 | State regulators preparing for risks of climate change |
by Michelle Hu, Energy Institute Writer
Carbon restrictions are inevitable and will require significant changes to the state’s energy mix—that’s the message from Commissioner Lauren Azar of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. Azar spoke Tuesday night with Wisconsin Commissioner of Insurance Sean Dilweg about making critical decisions in preparing for the uncertainties of climate change. The lecture was a part of the Nelson Institute’s Community Environmental Forum.
With the looming UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen and the EPA’s own studies on the impacts of carbon emissions, carbon restrictions are a reality for both utilities and their regulators. Wisconsin’s heavy fossil fuel reliance—70 percent of electricity generation comes from fossil fuels—means a drastic transformation will take place over the next few decades, says Azar. The state’s renewable energy resources, specifically wind power and geothermal energy, are marginal at best, while solar power is not a viable solution in the state with current technology, claims Azar. She says nuclear power will be essential in meeting future carbon emission standards, but many legal challenges remain, including the moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction in Wisconsin.
Commissioner Dilweg is responsible for regulating insurance companies for the 6th largest insurance state in the United States. Like Azar, climate change is posing many new challenges for Dilweg in predicting and planning for the future. He is currently at work on legislation that will encourage insurance companies to plan for the effects of climate change, including extreme weather events.
Both speakers say realistic planning is critical in adapting to the effects of climate change. For Wisconsin, transforming our generation portfolio to mitigate climate change will include key infrastructure decisions in the face of uncertainty. For the people who have to make decisions like those, risk is a fact of life, but with cooperation and accurate information they can make more informed decisions.
More information:
Nelson Institute Community Environmental Forum
Office of Commissioner of Insurance
