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SB556 • 2025

providing utility aid payments for certain energy storage facilities

providing utility aid payments for certain energy storage facilities

Energy
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Senators James, Feyen, Marklein, Spreitzer and Wanggaard, cosponsored by Representatives Rodriguez, Dittrich, Brooks, Fitzgerald, Kaufert, Kreibich, Tittl and Udell
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
S - Enacted into law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

providing utility aid payments for certain energy storage facilities

providing utility aid payments for certain energy storage facilities Status: S - Enacted into law

What This Bill Does

  • providing utility aid payments for certain energy storage facilities Status: S - Enacted into law

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Sen.

    Report approved by the Governor on 4-2-2026. 2025 Wisconsin Act 163

  2. 2026-04-06 Sen.

    Published 4-3-2026

  3. 2026-04-02 Sen.

    Presented to the Governor on 4-2-2026

  4. 2026-02-20 Sen.

    LRB correction ( Senate Amendment 1 )

  5. 2026-02-20 Sen.

    Report correctly enrolled

  6. 2026-02-13 Sen.

    Received from Assembly concurred in

  7. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Received from Senate

  8. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Read

  9. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Rules suspended to withdraw from Senate message and take up

  10. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Read a second time

  11. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Ordered to a third reading

  12. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Rules suspended

  13. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Read a third time and concurred in

  14. 2026-02-12 Asm.

    Ordered immediately messaged

  15. 2026-02-11 Sen.

    Senator Smith added as a coauthor

  16. 2026-02-11 Sen.

    Read a second time

  17. 2026-02-11 Sen.

    Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  18. 2026-02-11 Sen.

    Ordered to a third reading

  19. 2026-02-11 Sen.

    Rules suspended to give bill its third reading

  20. 2026-02-11 Sen.

    Read a third time and passed

  21. 2026-02-11 Sen.

    Ordered immediately messaged

  22. 2026-02-09 Sen.

    Placed on calendar 2-11-2026 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  23. 2026-02-09 Sen.

    Representative J. Jacobson added as a cosponsor

  24. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Executive action taken

  25. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Report adoption of Senate Amendment 1 recommended by Joint Committee on Finance , Ayes 15, Noes 0

  26. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Report passage as amended recommended by Joint Committee on Finance , Ayes 15, Noes 0

  27. 2026-02-03 Sen.

    Available for scheduling

  28. 2026-01-29 Sen.

    LRB correction

  29. 2026-01-29 Sen.

    Withdrawn from committee on Senate Organization and rereferred to joint committee on Finance pursuant to Senate Rule 46(2)(c)

  30. 2026-01-28 Sen.

    Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator James

  31. 2026-01-23 Sen.

    Representative Doyle added as a cosponsor

  32. 2026-01-14 Sen.

    Report passage recommended by Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism , Ayes 5, Noes 0

  33. 2026-01-14 Sen.

    Available for scheduling

  34. 2026-01-13 Sen.

    Executive action taken

  35. 2025-12-18 Sen.

    Public hearing held

  36. 2025-12-01 Sen.

    Representative McCarville added as a cosponsor

  37. 2025-11-24 Sen.

    Representative Subeck added as a cosponsor

  38. 2025-11-14 Sen.

    Senator Ratcliff added as a coauthor

  39. 2025-11-06 Sen.

    Representative Sheehan added as a cosponsor

  40. 2025-11-03 Sen.

    Fiscal estimate received

  41. 2025-10-28 Sen.

    Representative Maxey added as a cosponsor

  42. 2025-10-20 Sen.

    Representative Anderson added as a cosponsor

  43. 2025-10-17 Sen.

    Introduced by Senators James , Feyen , Marklein , Spreitzer and Wanggaard ; cosponsored by Representatives Rodriguez , Dittrich , Brooks , Fitzgerald , Kaufert , Kreibich , Tittl and Udell

  44. 2025-10-17 Sen.

    Read first time and referred to Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism

Official Summary Text

providing utility aid payments for certain energy storage facilities
Status: S - Enacted into law

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Wisconsin Legislature: SB556: Bill Text

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SB556: Bill Text

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2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE
LRB-5007/1
KP:wlj&skw
2025 SENATE BILL 556
October 17, 2025 - Introduced by Senators
James
,
Feyen
,
Marklein
,
Spreitzer
and
Wanggaard
, cosponsored by Representatives
Rodriguez
,
Dittrich
,
Brooks
,
Fitzgerald
,
Kaufert
,
Kreibich
,
Tittl
and
Udell
. Referred to Committee on Utilities, Technology and Tourism.
SB556,1,4
1
An Act

to amend
79.04 (4) (a), 79.04 (4) (b), 79.04 (8) (intro.), 79.04 (8) (a) and
2
79.04 (8) (b);
to create
79.005 (1j), 79.005 (1L) and 79.04 (7m) of the statutes;
3
relating to:
providing utility aid payments for certain energy storage
4
facilities.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill provides utility aid payments to counties and municipalities where energy storage facilities are located. Under the bill, the Department of Administration distributes to each city and village in which an energy storage facility is located two-thirds of the amount calculated by multiplying the facility’s megawatt capacity by $2,000, and DOA distributes to the county in which such a facility is located one-third of the amount calculated by multiplying the facility’s megawatt capacity by $2,000. DOA distributes to each town in which an energy storage facility is located one-third of the amount calculated by multiplying the facility’s megawatt capacity by $2,000, and DOA distributes to the county in which such a facility is located two-thirds of the amount calculated by multiplying the facility’s megawatt capacity by $2,000.
The bill defines an “energy storage facility” as property owned by a light, heat, and power company, electric cooperative, or municipal electric company that receives electrical energy, stores the energy in a different form, and converts that other form of energy back to electrical energy for sale or to use to provide reliability or economic benefits to the electric grid. Under the bill, “energy storage facility” includes hydroelectric pumped storage, compressed air energy storage, regenerative fuel cells, batteries, and similar technologies.
The bill also provides utility aid payments to counties and municipalities where liquefied natural gas storage facilities (LNG storage facilities) are located. The payment received by a city or village where an LNG storage facility is located is determined by multiplying the net book value of the LNG storage facility by six mills and by three mills in the case of a town. The payment received by a county where an LNG storage facility is located is determined by multiplying the net book value of the LNG storage facility by three mills if the facility is located in a city or village and by six mills if the facility is located in a town.
For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
SB556,1
1
Section
1
.
79.005 (1j) of the statutes is created to read:
SB556,2,3
2
79.005
(1j)
(a) “Energy storage facility” means property to which all of the
3
following apply:
SB556,2,4
4
1. The property is interconnected to the electrical grid.
SB556,2,7
5
2. The property is designed to receive electrical energy, to store the electrical
6
energy as another form of energy, and to convert that other form back into electrical
7
energy.
SB556,2,10
8
3. The property delivers the electrical energy converted from some other form,
9
as described in subd. 2., for sale or to use for providing reliability or economic
10
benefits to the electrical grid.
SB556,3,2
11
4. The property is owned by a light, heat, and power company assessed under
12
s. 76.28 (2) or 76.29 (2), not including property described in s. 66.0813 unless the
13
property is owned or operated by a local governmental unit located outside the
1
municipality, or by an electric cooperative assessed under ss. 76.07 and 76.48,
2
respectively, or by a municipal electric company under s. 66.0825.
SB556,3,7
3
(b) “Energy storage facility” includes hydroelectric pumped storage,
4
compressed air energy storage, regenerative fuel cells, batteries, superconducting
5
magnetic energy storage, flywheels, thermal energy storage systems, and hydrogen
6
storage, or a combination thereof, or any other similar technologies as determined
7
by the federal energy regulatory commission.
SB556,2
8
Section

2
.
79.005 (1L) of the statutes is created to read:
SB556,3,14
9
79.005
(1L)
“Liquefied natural gas storage facility” means a liquefied natural
10
gas storage facility owned by a light, heat, and power company assessed under s.
11
76.28 (2) or 76.29 (2), not including property described in s. 66.0813, unless the
12
property is owned or operated by a local governmental unit located outside the
13
municipality, by an electric cooperative assessed under ss. 76.07 and 76.48,
14
respectively, or by a municipal electric company under s. 66.0825.
SB556,3
15
Section

3
.
79.04 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,3,22
16
79.04
(4)
(a) Annually, in addition to the amounts distributed under subs. (1),
17
(5), (6),
and
(7),
and (7m),
the department of administration shall distribute
18
$50,000 to a municipality if spent nuclear fuel is stored within the municipality on
19
December 31 of the preceding year. If a spent nuclear fuel storage facility is located
20
within one mile of a municipality, that municipality shall receive $10,000 annually
21
and the municipality where that storage facility is located shall receive $40,000
22
annually.
SB556,4
23
Section

4
.
79.04 (4) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,4,7
24
79.04
(4)
(b) Annually, in addition to the amounts distributed under subs. (2),
1
(5), (6),
and
(7),
and (7m),
the department of administration shall distribute
2
$50,000 to a county if spent nuclear fuel is stored within the county on December 31
3
of the preceding year. If a spent nuclear fuel storage facility is located at a
4
production plant located in more than one county, the payment shall be apportioned
5
according to the formula under sub. (1) (c) 2., except that the formula, as it applies
6
to municipalities in that subdivision, applies to counties in this paragraph. The
7
payment under this paragraph may not be less than $10,000 annually.
SB556,5
8
Section
5
.
79.04 (7m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB556,4,21
9
79.04
(7m)
(a) Annually, the department of administration, upon certification
10
by the department of revenue, shall distribute a payment from the public utility
11
account to each municipality and county in which an energy storage facility with a
12
name-plate capacity of at least one megawatt is located. If the energy storage
13
facility is located in a city or village, the city or village receives a payment equal to
14
two-thirds of the product of the facility’s name-plate capacity multiplied by $2,000,
15
and the county in which the energy storage facility is located receives a payment
16
equal to one-third of the product of the facility’s name-plate capacity multiplied by
17
$2,000. If the energy storage facility is located in a town, the town receives a
18
payment equal to one-third of the product of the facility’s name-plate capacity
19
multiplied by $2,000, and the county in which the energy storage facility is located
20
receives a payment equal to two-thirds of the product of the facility’s name-plate
21
capacity multiplied by $2,000.
SB556,5,13
22
(b) Annually, the department of administration, upon certification by the
23
department of revenue, shall distribute a payment from the public utility account to
24
each municipality and county in which a liquefied natural gas storage facility is
1
located. If the liquefied natural gas storage facility is located in a city or village, the
2
city or village receives a payment equal to 6 mills multiplied by the net book value
3
of all liquefied natural gas storage facility property within the city or village, as
4
determined by the department of revenue, on December 31 of the preceding year,
5
and the county in which the liquefied natural gas storage facility is located receives
6
a payment equal to 3 mills multiplied by the same net book value of the liquefied
7
natural gas storage facility property. If the liquefied natural gas storage facility is
8
located in a town, the town receives a payment equal to 3 mills multiplied by the net
9
book value of all liquefied natural gas storage facility property within the town, as
10
determined by the department of revenue, on December 31 of the preceding year,
11
and the county in which the liquefied natural gas storage facility is located receives
12
a payment equal to 6 mills multiplied by the same net book value of the liquefied
13
natural gas storage facility property.
SB556,6
14
Section

6
.
79.04 (8) (intro.) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,5,20
15
79.04
(8)
(intro.) All of the following apply to the payments for property of a
16
production plant
, energy storage facility, or liquefied natural gas storage facility

17
that includes multiple power generation
or storage
units, except that this
18
subsection applies only if the production plant’s
, energy storage facility’s, or
19
liquefied natural gas storage facility’s
first power generation
or storage
unit
20
permanently ceases generating electricity after March 23, 2024:
SB556,7
21
Section

7
.
79.04 (8) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,6,4
22
79.04
(8)
(a) No payment received by a municipality or county under sub. (1),
23
(2), (6),
or
(7)
, or (7m)
shall be reduced on the basis that one or more, but not all, of
24
the power generation
or storage
units permanently cease generating electricity
or
1
storing energy or natural gas
, and the amount of the payment shall be the amount
2
that the municipality or county received in the year before the year in which the
3
first power generation
or storage
unit permanently ceased generating electricity
or
4
storing energy or natural gas
.
SB556,8
5
Section

8
.
79.04 (8) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB556,6,12
6
79.04
(8)
(b) The payments under sub. (5) (a) or (b) shall not be made until the
7
production plant
, energy storage facility, or liquefied natural gas storage facility
is
8
decommissioned, and then the payments shall be determined on the basis of the
9
amount of the payment received by the municipality or county under sub. (1), (2),
10
(6),
or
(7)
, or (7m)
in the year before the year in which the first power generation
or
11
storage
unit permanently ceased generating electricity
or storing energy or natural
12
gas
.
SB556,9
13
Section

9
. Initial applicability.
SB556,6,14
14
(
1
)

This act first applies to distributions made after January 1, 2027.
SB556,6,15
15
(end)

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