The Clean Energy Plan

Wisconsin Conservation Voters is committed to working with and urging elected officials to take action on climate, and action needs a plan. The Office for Sustainability and Clean Energy is crafting its clean energy plan, and they're asking for your input.

The transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy is a critical part of addressing climate change. The Governor's Task Force on Climate Change concluded with a commitment to transitioning the state away from fossil fuels and is creating a Clean Energy Plan to do that. As the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy facilitates the creation of this plan, conservation voters need to make our demands clear and our voices heard.

1. A carbon reduction goal for utilities that net carbon emissions are 100 percent below 2005 level by 2050. Other Midwest states and many utilities have already made this commitment, and it's time Wisconsin catches up. We believe that the state and local governments will be working to adopt policies that will allow us to meet this critical goal sooner if we make a firm commitment to it now.
2. Increased funding for the Focus on Energy program. This program helps businesses and residential customers reduce their energy use through energy efficiency and conservation programs and products. The cheapest, cleanest energy is that which you never have to generate.
3. Creation of an Office of Environmental Justice. The impacts of climate change and pollution fall unfairly on communities of color. Wisconsin should assess the health impacts of our current energy use for all our communities and ensure future policies and investments do not leave any community behind. We appreciate the governor's work to develop the Wisconsin Environmental Equity Tool and view that as a step in the right direction.
4. Increased resources to local governments who are leading the charge on clean energy development and carbon reduction goals in Wisconsin. These could include investing in staff and state programs that help local governments establish a baseline of current energy use in the community and track progress toward long-range goals; defining equitable carbon reduction strategies that protect vulnerable communities when making the transition to clean energy and ensure all impacted constituencies have a voice at the decision-making table; and providing financing options to local governments to pursue clean energy infrastructure upgrades in schools, develop more clean transportation options, and foster community development projects.