— Wisconsin’s clean transportation sector added nearly 400 new jobs last year, reflecting growth in the electric vehicle market.
That’s according to the 2023 Clean Jobs Midwest report, which shows this sector’s employment grew by nearly 7 percent in 2022, reaching 6,158 workers. Report authors noted EV-related jobs accounted for most of that growth.
The total number of clean energy jobs in Wisconsin rose slightly to 71,489 last year, the report shows. Most of those jobs are in energy efficiency, with 55,736 workers. That includes those manufacturing efficient appliances, others installing efficient lighting and HVAC systems as well as those installing advanced building materials in construction projects.
In a statement on the report’s findings, Madison-based RENEW Wisconsin Executive Director Sam Dunaiski said the state “needs an all-of-the-above” approach to the clean energy transition. That includes rooftop solar installations, utility-scale renewable energy, and electrifying buildings and transportation infrastructure.
“These initiatives create family-supporting jobs and would be a boon to Wisconsin’s economy,” he said.
Figures in the report come from national clean energy advocacy group Environmental Entrepreneurs, as well as nonprofit investment fund Evergreen Climate Innovations. They predict continued growth in clean energy jobs as more federal dollars and incentives are directed toward related sectors in the coming years.
The report also shows Wisconsin solar jobs grew 4 percent last year, while wind grew 3 percent. Emerging subsectors also saw growth, including 7 percent for battery storage technologies and 10 percent for grid modernization.
While clean energy workers are scattered statewide, many are clustered around Milwaukee and Madison, which support 23,087 and 9,698 jobs, respectively. Still, the report shows 14,000 clean energy jobs in the state are located in rural areas.
It also shows the Midwest overall saw 3.6 percent growth in these jobs last year, reaching a total of 734,753.
See the report: https://www.wisbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/EMBARGOED-E2-Clean-Jobs-Report-2023_Wisconsin.pdf
See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/EMBARGOED-Wisconsin-Clean-Jobs-Midwest-Press-Release-2023.pdf
— A new tech startup called 7Rivers has launched in Milwaukee, offering business services aimed at leveraging data more effectively.
In a release yesterday, founder and CEO Paul Stillmank praised the city’s “flourishing entrepreneur landscape” and tech industry talent.
“We’re developing a team of existing industry leaders and up-and-coming innovators that will elevate Milwaukee’s position as a leader in tech,” he said.
The company says it will help clients adapt to advancements in artificial intelligence by using their data for business development, working with executives to identify how to employ these technologies.
As one example, a manufacturing client could use AI to analyze production data and improve its supply chain efficiency, predicting maintenance needs and more, the release notes.
“7Rivers is inspired by nature and how data is so analogous to water,” Stillmank said. “Water is essential to life, and data has become essential to the life of businesses. Like rivers, data flows inside and outside of companies. Rivers have confluences; data confluences present the opportunity for very powerful business outcomes.”
According to the release, the company is backed by $3.5 million in funding and expects to start turning a profit within 18 months.
Stillmank previously founded and led an IT consulting business called 7Summits, which was acquired by IBM in late 2020.
See the release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/7rivers-launches-in-milwaukee-with-snowflake-partnership-301931253.html
— Two state senators are calling for an audit of the district that oversees American Family Field as lawmakers consider a new GOP plan that would put nearly $614 million of public money into maintaining the stadium.
In separate releases, state Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, and state Sen. Rob Cowles, R-Green Bay, called for having the Legislative Audit Bureau review the current district’s finances.
Republicans this week unveiled a more than $700 million plan to keep the team in Milwaukee through at least the end of 2050. The package also includes $100 million from the Brewers beyond what it’s currently paying in rent and other costs.
Carpenter said the “public and the Legislature need to have full confidence that no stone is left unturned before hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on a luxury product like a professional ballpark.” He also wants the Brewers to provide information about the team’s finances.
“Without a full accounting, and without the Brewers opening up their books for review, I cannot support this deal,” Carpenter added.
Cowles, a former co-chair of the Audit Committee, noted the LAB did a review of stadium finances before a local referendum was put to Brown County voters on a local sales tax for renovations at Lambeau Field. Cowles said the same steps are needed before the Brewers deal is considered by lawmakers.
See the Carpenter statement:
See Cowles’:
— The Potawatomi Business Development Corporation has named Kip Ritchie as CEO of the Milwaukee-based organization.
Ritchie had been serving as interim CEO and chief operating officer, after previously leading Greenfire Management Services, a subsidiary of the PBDC. The corporation was created in 2002 to drive economic development for the Forest County Potawatomi Community, the release shows.
“As a Forest County Potawatomi tribal member, I know what the success of the organization means to the community and I am deeply committed to PBDC’s continued growth,” he said in a statement.
See the release: https://www.prweb.com/releases/kip-ritchie-named-chief-executive-officer-of-potawatomi-business-development-corporation-301928844.html
See more on the PBDC: https://www.potawatomibdc.com/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— Preliminary figures show a sharp increase in COVID-19 virus levels in Wisconsin’s wastewater, suggesting disease activity is on the rise.
And the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment is offering grants of up to $250,000 for community-led projects involving Medical College of Wisconsin faculty.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
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#TOP STORIES#
# State reviewing Milwaukee business’s suspicious use of COVID relief funds
# Milwaukee’s Birch makes 2023 New York Times best restaurants list
# Automaker’s plan to close Milwaukee distribution center part of contract proposal with UAW
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– ‘An opportunity for everyone’: Wisconsin farm groups reflect on impact of federal sustainability funding
# CONSTRUCTION
– Kenosha Common Council unanimously passes contractor requirements for public bids
– Appleton vows to make its glass more bird safe, encourages other to do the same
# ECONOMY
– ‘It’s a new day:’ Milwaukee sees over $200M from shared revenue deal in 2024 budget
– Rural Wisconsin needs localized help with food struggles, experts say
# EDUCATION
– Madison schools enrollment down about 500 students
# HEALTH CARE
– Planned Parenthood doctor ‘thankful that we can return to this level of care’
# MANUFACTURING
– Sweet potato chip manufacturer expanding Muskego plant
# MEDIA
– AI creates challenges for journalism, news consumers
# REAL ESTATE
– Developers revise Cambria Hotel plans in response to neighbors’ concerns
# SPORTS
– American Family Field’s $700M funding plan: How did we get here?
– Forbes says Green Bay Packers worth $4.6 billion, but ranking in NFL is falling
# TECHNOLOGY
– 7Summits founder Paul Stillmank launches latest Milwaukee startup, 7Rivers
– 7Summits founder Paul Stillmank launches new AI-focused startup in Milwaukee
– Marcus Theatres to debut new cinema technology in Wisconsin
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
Marquette University: Marquette Law School’s Boden Lecture to address corporate governance, Sept. 21
