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ROFR Hearing Next Week
Wisconsin lawmakers are gearing-up to go round and round over ROFR.
Legislation that would create a Right of First Refusal law in the state is scheduled for a hearing next week at the statehouse.
Supporters are framing the idea as “an incumbent transmission facility owner’s right to construct, own, and maintain certain transmission facilities,” and a way to help ensure construction on at least $1 billion in new utility world over the coming years.
But opponents, including conservative lawmakers, conservative groups, and consumer advocates, say Right of First Refusal is a sweetheart deal for Wisconsin’s utilities and the unions they agreed to work with.
“Wisconsin, which once paid among the lowest rates in the country for electricity, now pays the 2nd highest in the Midwest. The Wisconsin Public Service Commission recently authorized roughly $550 million in additional electric and natural gas rates for 2025 and 2026 bringing the total to $2 billion since 2019,” the opponents said in a letter earlier this month. “Any policy, like [ Right of First Refusal], that adds additional costs to utility bills should be opposed.”
Nearly two dozen Wisconsin lawmakers wrote to President Trump this month asking for his opinion on the Right of First Refusal, and question whether it’s a DOGE-compliant idea:
“We believe ROFR legislation stands in stark opposition to numerous executive orders issued by you and your administration, which emphasized the critical importance of protecting and enhancing competition to foster innovation and reduce costs,” they wrote.
Former State Senator Duey Stroebel, who fought Right of First Refusal during his time at the Wisconsin Capitol, went further.
“This is ‘The Swamp’ in Wisconsin,” Stroebel said. “It would be nice to think the lawmakers in Madison would put the interests of their constituents over the special interests, but I am not holding my breath. I fought this boondoggle off for the last two sessions. Let's see if our current legislators can surprise us.”
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