More information: Michael Vickerman, Executive Director, RENEW Wisconsin (608) 255-4044
By a 32-1 vote the Senate today passed SB459, a bill that would protect energy conservation dollars from budget raids and expand the presence of home-grown renewable energy in the state’s energy mix. Authored by Sen. Robert Cowles with considerable input from Rep. Phil Montgomery, the bill is a bipartisan effort to place Wisconsin’s energy future on a more secure and sustainable footing.
“The message behind the Senate’s lopsided approval of SB 459 is clear: the best way to get our energy house in order is to invest in those technologies and resources that reduce Wisconsin’s dependence on increasingly insecure supplies of imported fuels,” said RENEW Wisconsin Executive Director Michael Vickerman.
“This is a bill that reaffirms Wisconsin’s traditional leadership in energy efficiency and conservation, and expands the contribution of native energy resources like solar, wind, small hydro and biogas to our energy future,” Vickerman said.
Vickerman praised Sen. Cowles, who chairs the Senate Energy and Utilities Committee, for his leadership in crafting a measure that is supported by farmers, industry, environmental and consumer groups, utilities and labor. “Working the kinks out of these very challenging and complex issues took a great deal of deliberation and dedication,” Vickerman said. “But Sen. Cowles and his staff proved equal to the task, as demonstrated by the overwhelmingly positive Senate vote.”
The bill moves to the Assembly where it will be taken up first by the Energy and Utilities Committee, chaired by Rep. Montgomery, who has been a key participant in crafting of this legislation.
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RENEW Wisconsin is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that acts as a catalyst to advance a sustainable energy future through public policy and private sector initiatives. RENEW is a member of the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Network, a subcontractor to Focus on Energy. Visit RENEW at www.renewwisconsin.org or e-mail Michael Vickerman at: mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org.
