by Benjamin Yount
A new report says Gov. Tony Evers’ goal to get Wisconsin carbon-free by 2050 comes with a $250 billion price tag.
The Center of the American Experiment released its report on Wednesday. It explains that Gov. Evers’ pledge to move electric generation in the state completely away from coal and natural gas will drive energy prices in the state even higher.
“Wisconsin electricity customers would see their electricity expenses increase by an average of $2,755 per year, every year, through 2050,” the report states. “Gov. Evers’ proposal for a 100% carbon-free electric grid by 2050 would cost Wisconsin families and businesses an additional $248 billion (in constant 2022 dollars) through 2050, compared to operating the current electric grid.”
The governor made the carbon-free promise back in 2019.
“For far too long, clean energy has not been a priority in our state, and we’re going to change that,” the governor said in announcing his plan.
Evers wants to move Wisconsin away from fossil fuels and move toward wind and solar energy.
The American Experiment report says there simply isn’t enough wind or solar power to meet the state’s needs.
“In 2019, Wisconsin derived 35.2% of its electricity from coal, 27.2% from natural gas, 13.4% from nuclear, 16.2% from imports of electricity from other states, 3.5% from hydroelectric, 2.5% from wind, 1.8% from biomass, 0.2% from petroleum, 0.1% from solar,” the report notes.
Gov. Evers’ plan sets the goal at 48.4% of power from wind sources and 20.1% from solar sources by 2050.
The report’s authors say that is unreasonable and ultimately unreliable.
“Under the Evers Plan, the electric grid would experience capacity shortfalls, which means there is not enough electricity on the grid to prevent blackouts,” the authors wrote. “Wisconsin would experience devastating 8-hour and 20-hour blackouts in late January 2050 if electricity demand and wind and solar output are the same as they were in the year 2020.”
The report says while everyone will pay more for less power under the governor’s plan, industry in Wisconsin would pay the most.
The American Experiment report suggests slowing down the race toward carbon-free energy in Wisconsin, and instituting new regulations that would spare customers from the high price of new wind and solar projects in the state.
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Benjamin Yount is a contributor to The Center Square.
