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Summer Strand: “Merchant development projects are allowed and legal.”

Featuring: Summer Strand, Wisconsin Public Service Commission

WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand

Published June 12, 2025 | Video Starts at 50:17

I've read the statutes, I've read opinions, all these things. So it is an option. I think we should view it as a positive because it does give us more opportunities for flexibility, co … Merchant development projects are allowed and legal. … can go to ensure that they are, that the people that are being affected by these projects are also being able to benefit from these projects. (50:17–50:32)

CLAIM

Asserts that merchant development projects are legally permissible.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Summer Strand

“Since 2019 the Commission has approved more than 4,000 megawatts of new solar generation construction in the state.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 17:35-17:42
“We have approved five projects recently totaling 440 megawatts, which powers approximately 83,600 homes.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 18:30-18:39
“We're getting just north of a billion dollars on broadband.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 19:16-19:20
“Approximately 37% of our total generation capacity in Wisconsin comes from natural gas.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 21:25-21:31
“Given the $200 million plus the 410,000 homes and businesses that have been newly served since 2019.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 31:12-31:20
“A lot of what the commission is doing right now is construction based.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 06:29-06:33
“The commission encourages the use of in-state labor for projects.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 06:44-06:48
“We have had a complete turnover in commissioners since I came on in March of 2023.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 09:41-09:49
“Former Commissioner Hebner was rejected by the Senate.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 09:52-09:55
“Former Chair Vock resigned from her chairpersonship and her commission appointment about a year before her term expired.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 09:52-10:07
“Commissioner Hawkins came most recently from the Organization of MISO States where he represented the states within the MISO footprint…”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 11:18-11:32
“We are seeing a huge uptick for a number of factors in not only filings, but especially filings of the commission that require a lot of…”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 13:04-13:20
“Our staff is very professional and very dedicated, but the workload is staggeringly significant.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 13:40-13:46
“Most industries and state agencies are struggling with retention.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 13:49-13:54
“The state is not mandating. The PSE is not mandating this transition to happen or how it's going to happen.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 16:21-16:27
“The PSC [Public Service Commission] has authority over siting and issues CPCNs [Certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity], basically…”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 17:16-17:16
“We do have a goal in the state of being carbon free by 2050.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 17:22-17:28
“Since I joined it that number has been about 1200.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 17:42-17:46
“We have over nine new federal programs that we're overseeing totaling at least $200 million.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 19:31-19:38
“The U.S. Senate passed a bill yesterday, 88-2, that included the text of the nuclear advance bill.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 24:07-24:27
“About 200 million [has been invested in broadband] since 2019.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 25:54-25:54
“The state broadband program has been in place since 2014.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 25:59-26:03
“We don't rate, regulate telecommunications and broadband, but we do have a role in ensuring equitable access.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 26:16-26:25
“Wisconsin does have some interesting challenges as it relates to rural nature.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 26:53-26:58
“We are hoping to start making the grant money available for the build out in early 2025.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 28:18-28:26
“My conservative estimate would be that we would be close to serving every underserved and unserved location in the state by 2030.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 29:31-29:41
“The clean energy transition is creating jobs and economic development and domestic and reshoring manufacturing opportunities that have not…”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 38:56-39:01
“The clean energy transition is creating better environmental outputs and quality of life.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 38:56-39:01
“We are absolutely pursuing battery storage in the state.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 39:30-39:34
“Battery energy storage is a very important component and I think you're going to see it continue to grow in Wisconsin.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 40:30-40:37
“Our utilities [are] partnering with our trade unions and pledging to use those partners on utility scale projects.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 42:02-42:11
“We have a very robust and we're hoping to continue to expand it public engagement and participation process for all of the things that we…”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 45:29-45:39
“We do have a strong consumer affairs division within the PSC that can help kind of deal with these issues.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 47:39-47:46
“The commission has tried to ensure merchant plans bring economic development into communities.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 50:17-50:32
“Utilities only have certain capacities; without merchant development, there would be less renewable development.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 51:11-51:16
“Creating an alternative dispute resolution to the court system would require significant law changes.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 52:37-52:44
“We have 15 pending cases right now, nine in circuit, six in appeals.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 53:45-53:51
“The PSD did not take a position on the [right of first refusal] bill.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 54:33-54:33
“The right of whether or not to grant transmission owners the right of first refusal is a policy decision best left to the legislature.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 55:26-55:35
“Our infrastructure is aging. Transmission infrastructure. It needs modernization.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 56:22-56:27
“We need grid modernization, we need grid expansion, we need the Internet connection queue to get going at the regional trans.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 56:26-56:34
“We gotta make sure that we're coordinating so that things aren't getting stuck along those seams.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 56:43-56:48
“This is a national issue.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 56:56-56:59
“We have LRTPs going on in terms of like where these lines need to go and how to get this, this power to where it's needed.”
WisPolitics Luncheon with Public Service Commission Chair Summer Strand | Uploaded June 12, 2025 | 57:00-57:06