Bishop, Brooks advocate for Waupun residents on job creation, keeping electricity affordable
WASHINGTON D.C. — Mayor Rohn Bishop of Waupun, along with Steve Brooks, Waupun Utilities General Manager, traveled to the nation’s capital to speak with legislators about their community's locally owned utility. They advocated on behalf of their customers during the American Public Power Association's 2025 Legislative Rally.
The annual event took place Feb. 24-26 in Washington D.C.
“Getting the chance to sit down and discuss the cost cutting topics that matter to our residents with law makers is a great opportunity,” said Brooks. “Spending time talking over policies that affect local job creation and maintaining affordable and reliable electricity was beneficial for both us and our legislators.”
Bishop and Brooks met personally with Wisconsin Senators Tammy Baldwin (D), Ron Johnson (R) and Representative Glenn Grothman.
“By meeting with our legislators, we can help ensure national policymakers keep public power customers’ bottom line in mind when they’re making proposals,” said Joseph Owen, director of government affairs for WPPI Energy. “Their choices have consequences in our local communities, so it is important to present our views. We are fortunate to have a congressional delegation that is receptive to issues affecting communities with locally owned, not-for-profit utilities and works to help however they can.”
Bishop and Brooks spoke with senators and representatives about the critical role tax exempt bonds play in financing utility infrastructure in Waupun, ensuring city owned utilities have access to the same cost saving mechanisms that for-profit utilities use, streamlining the regulatory backlog on building critical grid infrastructure and ensuring that tariffs on raw materials don’t exacerbate supply chain constraints on distribution transformers.
