Michael Pereckas (CC BY 2.0)

Series: Renewable Energy In Wisconsin

Energy is an essential necessity of human life that powers individual everyday needs and the economy as a whole. Its sources span millenia, from draft animals and wood to coal and oil to nuclear fission. Advancing technology continues to transform energy production, and renewable sources like solar, wind and biofuels are increasingly used. A growing number of homeowners, businesses and communities across Wisconsin are considering renewables as part of their own energy portfolios. The backdrop of a changing climate is one motivation for these shifts, as are changing consumer demand, investment opportunities and public policy incentives. As the state's energy landscape adapts to meet new opportunities, researchers are investigating the potential of renewables and evaluating challenges to pursuing sustainable and secure sources.
 
Stagnant milk and crop prices are causing farmers to seek out new sources of revenue. Some farmers who are renting their land to put down solar panels in an effort to turn a profit.
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As the Wisconsin Public Service Commission considers the proposed high-voltage Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line, residents of the corridor stretching from Dubuque, Iowa to Middleton voice concerns about its necessity and potential impacts.
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The state Public Service Commission approved the proposed 100-mile Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission through southwest Wisconsin. RENEW Wisconsin executive director Tyler Huebner and Environmental Law and Policy Center attorney Howard Learner discuss the decision.
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The Solar on Schools program is asking K-12 schools in Wisconsin to consider installing solar panels as part of their energy mix.
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A record amount of cargo containing components used for generating wind power moved through the Twin Ports during the 2019 shipping season. The surge in wind traffic comes as Duluth-Superior handled the lowest amount of coal in more than three decades.
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A massive solar farm is being planned in western Kenosha County that developers say could produce enough renewable energy to power 55,000 Wisconsin homes per year.
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Native American tribes in Wisconsin are working to generate more of their energy from renewable sources — and become independent of outside energy companies in the process.
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Milwaukee city officials announced plans to build the largest solar energy system in the city's history. The 8-acre project will be located close to General Mitchell International Airport.
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Five campuses in the University of Wisconsin System using coal as a heat source will transition to a combination of natural gas and heating oil in 2020.
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Madison-based Alliant Energy announced it's shuttering its roughly 400-megawatt Edgewater coal plant in Sheboygan by the end of 2022.