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Madison, WI – The latest episode of the Electric Wire podcast is all about electric cooperatives, with Rob Richard, Director of Government Affairs, Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association, joining Kristin Gilkes, Executive Director, Customers First! Coalition, as co-host. The episode features a panel of representatives from four electric cooperatives from across the state, including: Robert Cornell, Manager, Washington Island Electric Cooperative Monica Obrycki, President and CEO, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative Karen Newbury, Director, Price Electric Cooperative (also WECA Board member and Dairyland Power Cooperative Board member) Nate Boettcher, President and CEO, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services The panel discussion includes stories about cooperation among co-ops, energy generation and reliability, the new CHARGE EV network for electric vehicle charging at cooperatives, and bringing broadband to cooperative members. Note: WECA is a Founding Member of the Customers First! Coalition. To listen or watch the episode, search for the Electric Wire wherever you get your podcasts, or see it on our YouTube channel, here: https://youtu.be/sUjZS7wfNq4

November 8, 2022/in News, The Electric Wire Podcast / Madison, WI – On the latest episode of the Electric Wire podcast, we will learn more about the 81 cities, towns and villages across Wisconsin that own and operate a municipal electric utility. These municipal utilities are organized together through the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin (MEUW), and we brought together a panel of experts to share more about the unique benefits of public power, including: Tim Heinrich , President and CEO of MEUW; Tyler Vorpagel , Director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at MEUW; Troy Adams , General Manager, Manitowoc Public Utilities; Jill Weiss , Utilities Director at Stoughton Utilities; and, Rick Wicklund , General Manager, Sun Prairie Utilities. Listen to the latest episode of the Electric Wire podcast below! https://youtu.be/00s1H5MNYN0

Madison, WI – On the latest episode of the Electric Wire podcast, we take a closer look at the investor-owned utility model with Jeff Keebler, Chairman, President, and CEO of Madison Gas and Electric. Jeff shares more insights on how investor-owned utilities work, how they’re regulated, and the new technologies changing the power dynamics in the industry. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) electric power sector survey data, almost 3,000 electric distribution companies—or utilities—are operating in the United States. EIA classifies utilities into three ownership types: investor-owned utilities, publicly run utilities such as municipal utilities, and cooperatives. This episode features investor-owned utilities, or IOUs, which are large electric distributors that issue stock owned by shareholders. Almost three-quarters of utility customers get their electricity from these companies. Upcoming episodes will discuss municipal utilities and electric cooperatives. Note: MGE is a member of the Customers First! Coalition, which produces the Electric Wire podcast. Listen to the Electric Wire podcast wherever you get your podcasts or listen/watch at our YouTube channel here: Links and additional reading: Energy Information Administration (EIA): https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=40913 Madison Gas and Electric https://www.mge.com/ Wisconsin Utilities Association https://www.wiutilities.org/ Edison Electric Institute https://www.eei.org/ American Gas Association https://www.aga.org/ Public Service Commission of Wisconsin https://psc.wi.gov/ Public Service Commission of Wisconsin: Electric Service Territory Maps https://maps.psc.wi.gov/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bb1a9f501e3d472cbde970310540b466 Wisconsin Legislative Council: Overview of Wisconsin’s Public Utility Regulatory System https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/misc/lc/information_memos/2017/im_2017_01

June 30, 2021/in News, The Electric Wire Podcast / Madison, WI – The Electric Wire podcast, a production of the Customers First! Coalition, debuted in February 2020 as a way to keep listeners informed on Wisconsin energy and utility issues, and we thought it was time to take a look back on some of our favorite moments from the past year and a half of the Electric Wire! Matt Spencer, Government Affairs Manager, Madison Gas and Electric, joins Kristin Gilkes, Executive Director, Customers First! Coalition, to co-host a countdown of Ten Powerful Moments, and one honorable mention, from the Electric Wire. Themes from these top moments include bringing stakeholders together to tackle big issues in the industry; protecting all utility customers; and visualizing the new energy innovations that are propelling the clean energy transition forward. Listen to the Electric Wire, Episode 14 -Ten Powerful Moments on the Electric Wire, wherever you listen to podcasts, or on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/9P509tDWlJg