Energy dollars and sense
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Green Tier program supports businesses, organizations and local governments aiming to improve environmental performance and sustainability. Some of the recent benefits reported by municipalities include:
• Between 2010-2023, building, energy efficiency and lighting replacement were the most common project types, as 27 communities increased energy savings in these areas. Of these, six communities reported total savings of at least $2.1 million and 3.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity, which is enough to power around 300 homes for one year.
• During the same time frame, 24 communities replaced at least 9,500 conventional street light, traffic light, interior or exterior bulbs with more efficient, longer lasting light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. These conversions saved at least $378,000 and 2.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity, according to seven of the communities.
• Since 2011, 23 communities installed at least 3,390 kilowatts of solar panel capacity on government buildings, but only three communities provided estimated costs or energy savings. The three reported generating at least 2.7 million kilowatt hours of electricity which prevented spending at least $170,000 on electricity between 2011-2023.
• Several communities have been recognized for their pursuit of renewable energy with solar, including Sun Prairie, which recently reached 100% renewable energy for city buildings and infrastructure.
Source: Wisconsin Policy Forum
When it comes to energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts, Wisconsin municipalities are game, but they don’t always keep score, according to a July Wisconsin Policy Forum report, “It’s Not Always Easy Going Green in Local Government.”
The study found many local governments in Wisconsin have reported efforts to improve energy efficiency and utilize renewable energy. However, understanding the full complement of costs and benefits of their energy-related projects is a challenge because reporting on these efforts is “complex, resource intensive, and not currently standardized,” WPF said in its findings.
Local governments participating in the Green Tier Legacy Communities Charter, a statewide sustainability program that has grown to include 42 towns, villages, cities and counties, have reported at least $17 million in energy cost reductions through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects since 2010.
During that time, Green Tier community participants also reported at least 40 million kilowatt hours of energy saved, which is enough to power 3,300 homes for one year.
The WPF’s review also found large investments in water and wastewater treatment systems produced the greatest reductions in energy costs. Five communities that completed water or wastewater projects garnered a combined savings of at least $14.4 million and 31.7 million kilowatt hours between 2011 and 2023. The savings represent avoided energy purchases rather than net energy savings, the report said.
Tyler Byrnes, senior research associate for WPF, said he was struck by how much money was saved in the wastewater treatment and water infrastructure space.
“There are caveats to the data,” Byrnes said, referring to the reporting limitations, “but that (water and wastewater projects) was by far the leader in what is being saved.
“One of the key points is that water utilities and wastewater treatment plants, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, account for between 30% and 40% of the total energy consumption of local governments,” he said.
Rose Melton, a research fellow with WPF, said efforts to standardize the data, including a new reporting format created by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, bear watching.
“Something that became apparent to me was that some of the differences in how communities are communicating the benefits of the different projects comes out of differences in local goals,” she said. “That’s going to be something to keep an eye on in the future as we think about ways to communicate the costs and benefits in more standardized ways — the fact that local goals may be different and that is valuable information as well.”
