Development News for Hartford, Wisconsin

Utility Committee Reviews Service Outages, Rate Comparisons, Financial Reports, and Approves Substation Equipment Purchase

The committee received updates on recent utility service interruptions, including power outages and a water main break, and discussed ongoing mutual aid efforts. Additionally, a comparison of Hartford Electric's rates against investor-owned utilities showed significant cost savings for customers due to public power ownership. The committee also reviewed the 2025 Public Service Commission annual report, focusing on the utility's financial status, debt, cash reserves, and rate of return for water and electric services. A discussion ensued regarding the potential need for electric rate adjustments due to the long interval since the last adjustment, and the process involved in such changes. Finally, the committee approved the purchase of high-voltage insulators for the Dodge substation as a proactive maintenance measure and accepted the 2025 wastewater treatment plant compliance annual report, which indicated full compliance across all nine reporting categories.