Latest news with #WeEnergies
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Power substation damaged; Milwaukee man accused of trying to cut live wire
The Brief A Milwaukee man is accused of breaking into a We Energies substation in St. Francis. James Schneck faces two criminal counts for property damage at the substation on March 14. The criminal complaint indicates Schneck was seriously hurt when he tried to cut a live wire. ST. FRANCIS, Wis. - A 45-year-old Milwaukee man who is a self-proclaimed "scrapper" is accused of breaking into a We Energies substation in St. Francis. The accused is James Schneck – and he faces the following criminal counts: Criminal trespass to energy provider property Intentional damage to energy provider property What we know According to the criminal complaint, St. Francis police were dispatched on the morning of Friday, March 14 to the We Energies substation on S. Kinnickinnic Avenue just south of Howard Avenue for a property damage complaint. When officers arrived on the scene, they spoke with a We Energies employee who said "someone had forcefully gained entry to the substation through the secure fenced-in area to steal copper. (The employee) said the suspect tried to cut a live wire and was likely electrocuted by an extremely large amount of volts. (The employee) further stated that if the suspect wasn't already dead, he believed it was only a matter of time," the complaint says. The suspect also left tools and clothing behind, the employee noted. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android The criminal complaint says the We Energies employee estimated the amount of damage caused by the suspect to be around $100,000. Officers contacted detectives, a K-9 officer and drone officers to try to locate the suspect who was likely injured. A detective on the scene found a cellphone in a bag left behind by the suspect. That detective took a photo of the lock screen photo and uploaded it to automated facial recognition software. That software provided a close match to James Schneck, the defendant. The detective also called 911 from the cellphone to identify the phone number, which was also paired with Schneck. An officer also contacted an employee at Complete Recycling, near the substation. Surveillance "video depicted an explosion at the We Energies substation and depicted an individual on a bicycle riding away from the substation approximately 20 minutes after the explosion," the complaint says. Investigators were able to identify Schneck was in a relationship with someone who lived about two miles from the We Energies substation. When they went to the residence, they found a bicycle leaning up against a garage. But there was no response at the door. Investigators then spoke with the landlord who said the woman "contacted him that morning via text saying (the woman) was taking her 'man' to St. Mary's hospital after being in a 'freak accident at work' and has '2nd degree burns all over his face,'" the complaint says. Detectives then reached out to the St. Mary's Burn Unit and spoke to the woman. She indicated she had been sleeping when Schneck arrived at her apartment needing her help. She told detectives "Schneck told her something blew up in his face and he couldn't see, so (the woman) called 911," the complaint says. A nurse told detectives they did not find any evidence Schneck was electrocuted, but they suspected he was likely an opiate addict based on his reaction to ketamine. On May 28, a detective went to the woman's apartment to talk about Schneck's whereabouts. She said she did not know where he was. But the complaint says the detective noticed men's shoes in the kitchen area. During the conversation, the woman motioned over her shoulder to the detective. The detective and an officer later located Schneck in a bedroom closet. He was taken into custody. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Detectives conducted an in-custody interview with Schneck. He said he was released from the hospital about four days after the We Energies incident, even though he couldn't open his eye all the way. When asked about what happened, Schneck said, "You guys know. You guys know what happened. I thought I died because when I opened my eyes, all I saw was a bright light," the complaint says. When asked what the pain was like, Schneck said, "I can't even describe it. It felt like my face was being burned with a blow torch," the complaint says. Schneck also told investigators "he was doing this to make ends meet and that he has been scrapping for years," the complaint says. What's next Schneck was scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Friday, May 30. The Source The information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access as well as the criminal complaint associated with this case.
E&E News
23-05-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Wisconsin OKs gas-fired power to offset coal closures, serve data centers
Wisconsin's largest utility received approval from state regulators Thursday to add almost $1.5 billion of new gas-fired generation to supply new data center demand as it shutters existing coal plants. The three-member Public Service Commission, all appointees of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, voted unanimously to conditionally approve the projects proposed by Milwaukee-based We Energies over opposition from consumer advocates and environmental groups who argued that the utility was overlooking cheaper, cleaner options. The issue before the PSC highlights a tension across the country. States have established emissions reductions goals, yet face political pressure to attract economic investment, specifically 'hyperscaler' data centers like the ones proposed along Wisconsin's Interstate 94 corridor. Advertisement Such is the case in Wisconsin, where Evers during his first term laid out a goal of achieving 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050. But the governor sees data centers — and especially a $3.3 billion Microsoft data center campus in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, outside Milwaukee — as a huge economic win for the state.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Milwaukee Ald. Alex Brower to be formally sworn in Tuesday
The Brief Milwaukee Ald. Alex Brower, elected on April 1, will be formally sworn in on Tuesday. Brower defeated Daniel Bauman in the special election for District 3. The seat opened following the death of former Ald. Jonathan Brostoff last year. MILWAUKEE - Alex Brower, elected on April 1, will be formally sworn in as Milwaukee's 3rd District alderman on Tuesday. The backstory Brower defeated opponent Daniel Bauman in the special election for the seat, which opened following the death of former Ald. Jonathan Brostoff last year. FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android What they're saying Brower considers himself a socialist and said he's one of the first socialists in City Hall since the 1960s. "I am bringing back sewer socialism to Milwaukee City Hall," Brower said. "As a socialist, I do still want to help out small businesses and have them be successful." Brower has already been appointed to the Common Council's Public Works Committee and Licenses Committee. Earlier this month, sitting in on his first meeting, he challenged a We Energies easement on city property. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News "Holding We Energies accountable is one of the first things that I did, and I am proud of that," he said. What you can do Brower told FOX6 News his focus is setting up contact information for people who live in the district. Constituents can contact Brower via phone 414-286-3447 or email. The Source Information in this report is from the Milwaukee Common Council and prior
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wisconsin's utility moratorium ends April 15; assistance available
The Brief The winter moratorium on utility disconnections in Wisconsin ends on April 15, 2025. The annual winter moratorium prohibits all utility providers from disconnecting residential heating services for nonpayment. To avoid disconnection, customers who have fallen behind on payments are encouraged to contact their utility to set up a payment plan. MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin's residential disconnection moratorium expires April 15. If you have not gotten caught up on your power bill payments, you may be at risk of having your power shut off. The annual winter moratorium from Nov. 1 to April 15 prohibits all utility providers from disconnecting residential heating services for nonpayment. To avoid disconnection, customers who have fallen behind on payments are encouraged to contact their utility to set up a payment plan. SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News Listed below is the contact information for the largest utilities in Wisconsin: Alliant Energy: 1-800-255-4268 Madison Gas & Electric: 1-800-245-1125 Superior Water, Light & Power: 1-800-227-7957 We Energies: 1-800-842-4565 Wisconsin Public Service Corporation: 1-800-450-7260 Xcel Energy: 1-800-895-4999 What you can do Customers behind on their bills can go to or use the We Energies app to set up payment arrangements and connect with financial and energy assistance options. They can also call 800-842-4565. We Energies encourages customers to manage their energy use all year long. Go to the We Energies website for a checklist and more ways to save. Additionally, if customers are having difficulty paying their energy bills, they may be eligible for assistance from the Department of Administration's Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP). To apply online, customers can go to or to apply by phone, customers can call the Statewide Customer Care Center at 1-800-506-5596. The Source The information is this report is from We Energies and The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC).
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Milwaukee losing another federal lifeline. Impact will be swift and devastating.
On April 1, the Trump administration fired the entire federal staff responsible for administering the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a $4.1 billion program that helps millions of families afford heat and electricity. Starting today We Energies, the most profitable monopoly utility in the state of Wisconsin, will end its winter shutoff moratorium. Amidst a manufactured crisis at the federal level, our utilities will soon start cutting off power for tens of thousands of working-class residents at the very same time that emergency relief services lose all capacity to respond. For reference, in 2023, the federal program restored or prevented nearly 85,000 disconnections across the state. This means that thousands of Milwaukeeans will face imminent (and entirely avoidable) blackouts, while $378 million in federal relief sits untouched – a ruthless efficiency that requires exceedingly small sacrifice from those with obscene political influence and concentrated wealth, and that exacts life-altering consequences from those of us with neither. Opinion: Married women could face new obstacles to vote. This is what conservatives want. We ought to call this what it so clearly is: a coordinated assault on the poor because of their poverty. Congress allocated the money. Hard-working families need the help. Instead, political sabotage by multi-billionaires in the federal executive branch and profit-maximizing imperatives of multi-billion-dollar investor-owned utility have cast literal darkness across our neighborhoods – conditions that, as study after study confirms, increase winter mortality, worsen respiratory illness, destabilize housing and break apart families. Abandonment and punishment rarely, if ever, generate wholeness or healing. When the former happen simultaneously, the odds shrink to zero that the latter can ever emerge peacefully. What arises in the organized absence of safety or care are the very social phenomena – poverty, eviction, homelessness and so-called lawlessness – that then justify the further marginalization and increased criminalization of those abandoned by the state and punished by private corporations. In Wisconsin, the state not only allows We Energies to punish the poor in this way, but it actively enables it through relaxed regulation, guaranteed profit structures and a Public Service Commission that has so far refused to enforce meaningful accountability in true service to the public. Opinion: Changes to Social Security would cost average Wisconsin resident $7,000 a year Energy insecurity doesn't just dim the lights – it shortens lifespans. And in We Energies' service territory, it compounds the racialized energy burden that already forces Black and brown households to pay a disproportionate share of their income to keep the heat on. Meanwhile, the very institutions tasked with ensuring public well-being continue to collapse around us. Last year, the Social Development Commission – once a vital anchor in the heart of Lindsay Heights – closed its doors. Whatever the stated reasons, the outcome remains the same: another critical site of support in a historically divested neighborhood disappeared, reinforcing a broader pattern of systemic retreat in the places that need the most investment. That same pattern plays out now, as federal agencies dissolve essential energy assistance programs under the guise of efficiency, while our Public Service Commission stalls on the very solution it already agreed was necessary. In 2022, the Commission directed We Energies to work with Walnut Way and other rate case intervenors to co-develop an alternative low-income assistance program in response to Wisconsin's affordability crisis and racialized disparities in energy burden. The community's clear demand: a Percentage of Income Payment Program that would cap energy bills at 2% of household income. Nearly two and a half years later, the need has only grown more urgent – yet the PSC has failed to act. As disconnections resume and federal help evaporates, that failure now puts thousands of lives at risk. Opinion: Wisconsin Republicans keep trotting out Milwaukee vote trope as built-in excuse As a society, we cannot normalize a government that abandons us under the myth that we've somehow been given too much, nor accept a utility that punishes us for not having enough. We cannot treat disconnection, displacement or death as the price of policy inertia. We must name what's happening, resist it and build something that reflects our values of dignity, justice and love. At Walnut Way, a community-based organization in its 25th year of supporting the residents of Lindsay Heights, we organize, invest and build. Our efforts, from installing solar panels and rain barrels to raising awareness about the energy burden and organizing for structural change, offer a roadmap for community-rooted infrastructure that meets energy needs, keeps people housed and creates local jobs. We're not waiting on a bailout. We're building the alternative. We must stop managing the fallout of abandonment and start confronting the systems that produce it. We don't need nonprofits to patch holes in a sinking ship – we need public institutions to be accountable to the people they were built to serve. And we need them to follow the lead of those already doing the work. The safety net didn't break. The state is cutting it, and the corporations are pulling the threads. And now the lives of our elders, our children and our communities hang in the balance. So yes – we mend. But we do more than repair what was never designed to hold us. We build something stronger, rooted in care, in justice, and in our refusal to abandon each other. Not just to survive the storm, but to weatherproof the future for all of us. Bryan Rogers is the Environmental Justice Director at Walnut Way and leads the Environmental Justice and Infrastructure Initiative, a statewide formation advancing energy justice and community-led solutions to environmental racism and systemic disinvestment. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Poor people will suffer from coordinated assault on poverty | Opinion
