Fighting for our lights: US and WI Democrats want to end the energy burden for Wisconsinites

Rising utility bills in Wisconsin are creating a significant “energy burden” for families, with some households spending over 10%—and in some cases up to 20%—of their annual income on heat and electricity. While state Democratic lawmakers have had their hands tied by a Republican majority, Democratic lawmakers in Washington have decided to give it a try, with the Energy Bills Relief Act.

“There are so many issues that people have concerns about—rising costs is probably number one,” said Wisconsin State Sen. Jeff Smith (D-Brunswick).

“Just look at the gas pumps right now—that’s something that Donald Trump has caused,” Smith said, referencing Trump’s attack on Iran and resulting oil prices. “But there are other things we should be still addressing because we work for the people who are being really harmed by the rising costs of their groceries, their gas prices, their electricity, childcare, health insurance premiums, and it just goes on and on.”

Smith is back home in the Chippewa Valley from Madison after a St. Patrick’s Day Wisconsin blizzard and the close of the 2025-26 legislative session on the same day—a day that made him feel dismayed and defeated.

“What exactly are your elected representatives doing to help you make those ends meet?” Smith questioned. “The answer is nothing—especially now that Republicans have decided to throw in the towel and call it quits.”

During that final floor session on March 17, Smith introduced a resolution to keep the session open to address the affordability crisis. He told UpNorthNews “every single Republican” voted it down and ended the two-year session that could technically run through late spring.

Smith is hopeful Democrats in Washington have better success with the other side of the aisle to provide relief for families. 

Two House Democrats—one from Illinois and one from California—along with the backing of 120 more Democrats in the House, have introduced the Energy Bills Relief Act. They say the proposal focuses on supporting families facing high utility bills.

“The truth is, a lot of this has to happen from Washington,” Smith said.

What is the Energy Bills Relief Act?

Introduced by US Reps. Sean Casten (D-IL) and Mike Levin (D-CA), the Energy Bills Relief Act is designed as a “consumer-first” approach to energy policy.

The legislation focuses on lowering electricity costs by expanding access to cheaper energy, improving efficiency, and preventing utilities from passing unnecessary costs onto customers.

How would the bill lower costs?

To bring down energy bills, the legislation (if passed) would:

• Restore clean energy tax credits to boost development of renewable energy projects —to deliver wind and solar energy to the grid
• Provide direct financial assistance to help households avoid shutoffs and stay current on bills
• Reward utilities for cutting costs, rather than passing them on to customers
• Crack down on price gouging and excessive charges
• Require large energy users—like data centers—to shoulder more of the costs they drive

The bill would also reinstate the Inflation Reduction Act clean energy tax credits for household and electric vehicles, reducing the cost of improvements like solar panels, heat pumps, and insulation.

Why is clean energy the focus?

A major focus of the bill is expanding clean energy like wind and solar, which lawmakers argue are significantly cheaper than fossil fuel alternatives, making them the fastest way to lower rising household and small business electricity bills.

Bill sponsors say their plan focuses on long-term affordable energy solutions and prevents the administration from blocking renewable projects and tasks that keep expensive, older fossil fuel plants running.

What happens next for the Energy Bills Relief Act?

The legislation faces a tough path in the Republican-controlled Congress, but sponsors say it’s designed to establish a foundation for energy policy—to cut red tape for clean energy projects, expand household assistance, and force data centers to pay for their own grid infrastructure costs.

The bill will be referred next to the appropriate committee, where it will be reviewed and debated. If approved, it will be sent to the full chamber floor for debate and a vote. If passed, the proposal will move to the Senate to repeat the process.

Both chambers must pass identical versions before the bill is sent to the President, where he can decide whether or not to sign it into law.

How to weigh in on the bill?

Call or write your US House Representative or Senator, letting them know if you want them to support the Energy Bills Relief Act.

There are also opportunities to participate in campaigns with environmental and consumer groups that are pushing for the bill’s passage to reduce high energy costs.

“I have two grown daughters—what are we going to leave behind?” Smith said. “We need to make the investments so that they don’t have to.”