Tell the PSC: new fossil fuel projects will harm our health, environment

Dear editor, Wisconsin is facing an influx of AI and data center proposals, but will these developments become an asset or a burden to the people of Wisconsin?

These projects provide jobs, but they also come at a high cost. These industries require incredible amounts of energy to operate. They are also incredibly profitable. Microsoft touts its ambitious climate goals and promises Wisconsin residents won’t have to pay for their energy needs, but We Energies has decided otherwise. We Energies says that the power behind these developments needs to be gas-powered. If they proceed with these projects, the energy powering these lucrative corporations will be subsidized by you and me - to the tune of $2 billion.

We Energies/WEPCo is proposing to build a 128 MW seven-engine generating station in the town of Paris and a 1,100 MW generating station in Oak Creek powered by, you guessed it, methane. While Microsoft and We Energies profit, the average person will be footing the bill - twice - with our rates and our health.

Pushed upon us by the fossil fuel industry and utilities as “natural gas,” these plants will be powered by methane gas, which is a fossil fuel. This is another unnecessary expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure that will lock us into decades of ongoing planet-warming and health-harming emissions.

Methane gas is linked to numerous health issues such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancer, and neurodevelopmental disorders.Air pollution from these sources can affect almost every organ system and is associated with low birth weight, miscarriages, and increased infant mortality. As a nurse practitioner serving southeast Wisconsin, I am very concerned about utilities proposing new fossil fuel projects that cause so much harm to local communities. The Public Service Commission (PSC) must protect the public from these harmful projects proposed by our monopoly utility.

Luckily, you have a voice and can tell the PSC that you value your children’s health, your heart and lungs, and your environment. Submit a comment to the PSC using the link below by Feb. 17 and demand they prioritize our health over corporate wealth. https://apps.psc.wi.gov/ERF/ERF/ comment/filecomment.aspx? util=6630& case=CE& num=316

Annie Carrell

Nurse practitioner, Milwaukee