This morning, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin accepted Walnut Way Conservation Corp as an intervenor in Docket 5-UR-112 — We Energies' 2027–2028 rate case. Officially a party. Officially at the table. (Watch the proceeding.) This builds straight off our record. Walnut Way earned standing in 6630-TE-113 — the data center tariff case — and filed initial and reply briefs that helped the Commission reject the worst of We Energies' cost-shift in April 2026. That fight didn't end. It moved into this case. With Microsoft seated as a party. With $37.5 billion in capital build on the line — what We Energies itself has called the largest five-year plan in company history. With data center load driving nearly all of the projected demand growth. In that case, the Commission drew a clear line: data centers — not households — pay for the generation, capacity, and stranded-asset risk their load creates. This is the most important rate case in a generation for Wisconsin families. And it just got more important. The centerpiece: We Energies' own workforce put hardship on the record. The administrative law judge read this aloud, on the record, this morning. He was reading from the petition to intervene filed by Operating Engineers Local 420 — IUOE. These are We Energies employees. The men and women who actually build, run, and maintain the system the Commission is being asked to expand. Here is what their petition says — verbatim, as the judge read it from the bench: "The substantial interest of the union is that the decision that the Commission makes will have a direct effect on its members' wages, benefits, staffing levels, working conditions, and job security. And then the union also asserted that a majority of its members are customers of the utility." Stop and read it again. We Energies' own workforce just told the Public Service Commission, in writing, that this rate decision will hit them at home — not just on the job site. That the people who keep the lights on for southeastern Wisconsin pay the same residential bill that lands on every other kitchen table. That the affordability question hits them too. The judge then said this is not how unions typically participate in Wisconsin rate cases, and advised the union to remove the customer-representation language from the next filing unless they actually intended to argue rates from that posture. The union acknowledged the feedback. So we sit with the honest question. What does it mean when a sentence about household hardship — written by the workforce of the company asking for the rate increase — gets advised out of a petition? And is there truth to the hardship those words describe? The petition was not casual. Somebody inside that local cared enough to write it down and file it. That sentence reflects something real that members are feeling at home. Whether the union's formal posture in this case ends up speaking to it or not is a question for the local, in its own time, in its own way. We are not here to corner anybody. We are here to ask the question seriously and to leave room for the union to answer it — on its own terms, in its own voice, over the months ahead. Let those workers be heard. Their petition opened a door. Walnut Way will hold that door open. Watch and listen to the exchange. June 27 — the stage where Wisconsin hears the question In 24 days, on Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 10 AM to 12 PM at North Division High School in Milwaukee, Walnut Way is co-hosting the Community Accountability Forum — bringing 2026 Wisconsin governor candidates in front of 600 Milwaukee residents on the questions that decide our future: affordability, health equity, and historic underinvestment. Now we have one more question that didn't exist yesterday: "We Energies' own employees just told the Public Service Commission, on the record, that the company's rate increase will create hardship for their own families. The Commission is being asked to approve a $37.5 billion buildout driven by data center load — including a contract with Microsoft. As governor, what will you do to make sure Wisconsin households don't pay the bill for the data center boom?" That's the question. It connects the courtroom to the kitchen table. It connects the workforce inside the company to the neighborhood outside it. It connects this morning's PSC docket to the ballot box. The Critical Path: Docket Meets Ballot Date Milestone June 3, 2026 Walnut Way accepted as intervenor. Prehearing conference held. ✓ Coming weeks (TBD by PSC) Public comment window opens. Notice of Hearing will post the comment webpage and mailing address. Every Wisconsin family will be able to file directly, in their own name. Walnut Way's job is to make sure our neighbors know how, when, and where. August 10, 2026 Intervenor direct testimony filed (Walnut Way + others). August 11, 2026 Wisconsin gubernatorial primary. The field narrows. The next governor starts becoming real. August 28, 2026 Rebuttal testimony filed. September 11, 2026 Surrebuttal testimony filed. September 14, 2026 Testimony corrections and replacement exhibits filed. September 15, 2026 Party hearing begins (Zoom). September 16–17 reserved as spillover days. September 25, 2026 Initial briefs filed. October 2, 2026 Reply briefs filed. November 3, 2026 Wisconsin general election — governor on the ballot. The decision-maker who will inherit this case is elected. Late 2026 PSC final decision in 5-UR-112. January 2027 New We Energies rates take effect — same month the new governor takes office. Vote with Wisdom" Wisconsin Gubernatorial Forum Hosted by Wisconsin Ecojustice Base Builders (WEBB) June 27th Forum

The road to the statehouse runs through Milwaukee's north side. We've said that, and we mean it. The next governor of Wisconsin can't get elected without us. We're organizing on the north side because that's home, not because anyone else's home matters less. When this community moves, every community in Wisconsin moves with us. But here's the question we don't ask often enough: once we elect somebody, how do we make sure they actually do what they said they'd do for our neighborhoods? Votes are powerful. Promises are cheap. The work that turns one into the other is something the political world calls policy commitment — and it's a process most of us were never shown. Here's how it actually works. Step 1 — Ask the right questions, in writing, before the election. That's what the community scorecard does. Six issue areas, fifteen questions, sent to every candidate for governor. Questions written by Milwaukee, about Milwaukee: healthy homes, energy bills, public safety, economic dignity, education, voting rights. When a candidate fills out a scorecard, they go on record — and that record is public for the next four years. Step 2 — Make them say it out loud, in front of the people it affects. That's what June 27 is. Five candidates, one room, North Division High School, taking community questions live. The forum turns the scorecard from paper into voice. What's written can be revised. What's spoken into a microphone in front of the people it affects becomes a contract — and the room is the witness. Step 3 — Keep the receipts. After the election, we don't go to sleep. The scorecard becomes a tracker. Every commitment gets logged. When the next governor takes office, we check in. We publish updates. We organize around the promises that get kept and the ones that don't. Abra Fortson: What is the difference between civic engagement and civic responsibility? The scorecard goes live to the public June 10. The forum is June 27. Between now and November, every Milwaukee voter will have what every well-resourced lobbyist has had for decades — a paper trail of what every candidate promised to do for our community. This work is for everybody in Wisconsin who wants a better state — but it starts on Milwaukee's north side because that's where we stand, that's who we serve, and that's where the most organized power has the most ground to make up. When the neighborhoods that get counted last start counting themselves in, every neighborhood is better off. That's how influence becomes infrastructure. RSVP: walnutway.org *RSVP guarantees your seat. If you come without one, you're still welcome — we'll seat you as space allows. With or without voter ID — we decide.

Black families in Milwaukee spend up to 43% more of their income on energy than white families. That means less money for food, medicine, and rent — every single month. 85,000 Milwaukee residents live in neighborhoods where families spend over 6% of their income just on energy. The national average is about 3%. Our communities pay nearly double. As of today April 1, 2026, We Energies just filed to raise your electric bill — again. Here's what they're asking for: 4.7% increase in 2027 4.5% increase in 2028 That's 9.4% more than what you're paying right now If you're a typical household in Milwaukee, your electric bill is about $144 a month today. Under this proposal, it goes to $157 next year and $166 the year after. That's an extra $22 a month — a 15% jump from where you are right now. That's $264 more a year out of your household. For families already choosing between groceries and keeping the lights on, this is not a small number. And here's the part that should make you angry. We Energies is asking for a 9.9% return on equity — meaning they want guaranteed profits on top of what they're already making off your bill. They pulled back slightly from last time, but make no mistake: they are still asking Wisconsin families to fund some of the highest guaranteed profits in the country while wages in our neighborhoods haven't kept up. This is exactly why Walnut Way and WEBB do this work. We've been at the table at the Public Service Commission fighting rate increases, pushing for programs like LIFT that actually lower bills for working families, and demanding that the clean energy transition doesn't leave Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities behind. We've done it before and we're doing it again. But we need your voice in this fight. Every time a rate case gets filed, the PSC needs to hear from real people — not just utility lobbyists. Your experience matters. Your bill matters. Your vote matters. Right now, Wisconsin utilities are asking state regulators to approve over $16 billion in new power plants and data centers. Less than $500 million of that would go toward making energy more affordable for families who need it most. That is $16 billion for We Energies corporate infrastructure versus pennies for your neighborhood. Walnut Way and the WEBB have stepped into the state Public Service Commission rate cases to fight for the lower rates, and the LIFT program — the only bill assistance program that keeps low-income families connected to heat and electricity. We need the next governor to stand with us. Introducing The WEBB formerly EJII Wisconsin, a new initiative that expands our work in environmental justice, broadband, and clean energy across Wisconsin. Learn more and watch the conversation here

Standing up to a powerful utility like We Energies—the only major electric utility in the region—and Wisconsin’s largest philanthropic institution is an especially bold and risky move for Walnut Way. These entities hold considerable influence over public investments, policy decisions, and the flow of resources in Milwaukee and across the state.​ Challenging such dominant organizations can be dangerous for a community-based group. It risks future funding, stakeholder relationships, and the organization’s ability to participate in critical decision-making. Yet, Walnut Way’s willingness to challenge these giants reflects a commitment to genuine accountability and real community representation—actions that are rarely taken in a landscape as segregated and unequal as Wisconsin’s. Their stance is a necessary, courageous step to ensure that community voices are heard and that new projects truly serve local residents, even when facing serious institutional pressure. What’s happening: Major utilities are proposing new tariffs—complex energy pricing rules that could shape who pays for Wisconsin’s data center boom, how much, and what our communities get in return. Yet, without strong voices for equity at the table, these decisions risk leaving neighborhoods like ours behind. See Clean Economy Coalition A “tariff” is simply the set of rules that utilities use to decide how much everyone—families, businesses, and big companies—have to pay for electricity. Right now, utility companies and new data centers want the state to approve a plan to spend more than $16 billion building power plants and infrastructure just to supply these data centers, which could use more energy than all the homes in Wisconsin combined.​ Take a survey The problem? We energies wants regular people and small businesses to help foot the bill—by raising everyone’s rates—while the data centers and utilities profit. All this while making energy truly affordable for everyone in Wisconsin would cost less than $500 million. That means the resources exist to help families struggling with their bills, but the current plan puts corporate profits ahead of affordability and community needs. Why it matters: Tariffs have a direct impact on every household’s electric bill, the affordability of keeping the lights and heat on, and whether new money from tech giants will help or hurt frontline neighborhoods. Decisions made now will shape utility rates, infrastructure, and fairness for decades. Why Walnut Way intervened: Walnut Way is stepping up as an “intervenor” in the Public Service Commission (PSC) tariff docket—joining legal proceedings, submitting testimony, and fighting for our seat at the table. Intervenors have the power to cross-examine utility proposals, demand community benefits, and require utility transparency. If we don’t speak up, policies may be set that overlook equity, workforce development, local hiring, and bill assistance for those most in need. Across Wisconsin and the country, community benefits agreements (CBAs) are increasingly being implemented by tech companies, institutions, and utilities to ensure that major projects deliver tangible benefits for local residents—like workforce development, affordable access, and community investments. In Wisconsin, tech sector projects and utilities are beginning to include CBAs as part of new data centers and broadband infrastructure, promising collaboration with local organizations and direct investment in education, workforce, and housing.​ Elsewhere, tech giants such as Google and Microsoft have pioneered major CBAs tied to data centers and renewable energy projects. For example, Microsoft’s solar and data center agreements have included commitments for workforce training, supplier diversity, local hiring, educational partnerships, and millions in community funding. Google has also made similar investments in community infrastructure and broadband where it operates large technology campuses and data centers. These models are being adapted to Wisconsin’s landscape, offering new opportunities for local communities to shape the future benefits of tech and infrastructure development. What we’re fighting for: Community Benefits Agreements: Ensuring large energy users, like data centers, pay into funds that will support local renewable energy, weatherization, and job training. Ratepayer Protection: Making sure new utility infrastructure isn’t just a blank check that sticks residents with higher bills or stranded costs if data centers leave. Equity and Affordability: Advocating for targeted bill credits and affordability programs so low- and moderate-income families share in the benefits—not just the burdens—of these big energy deals. Transparency: Demanding that decisions about customer costs and utility profits are made in the open—not behind closed doors or via confidential deals with tech giants. How we do it: We join forces in coalitions with partners, attorneys, and advocates who share our commitment to justice and fairness. We submit direct testimony, participate in hearings, and file public comments. We push for settlement agreements that guarantee lasting benefits and system-wide improvements for all Milwaukeeans. The bottom line: By intervening, Walnut Way is ensuring that community voices are not only heard, but matter, in shaping Wisconsin’s clean energy transition and making sure the economic benefits reach those who need them most. Order Now

In Lindsay Heights, faith and innovation have come together to spark a new era of health and digital opportunity. Driven by a partnership between Walnut Way Conservation Corp, Marquette University, neighborhood residents, and leaders from local churches—including the active engagement of Pastor Teresa Thomas-Boyd organizing congregations—this study reveals how deep-rooted community trust can unlock lasting change.​ Study Findings Through wearable health monitoring devices and technology-centered health education, African American residents saw improved chronic disease management and better mental health outcomes. The effort was grounded in trusted faith spaces, with churches hosting learning sessions and empowering residents to track their health, ask questions, and receive culturally responsive support from leaders they know.​ The Team and Their Commitment Pastor Teresa Thomas-Boyd’s leadership, alongside Cassandra Flagg, Dr. Nilanjan Lodh, Dr. Aleksandra Snowden, Dr. Praveen Madiraju, Mr. Antonio Butts, Walnut Way staff, and dedicated church volunteers, was critical. Their patient, sustained involvement built bridges across faith, health, and technology—ensuring that digital tools served real neighborhood needs, not just abstract goals.​ Outgrowth: Digital Literacy and Affordable WiFi The faith community’s involvement illuminated a new need: digital literacy and access. By teaching residents to use technology for self-care in familiar, supportive church and neighborhood environments, and launching affordable WiFi, Walnut Way and its partners have begun closing the digital divide. Church events and trusted gatherings made learning accessible, while new connectivity now enables ongoing virtual support and broader opportunities for families.​ Emerging Initiatives With digital literacy growing and affordable WiFi reaching more homes, Lindsay Heights stands ready for the next generation of community health, education, and faith-based empowerment. This collaboration demonstrates that, when faith leaders, trusted nonprofits, academic partners, and residents unite, they not only solve today’s problems—they set a trajectory for future generations to thrive. See more on affordable wifi here: Resilient Resident Affordable WIFI Open Monday - Friday 10am - 2pm

May brings fresh momentum to Walnut Way as we nurture roots of change in the neighborhood. From garden prep to tech access and café innovations, we're planting seeds that uplift community resilience and equity. Catch up on recent wins, events you won’t want to miss, and how you can get involved in shaping a vibrant, thriving Lindsay Heights.

The challenge of digital literacy in today's information-rich world is indeed a complex and pressing issue, intertwined with broader literacy concerns that affect millions of Americans. At the national level, the statistics paint a sobering picture. Approximately 54% of U.S. adults read below a sixth-grade level, with 21% reading below a fifth-grade level. This translates to about 130 million adults who struggle with basic literacy tasks, such as reading a simple story to their children. The economic impact is staggering, with low literacy costing the U.S. economy up to $2.2 trillion annually. Zooming in on Wisconsin, the local data reflects these national trends. One in seven Wisconsin adults struggle with low literacy, while nearly one in four have only basic numeracy skills. This means about 1.5 million people in Wisconsin need help building literacy skills. The situation is particularly dire in Milwaukee County, where 25% of adults read at or below the lowest literacy level. The digital divide exacerbates these challenges. In an increasingly technology-driven world, digital literacy has become as crucial as traditional literacy. Yet, 16% of U.S. adults are not digitally literate, and 40% of adults who use computers at work have low digital problem-solving skills. This digital literacy gap creates additional barriers for those already struggling with basic literacy. For many individuals, the combination of low literacy and limited digital skills creates a daunting challenge. Navigating the vast sea of online information requires not just the ability to read, but also to critically evaluate sources, understand context, and effectively use digital tools. This can be overwhelming for those who struggle with basic reading comprehension. Walnut Way Conservation Corps in Milwaukee is working to address these interconnected issues. They recognize that improving both traditional and digital literacy is fundamental to community empowerment. Their approach includes providing computer skills workshops and internet access to bridge the digital divide, alongside traditional literacy programs. The consequences of low literacy and digital illiteracy ripple through all aspects of life. It affects employment opportunities, health outcomes, and even civic participation. In Wisconsin, the impact is particularly pronounced in the education system, where the state consistently shows the largest Black-white gap in reading performance for fourth and eighth graders nationwide. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach. It's not just about teaching people to read, but also equipping them with the digital skills necessary to navigate our increasingly online world. This includes understanding how to access and evaluate information, use digital tools effectively, and participate in online communities safely and productively. The path forward involves community-based initiatives, policy changes, and a recognition that literacy in the 21st century encompasses both traditional reading skills and digital competencies. By addressing both aspects simultaneously, we can hope to bridge the gap and create more equitable opportunities for all. https://www.walnutway.org/

Walnut Way Conservation Corp, has become a champion for energy affordability in Milwaukee. Their commitment to addressing economic disparities and housing inequities has led them to push back against proposed rate increases by WE Energies. WE Energies sought to raise gas and electric rates for residents in Milwaukee, a move that Walnut Way saw as a failure of That would disproportionately impact low-income households' ability to afford their monthly utility bill. Walnut Way believes in the power of communities to drive their own change and felt that this increase would further burden the community they serve. In response, Walnut Way became involved in the rate case, reflecting its 20-year history of working to improve and support the community. This advocacy work resulted in the preservation of the LIFT Program by WE Energies, a significant victory for energy affordability in Wisconsin. Walnut Way's efforts illustrate the importance of community-led initiatives in the face of systemic challenges. Their work continues to impact all of Milwaukee, ensuring that all residents have access to affordable energy. The future of WE Energies' LIFT program, a pivotal initiative for forgiving low-income customer arrears, was recently under scrutiny by the Public Service Commission (PSC). The possibility of discontinuation loomed large. However, thanks to the concerted advocacy efforts by community organizations like Walnut Way, the program has been preserved and will continue to provide essential support through winter 2024. Advocacy in Action Walnut Way's intervention was instrumental in influencing the PSC's decision to keep the LIFT program operational. Their advocacy ensured this critical service, which helps customers clear outstanding balances, will persist. The LIFT program will now act as a companion to the forthcoming Percentage of Income Payment Program, a docket that is still active in proceedings. Walnut Way remains at the helm of these endeavors, representing the community's voice effectively. This effort included partners like Metcalf Park Community Bridges, Citizens Utility Board Sierra Club and Citizen Action Wisconsin, led by community organizer, Keviea Guiden and their grassroots initiative to address energy burden, "Fight for our Lights." Detailed Overview of the LIFT Program The LIFT program by WE Energies is a vital resource for customers burdened with significant overdue bills. It allows eligible individuals to eliminate their arrears, thereby preventing potential service disconnections and easing financial stress. In addition to the continuance of the LIFT program, the PSC has also directed WE Energies to lower the current $600 reconnection fee. The revised amount will be determined in the spring following discussions with PSC staff. Despite Walnut Way's proposal to lower the eligibility threshold for the LIFT program from $300 to $120, the PSC decided to retain the original threshold. However, they have allowed for discretionary reductions on a case-by-case basis. Looking Ahead As we approach 2024, Walnut Way plans to engage directly with the Commissioners post the appeal period for this decision. Advocacy for low-income customers will remain a priority, with a strong emphasis on aligning actions with declared intentions. Walnut Way will continue to leverage the data and opportunities provided by the community to justify the need for this support. The preservation of the LIFT program is a testament to the impact of community engagement and advocacy. Walnut Way will continue to lead these efforts, ensuring that vital programs like LIFT remain accessible to those who need them most. Upcoming Events and Opportunities