The Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin is hosting an educational webinar on Wednesday Oct. 1st, 2025 designed to help Wisconsin small business utility customers save money. In this webinar we will be going back to the basics and energy management 101, highlighting that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. This session will also include an overview of how Wisconsin utilities work, and ways for businesses to get more involved in the process of setting rates. If you are not sure where to begin, this session will highlight the Sustainable Business Council's Green Masters Program as a comprehensive framework for small businesses to achieve sustainability goals, with a focus on energy and GHG management. The session will also highlight resources from the U.S. Green Building Council for creating sustainable built environments, including actionable steps for reducing energy use in buildings. The session will also showcase practical examples of actions that WI businesses have take to both save money and address their energy burdens.
Charles Hua is the Founder and Executive Director of PowerLines
Charles Hua is the Founder and Executive Director of PowerLines, a nonprofit seeking to modernize the utility regulatory system to lower utility bills and grow the economy. Previously, Hua has served as Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy and Researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Hua's work has been featured in outlets such as The New York Times, TIME, CBS News, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Politico, and he has been recognized for this work as a U.S. Presidential Scholar, as an Aspen Institute Fellow, and as an Energy News Network 40 Under 40 honoree. Hua holds an A.B. from Harvard College.
Tom joined the Citizens Utility Board in 2017 after working for more than 30 years as a journalist. He became interested in energy and what it costs households while sitting in the back seat, waiting for what seemed like forever, during the gas lines of the ‘70s. After graduating from Boston University’s College of Communication Tom worked at newspapers in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania before moving to Wisconsin. He reported on utilities and worked as business editor at the Green Bay-Press Gazette in the 1990s and then moved to Milwaukee, where he covered energy, utilities and sustainable business for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His reporting on energy and climate change won the National Press Club’s Stokes Award for Energy Writing in 2007. Tom and his family live in Glendale.
So many reasons. As a journalist I always wrote about energy with consumers in mind, focusing on what they care about most. This fueled my desire to lead and reinvigorate CUB in a time of dramatic change in the energy world. Technological change in other parts of the economy is happening with energy, too, which makes it an exciting yet unsettling time. What thrills me about leading CUB is that we are giving consumers, from homeowners to apartment dwellers to small businesses, a voice in ensuring that policies and changes in the utility sector put customers first.
From a big picture perspective, why is CUB important to the state of Wisconsin?
Having an independent consumer voice is critical for Wisconsin’s system of regulating utilities to work effectively. Wisconsin was a pioneer in utility regulation as the first state in the nation to create a Public Service Commission (PSC) to regulate utilities, and the first state in the nation to create a Citizens Utility Board to ensure that the voice of the people is heard when the PSC regulates utilities.
CUB’s important for another critical reason, and that’s how unique our small non-profit organization is. Forty-four states use a state government agency like the Attorney General’s office or the Office of People’s Counsel to advocate on behalf of homeowners and renters in utility cases. And some of those states, including neighboring states Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota, have multiple advocates, including a non-profit group like CUB plus a state government agency! But Wisconsin is just one of two states, along with Oregon, that relies on CUB alone to do this essential work. That’s why our role as Your Independent Consumer Voice is so critical to making utility service fair, safe, reliable and affordable for us all.
Korinne Haeffel, Director, U.S. Market Transformation and Development - U.S. Green Building Council
Korinne Haeffel is a dedicated advocate for sustainable building practices, serving as a Director within USGBC’s Market Transformation and Development team. With a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and over 20 years of experience in the building industry, Korinne brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her role.
A LEED Accredited Professional and CSI Construction Document Technologist (CDT), Korinne is deeply committed to promoting sustainability in the built environment. She plays a pivotal role in driving USGBC’s local engagement efforts, developing major initiatives, and fostering meaningful relationships with partners, members, event sponsors, volunteers, and allied organizations.
Korinne focuses on expanding opportunities and supporting existing collaborations. As USGBC’s local spokesperson, she champions green building, inspiring others to join the movement toward a sustainable future.
Jessy Servi Ortiz, Executive Director - Sustainable Business Council
Jessy Servi Ortiz is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the integration of sustainability into business operations. Under her leadership, SBC supports businesses of all sizes through membership, education, the Green Masters Program™, consulting services, and an active community of sustainability leaders.
Jessy’s background spans sustainability management, regenerative agriculture, systems design, and business strategy. She has extensive experience developing and managing corporate sustainability programs, including strategic planning, employee engagement, performance tracking, and cross-functional collaboration.
Jessy is the co-founder and co-chair of Women in Sustainability (WIS), a statewide network in WIsconsin that empowers professional women to advance environmental and social sustainability. She also serves as an advisor to the UW Sustainable Management Program through UW Extended Campus.
Jessy’s work has earned numerous honors and awards for her leadership and contributions to the sustainability field. She previously served as Sustainability Manager at Outpost Natural Foods in Milwaukee and holds an MBA in Sustainable Business Management (2013). She is also certified in Permaculture and Regenerative Design and is a Certified Professional Coach
