Despite high stakes for energy future, Wisconsin’s utilities scale back campaign spending — so far
Wisconsin’s largest utilities are spending less on political campaigns this election cycle, directing most contributions toward legislative races rather than the gubernatorial contest. Observers suggest growing public backlash against the state’s data center boom and related energy concerns may be making utilities more cautious about visible political spending.
Wisconsin’s largest utilities had contributed nearly $300,000 to political candidates and partisan fundraising groups by late September, about $50,000 less than at the same point in 2022. Their political action committees gave nothing to gubernatorial candidates Tom Tiffany or David Crowley through September, instead directing nearly all contributions to state legislative races.
The next governor and Legislature will influence Wisconsin’s energy policy and help shape the membership of the state commission that regulates utilities. Jonathan Kim of the Energy and Policy Institute said utilities may be limiting their political exposure because public hostility toward the data center boom is increasingly affecting their reputation. Alliant Energy, WEC Energy Group and Xcel Energy provide electricity to most Wisconsin households through their respective subsidiaries.