Madison, WI — Wisconsin business and policy leaders on Nov. 17 will hear a deep dive into affordability and the evolving energy landscape during CUB’s Consumers Forum on Energy Affordability next month in Madison.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Best Western Premier Park Hotel, Madison
Register here to attend.
More info: https://cubwi.org/events/
This forum is tailored for business leaders, policy makers, consumer advocates and citizens interested in learning more about the drivers of energy affordability challenges in this era of surging awareness of the rising cost of living and public angst about data centers.
The 2026 energy landscape is rapidly changing, bringing new challenges that impact every Wisconsin household, small business and community. Cost pressures have surged for the utility system, even before the arrival of data centers. Now, as utility rates rise and the demand for electricity grows, Wisconsin businesses and citizens are increasingly wondering, “How much more can we pay?”
The forum will explore how businesses, community leaders and citizens can advocate for utility affordability. We’ll also showcase actions that can be taken to ensure that our investor-owned utilities are accountable to Wisconsin customers — from farmers to Main Street businesses to homeowners and renters. Remedies include better cost control; real, visible long-term planning; and better profit regulation. We will showcase actions that business and residential consumers can take to address energy burden.
“CUB is laser focused on uncovering and exposing unnecessary, unfair, and excessive energy costs being forced on consumers and small businesses everywhere in Wisconsin,” said Frank Greb, president of the CUB Board of Directors. “Given heightened attention on energy affordability, it’s time for those new to the issue to learn from our experts on what the drivers are, and what can be done.”
Speakers at the forum include Tremaine Phillips, senior advisor to PowerLines, a national group that is working to create awareness about the energy affordability challenge, CUB chief economist Dr. Steve Kihm; CUB utility analyst Jeff Adams; Focus on Energy outreach director Brady Steigauf; and Advanced Energy United policy principal Emma Heins.
“As rate increase requests continue to climb across the country, Americans are frustrated and want the state regulators and policy makers to respond,” said Tremaine Phillips, senior advisor at PowerLines. “The question before Wisconsin and other states is how policy makers will respond in this crucial moment.”
This is the second annual policy forum convened by CUB. Last year’s Upper Midwest Energy Forum in La Crosse featured speakers from PowerLines and the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, and featured discussions on how Minnesota policymakers adopted guardrails for regulation of data centers and their impact on the power grid.
“Affordability is a concern for business owners across the state and Wisconsinites hailing from a variety of backgrounds. This conversation will help business leaders and policymakers alike go beneath the surface, so it’s more than a sound bite,” said Tom Content, CUB executive director. “People who attend this year’s forum will walk away with a clearer understanding of the challenges we face, and opportunities to make change happen.”
The forum will be on Tuesday, Nov. 17, as part of the Sustainable Business Council’s Community Impact Day. The SBC annual conference will take place Nov 18 in Madison. Learn more here.
Seating is limited. Please register by Oct. 24. Sign up today.