Local Officials Lobby Congress on Electric Industry Issues

In early February, utility officials traveled to Washington, D.C. to encourage Wisconsin’s congressional delegation to support legislation that protects customers of community-owned utilities like Menasha Utilities.

Commission President Stan Martenson and General Manager Doug Young joined more than 40 community leaders from Wisconsin and 700 officials from across the country at the American Public Power Association’s annual legislative rally in the nation’s capital, Feb. 1-3.

With a comprehensive energy bill pending on Capitol Hill, Wisconsin’s delegates were urged to support initiatives that promote effective competition in wholesale electricity markets and ensure reliability to minimize the risk of massive regional system failures similar to what occurred on the East Coast last summer.

Officials also voiced their support for the extension of federal production incentives that encourage the development of new renewable energy resources.

Martenson and Young met with Rep. Thomas Petri and attended a ceremony honoring Rep. David Obey for his continued support of municipal electric utilities. Obey accepted the 2004 “Friend of Public Power Award” given by our power supplier, Wisconsin Public Power Inc. and the Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin.

Scheduled meetings with Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl were canceled the day authorities closed three Senate office buildings on Capitol Hill following the discovery of the poison ricin in the mailroom of the Senate majority leader’s office.