Wisconsin now has its first clean-energy plan aimed at promoting energy independence, lowering fuel prices, and reducing the harmful effects of global warming, Gov. Tony Evers office said Tuesday.
The plan, written in conjunction with the governor’s Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, identifies dozens of strategies meant to reduce Wisconsin’s reliance on out-of-state energy sources, and at the same time, create thousands of jobs in new industries and technologies.
One of the goals is 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050, while some of the other goals are more immediate.
“There are historic opportunities presented by an influx of federal dollars to invest in once-in-a-generation efforts,” Evers office said in a news release.
For the most part, Wisconsin doesn’t have its own oil and gas. Instead, the state spends more than $14 billion a year on out-of-state energy, according to Evers.
“That’s money we could be using to invest in clean, made-in-Wisconsin energy to help lower energy bills while also creating good-paying job opportunities and apprenticeship training in innovative technologies and industries,” the governor said in a news release.
A study released in March by the Midwest Economic Policy Institute found if Wisconsin meets its goal of transitioning to 100% clean energy over the next 30 years, it could grow the state’s economy by $21 billion and create more than 34,000 jobs.
Jadine Sonoda, campaign coordinator with the Wisconsin Chapter of the Sierra Club, said it is becoming clear that clean energy is not just for people who care about the environment, which will benefit everyone in the future.
More:This lifelong conservative Beaver Dam farmer is sold on the economic potential of solar power
“It’s for people who care about the economy and who care about their health, which is encouraging,” Sonoda said. “Economically it is a really good decision. As that becomes even more clear, it just expands the base even broader as far as people who are interested in investing…
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Wanda Beck
View More PostsWanda Beck is a technology reporter who covers the intersection of business and crypto. A native of Boston, Wanda spent almost five years at The Boston25News, where she wrote extensively about the media industry's struggle to adapt to the Internet.
