Wisconsin Falls Behind on Solar and Wind Energy

Minnesota greatly outpaces Wisconsin in clean energy production. A new report from the Environmental Law & Policy Center, A Tale of Two States, finds that the Badger State is much more dependent on burning fossil fuels than its neighbor to the west.

Since 2015, Minnesota’s solar power capacity grew by leaps and bounds, while Wisconsin’s remained relatively flat, and since 2007, Wisconsin’s installed wind power capacity has done likewise, while Minnesota’s has almost doubled. Minnesota currently has almost seven times Wisconsin’s wind power capacity. In 2018, Wisconsin produced half its energy from coal and 5% from non-hydroelectric renewables. Minnesota, by contrast, produced 37% of its energy from coal and 23% from non-hydroelectric renewables.

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Ken Notes: These is a production vs. use issue, we are finding it easier and cheaper to use renewable energy produced elsewhere than to produce it in the State. The major utilities are starting to change this but it will always be a cost issue. The good news is that the costs are headed in the right direction.