Wisconsin Public Benefit Funds for Rate Assistance

Wisconsin Public Benefit Funds for Rate Assistance

  • 1999 legislation created public benefits funding for energy efficiency, renewables and low-income energy programs. Funding for the low-income energy portion of the public benefits fund comes from three sources: prior utility (gas and electric) low- income expenditures, a new access fee or customer charge on all electric bills and the current year's federal LIHEAP and weatherization allocations. During 2010, public benefits funding for energy assistance totaled $15.6 million and assisted 119,625 households with their electric bills.
  • Some utilities also funded arrearage forgiveness programs, fee waivers and other assistance.  

For more information, see electric utility restructuring.

Note: Leveraging reports do not always give a complete statewide picture. Some resources are not reported through leveraging or are under reported.

LEVERAGING

2010: $22.7 million
2009: $6.2 million
2007: $21.9 million
2006: $23.9 million
2005: $13.5 million
2004: $18.2 million
2003: $27 million
2002: $16.4 million


LEGISLATION

The "Reliability 2000" Legislation (Part of 1999 Wisconsin Act 9)