Energy prices up, despite Scott Walker campaign pledge to reduce them

With his "Continuing Wisconsin's Comeback" plan, Gov. Scott Walker pledged during the 2014 campaign to work with utilities to reduce the cost of energy.

The state Public Service Commission has reduced electricity costs for certain large electricity users by enabling them to pay the lowest going rate in the Midwest, Citizens Utility Board executive director Tom Content told us. The board advocates for residential and small business customers. Before that change, these big users were paying regular Wisconsin rates that arehigher because unlike market rates, they fully account for power plants and other investments in the utility's infrastructure.

But aside from that, costs are higher now than they were in 2014, according to data provided by the Citizens Utility Board:

Montly electricity bills for residents and small businesses

(Based on 600 kilowatt hours per month; data retrieved from state Public Service Commission)

Industrial (essentially factories) electricity rates

(Cents per kilowatt hour; data from Brubaker & Associates)

Commercial (businesses that aren't factories) electricity rates

(Cents per kilowatt hour; data from U.S. Energy Information Administration)

As for natural gas, prices in Wisconsin decreased from 2014 to 2016, but the state has very little, if any, leverage over them, Content said. Prices have dropped across the country partly because an increase in fracking has raised the supply, he said.

Given that so far, electricity costs by and large have increased, we rate Walker's promise Stalled.