by Dan Kohler, Wisconsin Environment Director
When it comes to how we generate our energy in Wisconsin, we
are truly at a crossroads. For too long,
we’ve relied on dirty, dangerous sources of energy – namely, coal and oil -
that have polluted our skies, threatened public health, spewed mercury into our
lakes and contributed to global warming.
The great news is that we have an historic opportunity to address all of
these problems wholesale, by shifting to clean, homegrown, renewable sources
like wind and solar power while simultaneously benefiting Wisconsin’s
economy.
Global warming looms as the most urgent challenge, and our great
state has much to lose with its consequences.
Not only will global warming
impact our environment and species habitat, it could threaten our most
important economic engines: extreme heat and flooding like we saw last summer
will impact agriculture and damage property while declining water levels in
Lake Michigan and Lake Superior may hurt shipping, trade, tourism and
recreation.
In January, Wisconsin Environment
released a new report outlining a plan Wisconsin can use to
reduce carbon emissions, the main greenhouse gas, to 1990 levels by 2020, a 30%
reduction from projected levels. The
most critical aspects of the plan include establishing a science-based approach
to reduce global warming emissions, improving energy efficiency, and finally,
pursuing an aggressive state-level plan to promote homegrown, renewable
energy.
Increasing renewable energy in Wisconsin is a win-win for
our environment and our economy. A
recent report by the Renewable Energy Policy Project found that a major
commitment to renewable electric generation would spur a multi-billion dollar
investment and reindustrialization program that could create over 35,000 new
jobs in Wisconsin manufacturing components for wind turbines, solar panels and
for biomass production. The Union of
Concerned Scientists projects that a national renewable energy standard of 20
percent by 2020 would create $724 million in new capital investment, $291
million in income to farmers and rural landowners and $11 million in new local
tax revenues.
Those impressive economic benefits stand in stark contrast
to our current situation. Each year Wisconsin sends over $5
billion out of state to import coal and oil when we could be investing here at
home.
Recognizing this opportunity, Wisconsin took an important step in the right direction in
2006 by adopting the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Act, which will
quadruple renewable energy to 10% of our energy mix in Wisconsin by 2015. Governor Doyle has established a
longer term goal of generating 25 percent of our electricity from renewable
sources by 2025, as well as capturing 10 percent of the market share for
renewable energy and bioproducts.
To achieve these goals, we need an aggressive strategy to
invest in and promote renewable energy, and right now, wind power holds the
greatest potential. The American Wind
Energy Association ranks Wisconsin among the top 20 states for potential to harness
the wind’s energy. Entrepreneurs know
this, and they are lining up to propose new wind farms across Wisconsin. Right now, five different companies are
building and proposing wind farms that will meet increased energy needs with
clean sources, rather than the alternative of building more coal-fired power
plants.
The citizens of Wisconsin crave clean energy solutions. A statewide poll of Wisconsin voters found
overwhelming support for state-level action to address global warming and
increase our commitment to clean energy. The poll found that 85% of likely
Wisconsin voters favor utilities generating the first 25% of their energy from
renewable sources like wind and solar power.
Wisconsin has significant natural advantages to harness
renewable sources, the research base in the UW System and private sector to
supply cutting edge technologies, and the manufacturing tradition to capture a
large market share in green technologies.
Wind mills, solar panels and bio-energy producing farms across Wisconsin
represent the path to a new energy future promising vast public health
benefits, cleaner air and water, global warming emission reductions, and huge
economic rewards. It’s critical we seize
this opportunity.
