The 2025 Wisconsin Energy Reform Act (LRB-2777/1) is a bait-and-switch, falsely marketed as a fresh start when it quietly resurrects the Right of First Refusal (ROFR)—the most lobbied and controversial provision from Assembly Bill 25/Senate Bill 28. Despite assurances to the public and legislators that ROFR was gone for good, this bill keeps it alive, preserving utility monopolies, stifling competition and driving up costs for Wisconsin ratepayers.
Lawmakers and citizens alike have been misled into believing the fight over ROFR was settled, only to see it rebranded under a new name with the same consequences. This tactic mirrors how ROFR bills have slithered through other states. It is snuck into larger packages to mask the true impact from those footing the bill and holding good policy hostage.
This bill locks utilities into billions of dollars in transmission projects without competitive bidding, a move that could cost ratepayers up to 30% in potential savings. There is a false sense of urgency as deadlines loom for major projects in the coming months.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Since 2019, the Public Service Commission (PSC) has approved roughly $2 billion in rate hikes with another $450 million pending. Wisconsin was once a leader in low cost energy but now has the second-highest electricity rates in the Midwest. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched its Task Force on Reviewing Anticompetitive Regulations, spotlighting state ROFR laws as threats to competition, affordability, and reliability. Concurrently, the DOJ warned Iowa legislators that ROFR provisions could eliminate competition, raise prices, and reduce service quality. There is no doubt that this bill flies in the face of President Trump’s push for competition and affordability, defying the very principles of fair markets he championed.
The Ratepayer Protection Coalition urges Wisconsinites, including ratepayers, business owners, and legislators to see through the deception and reject LRB-2777/1. Demand a process that buries ROFR for good, restores competition, and delivers fair rates, reliable energy, and real savings for businesses in Wisconsin. Wisconsin deserves a better deal.
