A bill recently introduced in the state Legislature would give the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin greater control over utility plans for future construction projects.

Under the proposal, electric utilities and cooperatives would have to seek approval from state regulators for two-year construction plans for large-scale electric generating facilities, small generating sites and transmission lines. The Public Service Commission, or PSC, typically approves most utility construction projects individually, rather than looking at integrated resource and reliability plans biennially.

The bill would also give the PSC the authority to require utilities to use a financing mechanism to reduce the impact on consumer electricity rates when coal plants shut down.