The U.S. Green Building Council recently announced the 50,000th LEED-certified green housing unit. LEED for Homes, now the most broadly adopted home rating system, guides the design and construction of healthier, high-performance homes. Thirty –two thousand …
Newsletter Blog Post
Department of Energy ‘Energy Apps’ Contest Taps Into American Innovation
The second contest in the year-long American Energy Data Challenge, called the Apps for Energy II contest, was recently launched by the Department of Energy (DOE). Individuals or teams can submit an app that utilizes publicly available, …
Solar Outshines Natural Gas in Minnesota
Xcel Energy’s plans to invest in new natural gas generating capacity have been put on hold in the wake of a recent ruling by Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman. In his ruling, the Honorable Mr. …
Microgrid Proposed for UW-Milwaukee
A microgrid combining wind, solar, and batter power is being proposed through a partnership between the Mid-West Energy Research Consortium and UW-Milwaukee. Wisconsin could become a national center for expertise in microgrid technology with the …
Milwaukee, Madison Cited in New Report on Urban Automobile Travel Decline
Over the last decade, the share of workers who get to work by private car declined in 99 of America’s 100 largest urbanized areas. The report, compiled by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the …
The Little Farmer Invests Big in Solar
The Little Farmer family orchard and farm market, located north of Fond du Lac, is investing in a solar energy project on their 139-acre property to help power pumps and aerators for a large pond …
Grants for Wisconsin Energy Independent Communities Awarded
The State Energy Office awarded 12 communities grants for Clean Energy Planning and Implementation in Wisconsin Communities in December of 2013. Twenty-six applications were received, with requests for funding that exceeded the available funds by …
2013 Renewable Energy State of the State
While global growth in renewable energy has seen dramatic progress–with a worldwide installed capacity almost half a terawatt (10^12 watts)–Wisconsin’s renewable energy portfolio has not kept pace with the rest of the country in the …
Solar Lights Up Fitchburg Trails
A quarter-mile portion of the Capital City State Trail in Fitchburg, WI is a test site for solar-powered LED lights embedded in the trail. The pilot project is a partnership between the Fitchburg Public Works Department, …
Property Tax Exemption for Biofuels in Wisconsin
Gov. Scott Walker recently included a property tax exemption for manure digesters and other biofuel systems in his 2013-2015 budget. The rationale is to encourage local bioenergy systems. In June, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue …