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PSC approves Menasha Utilities Project Share tariff to formalize customer donation program
Summary
The commission approved Menasha Utilities’ Project Share tariff, which formalizes a voluntary bill‑donation program that routes customer donations to the nonprofit Lehi to help customers facing disconnection, and directed no additional reporting beyond standard record retention requirements.
Madison — The Public Service Commission on June 12 approved Menasha Utilities’ Project Share tariff, formalizing a voluntary bill‑line donation program that directs customer donations to a nonprofit to help neighbors avoid disconnection or restore service.
Commissioner Christian Nieto summarized the program as a long‑running, voluntary donation pathway run by Menasha that on average helps roughly 60 customers a year. The donations are collected on customer bills and administered by Lehi, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides funds to customers facing disconnection, according to the application materials discussed at the meeting.
Staff identified the Project Share program during a billing audit and recommended the utility file a tariff schedule and an MOU with Lehi so the program’s parameters are transparent and available in the utility’s filed rules. Nieto told commissioners the tariff is intended to ensure that donations are handled consistently, that there is an MOU in place for accountability and returns if funds must be returned, and that the commission has sufficient filed information to investigate any future complaints related to disconnection or discrimination.
The commission reviewed Menasha’s draft tariff and the utility’s responses to data requests and concluded the tariff and MOU provide adequate protections for donating customers and for customers who are subject to disconnection. “This is a voluntary program,” Nieto said, and she noted the utility’s practice of asking applicants about other assistance options but not requiring LIHEAP enrollment for donation eligibility. Commissioners said the tariff sheet is “robust” for a below‑the‑line voluntary program and that separate reporting requirements were unnecessary because the utility will retain accounting records under the uniform system of accounts and record‑retention schedules.
The commission voted to approve the Project Share tariff as filed by Menasha Utilities and to require the utility to maintain the MOU and related records; commissioners did not add a separate periodic reporting requirement. The motion passed on a voice vote with commissioners indicating their support.
Menasha’s general utility manager worked with staff to produce the tariff and MOU; staff will retain authority to request records if a complaint arises or if the commission requires information in a future proceeding.
