Industries Find Rising Electric Rate a Bitter Pill; Utility Says It's Below U.S. Average

Summary

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At a time when southeastern Wisconsin is losing manufacturing jobs year after year, electricity rate increases proposed by We Energies for at least the next two years - with more likely to follow - will be difficult to swallow, says the head of a major industrial group.

And it's not getting any easier for homeowners, who already pay rates that are highest in the upper Midwest and above the national average.

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Extract

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Industries Find Rising Electric Rate a Bitter Pill; Utility Says It's Below U.S. Average

"With a 7% increase this year and next year, and who knows how many years going forward, that's two or three times the inflation rate," said Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group executive director Todd Stuart, which represents Quad / Graphics Inc., Kohl's Corp., S.C. Johnson & Son and other companies with big energy bills.

"It takes a toll. You either have to eat that cost or pass it on to your customers, and you can't always do that."

We Energies has asked state regulators to approve rate increases of about 7% each in the next two years, citing...

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