The shake-up continues at the Wisconsin agency that regulates electricity and water rates and has the say-so over some power generation projects.
In one move, the GOP-controlled State Senate voted against approving the nomination of Tyler Huebner to the Public Service Commission Tuesday — even though Huebner has been on the three-member panel for nearly four years. Senate Utilities Committee chairperson Julian Bradley (R-Franklin)contends Huebner over-stepped his powers by supporting giving low-income ratepayers a break on their bill, including in a water utility case.
"One of the cases that I know has concerned many people in this body has to do with rate-based, income rate-based rates. He's had a public hearing to defend his choice to move forward with income-based rates when the statute is clear they have no authority to do so," Bradley said on the Senate floor.
Huebner has said the PSC does have the authority to back income-based rates. Democratic Senators spoke in favor of Huebner. Jeff Smith of Western Wisconsin called the GOP effort a "head-scratcher."
Smith said, "At a time when Wisconsin is experiencing an unprecedented expansion of renewable energy, Mr. Huebner has proven himself to be an expert in this area—the person we need at this time in history."
Before coming to the PSC, Huebner headed the renewable energy nonprofit group — RENEW Wisconsin.
But on a nearly party-line vote, the GOP basically fired Huebner from the PSC. His departure comes shortly after PSC Chairperson and Milwaukee lawyer Rebecca Valcq announced she's leaving the commission.
Gov. Tony Evers (D) slammed the rejection of Huebner, saying it's an "escalation of an effort by the GOP to baselessly fire the governor's appointees, or leave them unconfirmed for years."
Then, Evers announced he is naming a PSC division administrator, Kristy Nieto, to be a PSC commissioner.
Editor’s note: A portion of the audio is from WisconsinEye.
