Sierra Club Files Testimony Against We Energies’ Proposed LNG Facility in Oak Creek

OAK CREEK, Wis. – Today, the Sierra Club filed testimony against We Energies’ proposal to charge residential gas customers to construct an LNG storage facility in Oak Creek. In the first year alone, the facility would cost $64.3 million to construct and operate, the costs of which would be forced onto We Energies customers.

According to We Energies’ own numbers, the LNG facility is unnecessary and would only be needed should We Energies’ proposed Oak Creek, Paris, and Elm Road methane gas plants all be approved and built out. Next week, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a public hearing for the proposed methane Paris plant.

We Energies’ massive expansion of methane gas power plants, in turn, is driven by the electricity demands of what the company is calling “new load in the I-94 corridor.” But We Energies has not signed a single energy supply agreement with customers that will supposedly need this new electricity. And while news reports point to Microsoft data centers as the primary customer for these new gas plants, Microsoft has already announced a “pause” in construction beyond the announced first stage. Expert testimony submitted on behalf of the Citizens’ Utility Board and Clean Wisconsin demonstrates that without this speculative new data center load, the Oak Creek methane gas plant is unneeded to serve electric customers.

Sierra Club’s testimony explains why everyday We Energies ratepayers should not have to foot the bill for an LNG facility that will ultimately serve a single customer of a corporate affiliate.

Cassie Steiner, senior campaign coordinator for Sierra Club Wisconsin, released the following statement:

“Across our community, We Energies customers are already struggling to afford the latest rate hike. Here we are again, We Energies doubling down on harmful fossil fuels that are unnecessary and the cost of which will be shoved on captive ratepayers. We Energies’ corporate greed knows no bounds. This is yet another attempt to maximize shareholder profits and scam customers.

“The PSC has a responsibility to protect captive customers from monopolistic We Energies. A new LNG facility would raise rates, exacerbate climate change, and pollute our communities with its toxic emissions. The bottom line is the proposed LNG facility is an unnecessary cost We Energies is trying to thrust onto its ratepayers, and we’re not standing for it.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.