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SCIENCE GROUP URGES WISCONSIN TO ADOPT STRONGER RENEWABLE ENERGY AND EFFICIENCY TARGETS THAT CREATE JOBS AND SAVE CONSUMERS MONEY
CHICAGO (July 19, 2011) – Wisconsin residents would pay less for electricity, have more job opportunities, and breathe healthier air if their state adopted stronger clean energy standards, according to a peer-reviewed report released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS).
The report, “A Bright Future for the Heartland: Powering the Midwest Economy with Clean Energy,” shows that Wisconsin and other Midwest states have tremendous potential to produce electricity from renewable resources, particularly wind, biomass (plant material such as corn stalks and switch grass), and solar and to cut utility bills by reducing energy use in homes and businesses. Tapping Wisconsin’s clean energy potential would drive billions of dollars in new business investment, create thousands of jobs, and save Wisconsin families and businesses billions through lower utility bills, while reducing the state’s dependence on coal and associated carbon emissions that contribute to climate change.
“We see stronger clean energy standards as way to help transform Wisconsin’s economy,” said Steve Frenkel, director of UCS’s Midwest office. “That would create more opportunities for people to find jobs producing the products that power the clean energy economy, like wind turbines and solar panels. Also, by reducing their energy use, Wisconsin companies can stay competitive by cutting their costs.”
The study analyzes the potential impact of a two-pronged clean energy strategy for Midwestern states developed in 2009 by the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) to help revitalize the region’s economy. First, the MGA suggested Midwestern states require that 30 percent of each state’s electric supply come from renewable energy sources by 2030. Second, it called for states to deploy energy efficiency technologies to save 2 percent in annual power consumption by 2015, with an additional 2 percent savings each following year.
The study found that while Midwest states can benefit from enacting these policies individually, they will benefit even more by acting together. “It’s important that the state—and the region—maintain momentum in making this transition because they could quickly lose ground to fast-growing clean energy economies in China, Germany and other countries,” added Frenkel.
Wisconsin’s current policies fall short of realizing the state’s potential. Wisconsin’s renewable energy standard, updated in 2006, requires that just 10 percent of the state’s power supply come from renewable sources by 2015. It also mandates annual efficiency savings of only 0.75 percent this year, rising to 1.5 percent by 2014 and each year thereafter.
“With its great combination of renewable energy potential, a strong manufacturing base and skilled workforce, Wisconsin is one of those places that can really take advantage of the growth of the clean energy economy,” said Jeff Deyette, UCS senior analyst and report co-author.
The UCS study found that if the region embraced the MGA goals, it would:
* save Wisconsin residents and businesses $5.9 billion on their electric and natural gas bills by 2030. The typical Wisconsin household would see small savings in annual gas and electricity costs in 2011, with savings reaching $98 by 2020, and $269 by 2030.
* create 11,500 new jobs in Wisconsin and generate $2.7 billion in new capital investment. These would be on top of the jobs cre¬ated under Wisconsin’s existing policies, and would span numerous sectors of the state’s economy, including manufac¬turing, construction, operations, maintenance, agriculture, forestry, finance, and retail.
* generate $20 million in new income for Wisconsin farmers and landowners producing biomass as fuel for power plants or leasing their land for wind facilities. Also, new clean energy investments could raise an additional $80 million in property tax revenue, which would help financially strapped communities fund schools and public services, including police and fire departments.
* keep more dollars circulating in state by substituting local, clean energy for coal. In 2008 alone, Wisconsin utilities spent $853 million to import coal from as far away as Wyoming, according to the 2010 UCS report, “Burning Coal, Burning Cash.”
* reduce the threat to public health and the corresponding jump in health costs resulting from increased ground-level ozone pollution due to rising average temperatures. According to a June UCS study, “Climate Change and Your Health: Rising Temperatures, Worsening Ozone Pollution,” climate change-induced ozone increases could result in nearly 64,000 additional cases of serious respiratory illnesses in Wisconsin and more than $127 million (in 2008 dollars) in additional health costs for state residents in 2020, the report concluded.
* lower greenhouse gas emissions from Midwest power plants by 130 metric tons annually by 2030—equivalent to the annual emissions from 30 typical new coal plants. The Midwest currently produces 27 percent of the country’s heat-trapping emissions, such as carbon dioxide.
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The Union of Concerned Scientists is the leading U.S. science-based nonprofit organization working for a healthy environment and a safer world. Founded in 1969, UCS is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and also has offices in Berkeley, Chicago and Washington, D.C. For more information, go to http://www.ucsusa.org.
