Citizen Action Weekend E Newsletter, Friday, December 30th
Friday, December 30th
Please consider a year end donation to Citizen Action’s 2023 Supreme Court Action Fund.
Citizen Action Madison Fundraising Happy Hour featuring Robert Kraig, Wednesday, January 4th 5-7pm.
Join Citizen Action executive director Robert Kraig at a Happy Hour event at Delta Beer Lab, 167 East Badger Road, Madison, next Wednesday, January 4th, 5-7pm. Come meet Robert and other Citizen Action members to start the new year! Following our happy hour at 7pm stay for Delta Beer Labs’ very popular Trivia Night.
See event facebook page.
Throughout the month of January 2023 we are partnering with Delta Beer Lab to raise money to support our Supreme Court “deep canvass” voter contact program. Delta Beer Lab and Citizen Action believe this is the most important Supreme Court election in the state’s history and are going all in to win! We need your support to make it happen!
We will be announcing more events during January at Delta Beer Lab.
We Energies Gas Outage Shows Danger of Utility’s Climate Change Obstruction
Last weekend, We Energies suffered a 30% disruption in their natural gas supply chain, risking a “significant natural gas outage.” The potential risk during the coldest storm in years was so significant that customers were asked to turn their thermostats down to 62 degrees to avert an outage that could have left homes without power, and Governor Evers had to be briefed late at night about the potential public safety emergency.
While We Energies has framed this is an event beyond their control, a 30% disruption in a pipeline by an interstate gas supplier, it is also the result of the utility monopolies’ deliberate policy of blocking access to easy financing of home energy weatherization and rooftop solar, which would dramatically reduce the demand for electricity, making the system more resilient to supply disruptions.
Many large utilities offer on-bill financing which allows customers to pay for energy conservation upgrades and rooftop solar on their bills with no need to pay out of pocket or secure a bank loan. The savings are so great, their utility bills still go down. But We Energies has blocked these measures in Milwaukee, putting the energy reduction measures out of the reach of any homeowners without significant assets. They have also blocked the city from creating community solar which would also lower demand for natural gas and coal, making the energy system more resilient during fossil fuel supply disruptions.
Larger scale weatherization of homes and rooftop solar are also needed to meet the greenhouse gas reduction targets in order to prevent runaway climate change. Home energy use is over 30% of greenhouse gas emissions in Milwaukee, according to an analysis conducted by the City. But We Energies is trying to squeeze out profits from its existing fossil fuel infrastructure, while slowly building a needlessly centralized renewable energy system that it can profit from and control. This is why it is using its enormous power to undermine rooftop solar, residential and business energy efficiency measures, and local governments seeking to build their own solar power.
Due in part to We Energy’s lobbying and obstruction, Wisconsin trails most other states in the critically important renewable energy transition, ranking 36th and trailing all our immediate neighbors. A 2022 study found that the resistance of the largest utility in a state has a controlling influence over a state’s climate policy.
We Energies’ climate policies are among the worst in the U.S. According to an Influence Map Study (April, 2022) We Energies is the 4th worst large utility in the nation in resisting a climate transition. A Sierra Club report (October 2022) gave We Energies a D grade for its renewable energy transition. Despite its glossy “green-washed” public relations, We Energies is only 11% of the way in its necessary renewable energy conversion, and continues to operate on 73% dirty fossil fuels.
“The gas outage threat further reveals that We Energies is more interested in its windfall profits than public safety,” said Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin. “The emergency was a direct result of We Energies’ business model. The utility monopoly prioritizes profits and its monopoly status over preventing a runaway climate change or protecting basic public safety during weather emergencies.”
Also in the news, We Energies’ racially discriminatory pricing system is under fire. Read about it here.
Attend Citizen Action’s State Supreme Court Forum, January 11th, 7pm
Citizen Action is hosting a virtual State Supreme Court forum on January 11th, 2023 at 7pm for all Democratic and progressive State Supreme Court candidates!
The State Supreme Court is the next key race in getting Wisconsin back on track, including stronger and more representative maps and ensuring fair voting practices around the state.
TAKE ACTION by signing letter telling Ascension CEO Bernie Sherry to Save St. Francis Hospital’s labor and delivery unit!
The south side of Milwaukee is home to a significant immigrant, Latinx, and working class population who rely on the accessibility of the hospital for many needs. Pregnant women and families must now travel outside of their communities to deliver their children.
Send a message to Ascension CEO!
DONATE today to Citizen Action’s 2023 Supreme Court Action Fund
Citizen Action launched our NEW 2023 Supreme Court Action Fund a few weeks ago, and the support from our members has been tremendous. End 2022 with a donation to our Fund!
Social media post of the week
