After 42 years in the Wisconsin legislature, Senator Robert Cowles (R – Green Bay) has decided not to seek reelection, and we will miss him.
Senator Cowles has been a driving force behind consumer and environmental protection his entire career. “You would be hard pressed to find any major clean energy laws in Wisconsin that were not authored by Senator Cowles,” said Keith Reopelle, a former Clean Wisconsin director who worked closely with the Senator.
When the legislature voted to eliminate the state’s energy planning process (Integrated Resource Planning, or IRP), Senator Cowles voted “no.” Since then, he has authored bills to reinstate the process, which works in other states to make energy affordable and protect the environment. The Senator successfully authored Wisconsin’s Environmental Trust Financing Law, another way to save ratepayers money.
Senator Cowles also authored the Great Lakes Compact, a groundbreaking agreement between several U.S. states and two Canadian provinces that limits water diverted from the Great Lakes.
A strong and effective advocate of renewable energy and energy efficiency, Senator Cowles worked diligently to establish Wisconsin’s Renewable Portfolio Standard and protect Focus on Energy, our statewide efficiency program. Along with allies, he led efforts to introduce legislation allowing financing mechanisms that make smaller-scale solar projects at homes and businesses more affordable. A member of the National Association of Environmental Legislators, the Senator has a long and distinguished history of working across the aisle to protect Wisconsin’s natural resources.
A complete list of Senator Cowles’ accomplishments would be impossible in this space. We thank him for his service to Wisconsin and wish him well in his next adventures!
