Wisconsin Assembly Bill AB1203

Wisconsin 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/19/26
• Refer: 3/19/26
• Failed: 3/23/26

Caption

An Act to repeal 196.378 (1) (h), 196.378 (2) (d) 2. and 196.378 (2) (d) 3.; to renumber 196.378 (5) (a), 196.378 (5) (b) and 196.378 (5) (c); to renumber and amend 196.378 (1) (fg), 196.378 (1) (fm) (intro.), 196.378 (1) (fm) 1., 196.378 (1) (fm) 2., 196.378 (1) (fr), 196.378 (1) (g), 196.378 (1) (i) and 196.378 (5) (intro.); to consolidate, renumber and amend 196.378 (2) (d) (intro.) and 1.; to amend 16.75 (12) (a) 3., 16.75 (12) (a) 4., 16.75 (12) (b) 1., 16.75 (12) (b) 2., 16.75 (12) (c) 2., 16.75 (12) (d), 66.0627 (1) (bk) 2., 70.111 (18), 79.005 (1b), 79.005 (4) (d), 196.025 (1) (c) (title), 196.025 (1) (c) 1., 196.025 (1) (c) 2., 196.027 (1) (f), 196.027 (3) (b), 196.378 (title), 196.378 (1) (am), 196.378 (1) (ar), 196.378 (1) (o) (intro.), 196.378 (1) (o) 1., 196.378 (1) (o) 2., 196.378 (2) (title), 196.378 (2) (a) 1., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. a., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. b., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. c., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. d., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. e., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. f., 196.378 (2) (b) 5., 196.378 (2) (bm), 196.378 (2) (c), 196.378 (2) (e) (intro.), 196.378 (2) (e) 2., 196.378 (2) (e) 3., 196.378 (2) (e) 4., 196.378 (3) (title), 196.378 (3) (a) 1., 196.378 (3) (a) 1m., 196.378 (3) (a) 2., 196.378 (3) (c), 196.378 (4), 196.378 (4m) (a), 196.378 (4m) (b), 196.378 (4r), 196.491 (3) (d) 3., 196.491 (3) (d) 4., 238.15 (1) (g) and 285.48 (4) (a); to create 1.12 (3) (d), 15.105 (35), 16.75 (12) (b) 3., 16.75 (12) (b) 4., 16.75 (12) (b) 5., 16.75 (12) (b) 6., 16.75 (12) (b) 7., 16.951, 20.155 (1) (a), 106.135, 196.025 (1) (cm), 196.027 (1) (d) 3., 196.027 (3) (c), 196.378 (1) (ax), 196.378 (1) (e), 196.378 (1) (em), 196.378 (1) (n), 196.378 (1) (ng), 196.378 (1) (nr), 196.378 (2) (a) 2. g., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. h., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. i., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. j., 196.378 (2) (a) 2. k., 196.378 (2) (b) 6., 196.378 (2m), 196.378 (3) (a) 3., 196.378 (4c), 196.378 (5) (bm), 196.49 (4m), 196.491 (3) (d) 9., 196.491 (3) (d) 10., 196.491 (3) (d) 11., 196.491 (3) (d) 12., 196.491 (3) (d) 13., 196.491 (3) (d) 14. and 196.491 (3) (em) of the statutes; Relating to: net zero emissions, carbon-free and renewable energy standards, and creating an office of sustainability and clean energy, granting rule-making authority, making an appropriation, and providing a penalty. (FE)

Summary

AB1203 would establish a statewide net-zero emissions policy for Wisconsin by 2050 and create a new Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy within the Department of Administration. The office would be directed to develop and periodically update an economy-wide decarbonization roadmap using sector-based modeling and, where appropriate, the state’s 2022 clean energy plan. The bill replaces the current renewable energy framework with new carbon-free and specified renewable energy standards for electric providers and certain state agencies. It sets escalating carbon-free electricity targets of 50% by 2030, 65% by 2035, 80% by 2040, 90% by 2045, and 100% by 2050, along with separate specified renewable energy targets of 20% by 2030, 40% by 2035, and 60% by 2040 and thereafter. Electric providers would have to file transition plans with the Public Service Commission (PSC) showing how they will meet these standards, including planned facility additions and retirements, and PSC approval would be tied to cost-effectiveness, reliability, and compliance with the new targets.

Impact

The bill would substantially revise Wisconsin statutes governing renewable energy, utility regulation, and siting approvals by replacing many references to “renewable” resources with “carbon-free” resources and adding new compliance, reporting, and enforcement requirements. It would also change PSC review of certificates of public convenience and necessity and certificates of authority so that new utility projects cannot undermine compliance with the bill’s carbon-free and specified renewable energy mandates, while also adding labor-related conditions such as prevailing wage and apprentice utilization requirements for certain large energy projects. In addition, the bill creates new reporting, credit-tracking, forfeiture, and transition-plan provisions, and appropriates funds for PSC staffing to implement the new framework.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears strongly aligned with climate-policy and clean-energy goals, with a broad coalition of Democratic legislators listed as authors and cosponsors. The bill’s structure suggests a policy preference for aggressive decarbonization, utility planning, and public oversight of the energy transition. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee sentiment beyond the bill’s sponsorship and the policy direction reflected in the text.

Contention

The most likely points of contention are the bill’s mandatory long-term emissions and electricity targets, the extent of PSC authority over utility planning and siting, and the potential cost impacts on ratepayers. The bill explicitly requires PSC to consider affordability and cost-effectiveness, but it also allows the commission to prioritize greenhouse-gas reductions and to impose forfeitures for noncompliance, which may concern utilities and ratepayer advocates. Additional likely areas of dispute include the labor provisions for prevailing wage, apprentice utilization, and local hiring on large generating facilities, as well as the bill’s treatment of nuclear power, transmission constraints, and the retirement of existing generating assets.