The PSC is requiring Wisconsin’s 609 regulated electric, gas and water utilities to include in annual reporting demographic information on their employees, boards of directors and supply chains, as well as the percent of household income spent on energy (energy burden), in order to address Governor’s Evers’ efforts to further diversity, equity and inclusion. Information will create a benchmark on race, ethnicity, gender, disabilities and veteran status and a start to tracking performance. Investor-owned utilities with greater than 15,000 customers must include information on suppliers, procurement goals and spending with businesses owned by minorities, veterans, women, LGBT individuals or people with disabilities.
Already, utilities including We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service Corp and MG&E had committed to energy burden analysis in order to help target Wisconsin communities struggling the most. More than 70,700 Wisconsin homes applied for state energy assistance in 2020, which is 42% greater than in 2019. WSJ