Clean energy advocates in Wisconsin are warning federal tax incentives and funding rollbacks will raise energy costs, cut jobs and deter necessary efforts to address climate change.
Under the new federal budget, tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act available to Wisconsin businesses, utilities and school districts are now ending much earlier than intended.
Casey Hicks, federal government affairs manager for the group Wisconsin Conservation Voters, said incentives for homeowners are being canceled even sooner than other entities, creating uncertainty which leads to project delays and cancellations.
"Without the tax credits, the grants, the incentives to help those projects along, we're going to be in a bind where we have way more demand for energy because of things like AI data centers," Hicks pointed out. "And not being able to meet that demand."
A grant which would have helped low-income residents in Milwaukee make their homes more energy efficient is being revoked.
Hicks noted now, utility rates for residents across the state are projected to increase by more than $450 a year by 2035.
Supporters of the repeal argued the tax credits were costly and fueled by misguided policy.Hicks explained Wisconsin has no natural resources of coal, oil or natural gas, which requires it to import energy, costing the state more than $14 billion a year.
Hicks argued incentives which were supposed to continue under the Inflation Reduction Act would have accelerated the transition to clean energy, saved the state money and increased Wisconsin's energy independence, while creating thousands of jobs.
"Because of this bill that was passed recently, Wisconsin could end up seeing about 11,000 jobs go away by 2030," Hicks reported.
Hicks urged residents to voice their concerns to their members of Congress, all of whom supported the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Hicks emphasized the dire implications on the climate change crisis as Wisconsin is already facing impacts such as historic floods, unsafe air quality and record-breaking temperatures.
"We need to meet the moment to address climate change and the position that we're in right now," Hicks underscored.
"Because of Derek Van Orden's votes and his colleagues in the Republican delegation in Wisconsin who voted for this bill, they're putting us at a severe disadvantage to address climate change."
