Contact: Keith Reopelle, 608.251.7020 ext. 11, 608.212.2935 (cell)
Once a leader, Wisconsin quickly becoming drag on regional clean energy efforts
MADISON – A new report released today by the National Wildlife Foundation, Unfinished Business: What the Midwest Needs to Do to Lead in the Clean Energy Economy, gives the Midwest mediocre grades as a region for its progress toward building a clean energy economy. Unfortunately, Wisconsin may now be slowing the region’s efforts, according to the state’s largest environmental advocacy group.
“Wisconsin helped lead the effort to establish a clean energy roadmap for the Midwest, but is now slowing the region’s progress,” said Keith Reopelle, senior policy director at Clean Wisconsin. “With Gov. Walker’s recent rejection of high‐speed rail funds and attacks on wind energy, our state has gone from being a clean energy honor student to the back of the class.”
The Midwest Governors Association Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Roadmap (Roadmap) was designed by utilities, industry, agriculture, labor, and environmentalists to chart a path toward job creation, energy independence and a stronger economy by taking advantage of our region’s vast manufacturing and agricultural resources. Among other goals, the Roadmap aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase transit ridership, achieve a 2‐percent reduction in energy use by 2015 region‐wide, and harness 30 percent of our energy from renewable resources by 2030.
The report released today gives the region an A‐ for building codes; a B and B‐ for energy efficiency and renewable energy, respectively; a C+ for low carbon fuel policies; and D’s for greenhouse gas reduction and transit options.
“The Midwest has the resources to become a global leader in the clean energy economy, and the roadmap provides us with a commonsense path toward that goal,” said Reopelle. “As a whole, the Midwest is making modest progress. Unfortunately, Wisconsin seems to be moving in the wrong direction.”
While Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Indiana have all passed legislation setting statewide energy efficiency standards, Wisconsin has failed to do so. Additionally, leaders in the Joint Finance Committee have indicated they will likely try to backtrack on progress the Public Service Commission made last year for increased energy efficiency funding. Furthermore, Gov. Scott Walker and legislative leaders have made it more difficult to construct clean, renewable wind farms in Wisconsin, and the governor rejected federal funds to construct a high‐speed rail line in the state. In addition, Walker’s budget eliminates grants and loans for renewable energy manufacturers in the state, and eliminates a requirement to use farm‐based biofuels over imported petroleum in the state’s own fleet of vehicles.
“Unfortunately, the region won’t reach the goals set in the MGA Energy Roadmap without Wisconsin doing its part,” said Reopelle. “Right now we’re missing a huge opportunity. The Roadmap lays out a clear path toward job creation and a stronger economy, and we hope that Gov. Walker and legislative leaders will embrace it as part of their agenda to create 250,000 jobs in the state.”
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Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin’s clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and polluters accountable. Founded in 1970 as Wisconsin’s Environmental Decade, Clean Wisconsin exposes corporate polluters, makes sure existing environmental laws are enforced, and educates citizens and businesses. On behalf of its 10,000 members and its coalition partners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special places that make Wisconsin such a wonderful place to live, work and play. 608‐251‐7020, information@cleanwisconsin.org, http://www.cleanwisconsin.org.
