Every election year, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative invites candidates for state office to sit down and talk energy. On October 6, five candidates joined us at the Holiday Inn South in Eau Claire for a morning of questions on the issues shaping our members' electric bills and the grid that serves them.

At the table were Representative Jodi Emerson (D, 91st Assembly District), Bruce Stabenow (R, 91st Assembly District candidate), Representative Clint Moses (R, 92nd Assembly District), Representative Christian Phelps (D, 93rd Assembly District), and Michele Magadance Skinner (R, 31st State Senate District candidate). Luke Fuller of Dairyland Power Cooperative and Joe Mesec of the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association moderated.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative is nonpartisan and does not endorse candidates for public office, but we do encourage our members to vote and take an active part in the election process. We host this forum as election education, giving our members a chance to hear directly from candidates on energy issues before they head to the polls. Answers below are summarized and are not necessarily listed in the order candidates spoke.

Cost of living is top of mind

When asked what they hear most from voters, Emerson, Moses, Phelps, and Magadance Skinner all named the cost of living, from fuel and groceries to health care, housing, and taxes. Stabenow focused on the importance of reliable power for rural communities. Moses and Magadance Skinner also noted growing concern about data centers in the Menomonie area.

Affordable, reliable power for rural members

Wisconsin cooperatives serve about 5 to 7 members per mile of line, far fewer than other utilities, which means fewer members share the cost of maintaining the system. Candidates were asked what policies would keep electricity affordable while keeping the grid reliable.

• Magadance Skinner called for a dependable mix of existing power plants, grid investment, and alternative energy, judged by two questions: will the lights stay on, and can we afford it?
• Phelps described energy policy as economic policy and said the state should invest so cooperatives aren't left with costs they can't absorb.
• Moses supported a balanced approach with consumer guardrails and no mandates that drive up costs, and encouraged cooperatives to stay in touch with legislators during session.
• Stabenow praised cooperative lineworkers, noted that small industries want to locate in rural areas served by cooperatives, and credited cooperatives for working to keep costs down.
• Emerson stressed a strong, public regulatory process through the Public Service Commission and funding technical colleges and universities that train linemen and engineers.

Policy for rural, member owned cooperatives

As a follow up, candidates were asked whether any policies should change for nonprofit, member owned cooperatives serving rural, low density areas.

• Moses said bringing small and medium businesses into cooperative territory adds customers, as long as infrastructure costs aren't passed on to existing members.
• Phelps said the state should help with infrastructure costs and better support local governments so they can work thoughtfully with cooperatives on big developments.
• Magadance Skinner said state policy should recognize the cost of serving long lines with few members and protect local cooperative boards' ability to make decisions.
• Emerson said line density has to be balanced with preserving family farms and farmland, and she welcomes ideas from cooperatives.
• Stabenow shared his family's cooperative roots, said members have skin in the game, and said he wants to keep hearing from cooperatives.

Data centers and large loads

Data centers can bring investment, but they also need enormous amounts of electricity and new infrastructure. Candidates were asked how to make sure existing customers don't pay for it. Transparency, local input, and making large users pay their own way came up across the panel.

• Emerson called the lack of a state regulatory framework last session's biggest failure and said companies should pay for every upgrade, local communities should be able to set moratoriums, and the sales tax exemption for data centers should be rolled back.
• Stabenow pointed out the difference between very large and smaller projects and said small communities need advance warning and the ability to put protections in place.
• Moses said the Assembly's guardrail bill didn't go far enough and described his bill to ban nondisclosure agreements between developers and local governments after the experience in Menomonie.
• Phelps called for a regulatory framework, a close look at long term risks, and a seat for cooperatives at the negotiating table, saying developers should pay their own way.
• Magadance Skinner called for an open process, guarantees that customers won't pay if a project falls through, and a real say for local residents.

Nuclear energy

With Wisconsin studying sites for new nuclear generation, candidates shared their views on nuclear, including small modular reactors. All five expressed openness to it, with different points of emphasis.

• Moses sees nuclear as an area for bipartisan progress, citing its reliability and small footprint on farmland.
• Phelps said nuclear should stay part of the conversation, with total long term costs weighed before offering tax incentives.
• Emerson credited UW Madison's nuclear engineering program and said legislation should account for its costs, pointing to the cost of the state's required nuclear summit.
• Stabenow said the technology has improved significantly and could help cooperatives lower costs for rural members.
• Magadance Skinner said cooperatives and their local boards should have the freedom to invest in nuclear as part of a diverse energy mix.

Community solar and third party ownership

Candidates were asked how Wisconsin should approach community solar and third party ownership while protecting existing customers from cost shifts. Several said recent proposals need more work, and concern about shifting costs onto other members came up repeatedly.

• Emerson supports a diverse mix of power sources and shared solar programs but is hesitant about third party ownership and is not yet a yes vote.
• Stabenow emphasized public involvement in local solar and wind proposals and said all options should be examined.
• Moses said the bills have improved but aren't a final product, citing concerns about administrative costs for cooperatives and a preference for rooftops or less productive land over large projects on farmland.
• Phelps did not sign on to this session's bill because of the concerns cooperatives raised, while supporting careful expansion of solar access.
• Magadance Skinner opposes policies that shift costs or weaken local control and said local boards should decide which solar options fit their members.

Closing thoughts

In closing, Emerson urged everyone to reach out to elected officials at every level. Stabenow and Magadance Skinner said they want to keep listening and learning from the people who run cooperatives. Moses highlighted the accountability cooperatives have to every member and encouraged members to consider board service. Phelps described elections as a hiring process and encouraged voters to consider who is ready to do the job well.

Thank you to all five candidates for sharing their time and perspectives, and to our moderators for keeping the conversation moving. Whatever your views, we encourage our members to stay informed and make a plan to vote on Tuesday, November 3.