Contact Your Legislator

Let the Legislature Know you Support ROFR (AB 25 & SB28)

Help us make sure the Legislature knows there is broad support for adopting a ROFR proposal and that you favor the plan being considered by legislators. Getting this bill (AB 25 & SB 28) onto the Governor’s desk requires a lot of leg work and outreach. That’s where you can help. Send your legislator an email or brief snail mail note letting her or him know that you favor approval of the ROFR proposal and want to see it adopted. It’s easy to connect with your legislator .

Here are some suggested points to consider as you write your own message, and also included below is a sample letter for your information.

Key Messages for Sharing Thoughts with Legislators

The time to act on a ROFR law is now. The transmission grid operator for Wisconsin and the Midwest is starting the process of assigning upgrades and new projects, and without a ROFR law in place, Wisconsin ratepayers could be on the hook for an extra $1 billion.
By having an incumbent transmission company do this work, fixed costs can be shared through the multi-state region. However, if a hedge fund or developer does the work, those costs cannot be shared, and they fall onto Wisconsin ratepayers. Without ROFR, Wisconsinites get stuck with a $1 billion bite. That needs to change, and ROFR accomplishes that.
Worse, Wisconsin ratepayers get hit with a double whammy because neighboring states that already have ROFR laws in place pass on their allowable costs to our businesses and residents. That’s just not fair, and putting a ROFR law in place will be good for anyone in Wisconsin who uses electricity.
ROFR is an opportunity to protect Wisconsin ratepayers, and there’s a lot of support for this action. The time to act is now, and legislators are encouraged to make this a priority and schedule a vote to approve ROFR.

Sample Letter

Dear Legislator,

It has come to my attention that the Wisconsin Legislature is considering the adoption of a proposal that would provide incumbent transmission companies a right of first refusal on new projects to build and enhance the Wisconsin electricity grid. Often referred to as a ROFR proposal (AB 25 & SB 28), this plan would save Wisconsin ratepayers an estimated $1 billion by allowing the incumbent companies to spread out the capital cost and part of their fixed costs to other states in the region. If a hedge fund or developer takes on the project, those fixed operational costs all fall on Wisconsin ratepayers.

At the same time, Wisconsin ratepayers will get hit again because other states in our region – such as Minnesota, Michigan, and others – shift some of their costs onto our state. That means we are getting hit twice! Hedge funds and developers stick ratepayers with more costs, and other states do the unneighborly “favor” of passing along some of their costs to Wisconsin. We can change this in Wisconsin by adopting the proposed ROFR legislation. It’s good for ratepayers; good for businesses; good for workers; and good for Wisconsin.

I encourage you to support this legislation when it comes time for a vote, and I would appreciate knowing your views on this matter.

Thank you.

Name, email, and address