Why Wisconsin Resists Clean Energy

State lags the Midwest in renewable energy, yet suddenly making great progress.

Less than two years ago I wrote a column dubbing Gov. Scott Walker the “King of Coal’ and documenting how badly Wisconsin trailed other states in the production of solar and wind power.

That was in January 2017, and since then there’s been a veritable revolution, as dramatic declines in the price of solar and wind have pushed power companies, businesses and homeowners to embrace renewable energy. The Madison-based utility Alliant Energy plans to plans to spend $2 billion in the renewable sector between 2016 and 2020, as Lee Bergquist reported for the Journal Sentinel, while We Energies leader Gale Klappa noted that the company will be relying far more on solar, because the price for it has dropped nearly 70 percent in recent years. 

“We’ve hit a tipping point in Wisconsin,” says Tyler Huebner, executive director of Renew Wisconsin. “We expect continued increases in renewable energy.”...

   ...more

Ken Notes: I am more positive in my outlook, and happy to report that Wisconsin is going green because it is good for business. This movement does not require legislative mandates or funding it does require legislative support and a rethinking of how we use our grid. I am especially excited about our major power companies getting on board and making substantial investments in renewable energy.

We should rapidly catch up and surpass other states. We will also be in a position to take advantage of the lower costs now available for solar, wind and other renewable`s. We could even leapfrog the rest of the nation in areas like geothermal and digestion. Dare I dream???