Chippewa Valley Residents Discuss Energy, Healthcare Concerns

Chippewa Valley residents gathered to discuss the future of climate and healthcare action in Wisconsin last week.

The event at the Menomonie Market Food Co-op in Eau Claire on Wednesday sought to highlight some of the negative impacts of the Big Beautiful Bill, specifically its effect on energy costs and healthcare affordability.

Quinn Rowe, Western Organizer for the group Wisconsin Conservation Voters, shared a presentation regarding energy prices in the state. He noted that Wisconsin’s energy demands are unique compared to other midwest states due to the amount of energy the state actually generates itself, as well as the energy needs of increasingly common data center proposals.

“Wisconsin’s energy prices increase have exceeded the midwestern average for the last 20 years,” he said. “And we’re seeing a lot more demand for energy, which will obviously raise the prices. With, you know, we see data center proposals across the state, continued manufacturing and electrification are all going to increase this demand for electricity. And it also makes it a very sticky situation too because Wisconsin, unlike a lot of other midwestern states, imports energy instead of exports energy. We import about 15 percent of our electricity from out of state sources or Canada.”

Eau Claire City Council President Jeremy Gragert, speaking in his capacity as an organizer with Citizen Action of Wisconsin, also highlighted the healthcare affordability crisis in the region during the presentation. The organization has proposed the creation of a public option for BadgerCare, increasing the income threshold required to qualify as well as allowing anyone to buy into the program.

“Right now you have to be below 100 percent of the poverty line to have access to BadgerCare and this would, the public option, would bring that up to 200 percent for people to have full access,” he said. “It would also allow people to buy into it on a sliding scale based on their income above 200 percent. And then it would also allow small businesses and nonprofits to create group plans through the BadgerCare public option.”

Following the presentation Chippewa Valley residents shared their own experiences with rising healthcare and energy costs over recent years, as well as what policy changes they would like to see in the future.