Local Officials Travels to Nation’s Capital

As federal lawmakers consider solutions for addressing climate change and ensuring diversified resources for our nation’s energy future, River Falls’ mayor recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to encourage Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation to support policies that protect utility customers and allow community-owned utilities — like River Falls Municipal Utilities — to continue providing reliable, affordable power to their customers.

Mayor Don Richards joined 45 community leaders from Wisconsin and more than 700 officials from across the country at the American Public Power Association Legislative Rally in the nation’s capital, February 25 – 27.

“As environmental policy and the need for diversified energy sources becomes increasingly important, ‘public power’ utilities across the country need to weigh in on legislative and regulatory issues that are important to local utilities,” said Richards. “It is important that we be involved in shaping the energy future for our communities and our nation; the rally provides the opportunity to allow our voices to be heard on Capitol Hill.”

In addition to meeting with Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, Richards met with Rep. Ron Kind to discuss issues that directly affect public power and our community.

Richards urged Wisconsin’s delegates to support legislative initiatives that promote effective competition in wholesale electric markets for the benefit of customers; encourage more rigorous Federal oversight for operators of the regional transmission system; and continue to enable public power utilities to finance electric infrastructure with tax-exempt bonds.

He also voiced support for a climate change policy that will be economy-wide and apply to all industry sectors, including incentives for public power development of clean resources and efforts to further the development of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Richards also expressed support for provisions in the 2007 Farm Bill providing access to new and existing energy programs for public power systems as electric utilities serving rural America, and for bills recently introduced by Wisconsin Congressional delegates to address the problems of captive rail shippers.

Rep. Tammy Baldwin delivered the keynote address at the rally’s luncheon and called for the U.S. to take a lead role in addressing climate change issues, which she described as a critical issue facing the country.

Rep. Baldwin also addressed the railroad captive shipper issue, saying, “Congress should remove the rail industry’s exemption from the nation’s antitrust laws.”

Senator Kohl’s “Railroad Antitrust Enforcement Act of 2007” (S.772), cosponsored by Sen. Feingold, and Rep. Tammy Baldwin’s companion bill (H.R. 1650) would remove current antitrust exemptions enjoyed by freight railroads.

River Falls Municipal Utilities is an owner of Wisconsin Public Power Inc., a regional power company serving 49 customer-owned electric utilities. Through WPPI, these public power utilities share resources and own generation facilities to provide reliable, affordable electricity to more than 190,000 homes and businesses in Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and Iowa.