Fighting against the Line 5 oil pipeline
In December, Clean Wisconsin and our partners challenged DNR permits that would allow Enbridge to clear trees, dig trenches, and fill wetlands to make way for a new 41-mile segment of its crude oil pipeline in northern Wisconsin. The Line 5 reroute threatens some of our state’s most treasured natural areas, including the Bad River watershed and Lake Superior. If the reroute is approved, it would destroy hundreds of acres of wetlands along its path.
Under state law, filing our petition stayed, or paused, the permits, meaning construction cannot move forward unless that stay is lifted by a judge. Enbridge sought to have the stay lifted, but at the end of February a judge agreed with Clean Wisconsin and our partners that construction must remain paused, saying “It is necessary to avoid the likelihood of significant adverse impacts to the environment should the permitted project and/or discharge be allowed to proceed during the pendency of this proceeding.”
This ruling continues to hold off Enbridge’s destructive plans, preventing the company from moving forward until the case is resolved. The fight is far from over, but this decision is a critical step toward protecting Wisconsin’s water, land, and communities from a disastrous pipeline expansion.
Opposing new gas plants:
Clean Wisconsin is also fighting against two new methane gas plants proposed by We Energies: a 128-megawatt gas plant in Kenosha County that would cost nearly $280 million, and a 1,100-megawatt gas plant in Milwaukee County that would cost $1.2 billion. These expensive, polluting projects would lock Wisconsin into fossil fuels for decades, burdening ratepayers with skyrocketing costs and dirty air while delivering huge profits to utility shareholders.
We Energies customers are still paying off the $2.3 billion Oak Creek “Power the Future” coal plant, the most expensive construction project in Wisconsin history. That project delivered a 12.5% rate of return for shareholders but left local communities with higher bills and polluted air. Now, We Energies wants to repeat history with another round of costly fossil fuel expansion.
Clean Wisconsin has intervened in these cases, presenting expert testimony that exposes We Energies failure to fully consider cleaner, cost-effective alternatives. Their justification for these gas plants rests on speculative load growth, driven by a single large customer with no contractual commitment to actually use the power.
Public opposition has been strong—thanks to dedicated Clean Wisconsin members who spoke at hearings and submitted comments. Our legal work will continue to protect Wisconsin families from higher energy costs, dirtier air, and an unsustainable energy future. We’re making it clear that Wisconsin communities don’t want more polluting fossil fuel infrastructure.
