As We Energies seeks to raise prices for homeowners and renters by 16%, CUB wants state energy regulators to tackle affordability now, in light of We Energies’ costly power prices and its track record of price hikes well above inflation.
CUB submitted recommendations to the state Public Service Commission ahead of a Sept. 1 public hearing in Milwaukee.
We Energies, which has the third priciest power rates in the Midwest, has asked to raise prices by hundreds of millions of dollars over the next two years.
The CUB team talked about the growing challenge with affordability and cost of living, including the fact that 35% of Wisconsinites are struggling to make ends meet.
CUB wants action to:
- Roll back excessive profits. CUB’s proposal on profits would pare back the increases by more than $200 million.
- Make shareholders,not customers. pay for board of directors fees.
- Don’t saddle customers with needless overruns for solar projects.
- Require We Energies to help customers save money regularly by dramatically expanding programs that cut energy use when power prices are high or reliability concerns spike.
Find out more: You can read all about the CUB team’s advocacy on our Active Cases page. On that page you’ll find links to submit a comment to the Public Service Commission, or to attend the Sept. 1 hearing by Zoom or in person in Milwaukee.
We Energies customers are encouraged to raise their voices in the coming weeks, before the public comment period expires on Sept. 18. Customers interested in speaking at a hearing or submitting a written public comment should express in their own words their concerns about the rate hike plan, and their challenges in this affordability moment.
Following, at a glance, are key facts about the case:
3rd Highest
We Energies’ residential electric rates, compared with 50 Midwest utilities in 11 states
Source: EEI data, Brubaker and Associates
33%
Increase in a typical residential customer’s bill from 2022-2026
Source: PSC Residential Electric Bill Comparison Tool
16%
Increase We Energies is seeking for residential customers in 2027-28
Source We Energies rate case testimony
$255 / year
Increase on a typical residential customer’s electric bill, by 2028
Source: We Energies bill insert
6
Number of years in a row We Energies will have increased rates
Source: We Energies, SEC
$450 million
Amount We Energies wants to increase electric rates by over the next 2 years
Source: PSC staff testimony by Kain Coronado
35%
Percent of Wisconsin households struggling to make ends meet and pay their bills – both low- and moderate income households
Source: Corey Singletary testimony, Wisconsin | UnitedForALICE
61,000
Number of households We Energies disconnected in 2024. That’s more than half of all the shutoffs in Wisconsin.
Source: EIA Disconnections Report
$7 billion / year
The amount paid by utility customers across the USA to support excess utility profits
Source: Werner, K. D, & Jarvis, S. (2025). Rate of Return Regulation Revisited. UC Berkeley: Energy Institute at Haas. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/80m5j9vs
$ 2.4 billion
Profit reported by We Energies from 2022-26, while customers’ bills rose 30%
Source: WEPCO/Wisconsin Gas annual reports filed with PSC
184%
WEC Energy Group’s total shareholder return since 2015, with returns nearly tripling during that decade. WEC says its returns outperformed other US utilities.
Source: WEC Energy Group 2025 Annual Report
$200 million +
Amount customers would save by paring back We Energies’ return on equity over the next 2 years to CUB’s recommended level, 9.1%
Source: Steve Kihm testimony
$5 million
Amount We Energies wants customers to pay in 2027-28 for its Board of Directors
Source: Jeff Adams testimony
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