and more. We discuss measures listeners can take today to make their homes and businesses more energy efficient. Interview with Kathy Kuntz begins at 14:13. Register for October Energy webinars: www.customersfirst.org/events Information about Oregon, WI School District new net-zero elementary school: https://www.nationalsolartour.org/event/forest-edge-elementary-school

Today we begin to unpack energy storage from a customer angle and discuss the first “storage as transmission only asset” project being developed in Wisconsin. First, CFC Executive Director Kristin Gilkes interviews Tom Content, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), to discuss potential customer benefits from increased use of energy storage and how CUB will evaluate utility storage proposals going forward. Our second interview is with Bob McKee, Strategic Projects Director at American Transmission Company, who gives an overview of the company’s “SATOA” project impetus, timeline, and multi-faceted benefits. Interview start times: Tom Content – 3:29 Bob McKee - 21:10 Links discussed in the podcast: WisEye.org archived coverage of energy storage presentation at the CFC Game Changers Power Breakfast (link will start at ~57:00 mark): https://wiseye.org/player/?clientID=2789595964&eventID=2019021061&startStreamAt=3427 Wisconsin Energy Distribution and Technology Innovation Report: https://www.m-werc.org/wedti-report MISO Generator Interconnection Queue – Active Projects Map: https://api.misoenergy.org/PublicGiQueueMap/index.html

Just in time for #AmericanWindWeek, CFC Executive Director Kristin Gilkes interviews Scott Coenen of the Wisconsin Conservative Energy Forum regarding the organization’s mission and the status of wind in Wisconsin from that group’s perspective. Brian Rude and Jennifer Shilling of Dairyland Power Cooperative discuss their roles within the organization and on the CFC Board, as well as DPC’s investment in wind energy on behalf of co-op customers.

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Chairperson Rebecca Valcq and Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes join Kristin Gilkes and co-host Bob Stone of the IBEW 2150 to discuss Wisconsin’s carbon reduction goals, the Governor’s Climate Change Task Force, and the appointment of Wisconsin’s newest PSC Commissioner. Interview with Chairperson Valcq begins at 9:30 Interview with Lt. Governor Barnes begins at 27:02 Registration is still open for the April 29, 2020 Power Lunch. As we get closer to the event date, we will evaluate options to determine if we need to either postpone the event or host it online. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-lunch-building-toward-net-zero-carbon-registration-93806500769

Customers First! Coalition Executive Director Kristin Gilkes and RENEW Wisconsin’s Jane McCurry co-host this special episode all about electric vehicles (EVs) and EV policies. Gilkes and McCurry share personal and nostalgic experiences as EV drivers and discuss some of the advantages of choosing electric transportation. They also discuss current topics such as battery recycling and mining. Later, they’re joined by a panel of EV policy experts including Corey Singletary, Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin; Debbie Branson, Madison Gas & Electric; and Deb Erwin, Xcel Energy to discuss EV rates and utility issues, including how EVs can ultimately benefit all utility customers. Finally, we have added an extended interview with Deb Erwin from Xcel Energy to delve more deeply into the company’s efforts to study fleet savings that can result from electric vehicle conversion and an EV Roadmap for the City of Eau Claire. Panel Discussion begins at 16:40. Extended Interview with Deb Erwin begins at 1:05:25 APRIL 29, 2020, POWER LUNCH REGISTRATION IS OPEN! Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-lunch-building-toward-net-zero-carbon-registration-93806500769