Category: Climate and Energy

One woman’s journey to get fossil fuels out of her home

Vista Sands Solar will displace millions of tons of carbon dioxide and other pollutants over its lifespan.

The future of two home energy rebate programs, which offer millions of dollars for energy efficiency upgrades to Wisconsinites, is unclear due to the election of Donald Trump.

Rapid adoption of clean energy projects — specifically wind and solar — is crucial for Wisconsin to reach its goal of carbon-free electricity generation by 2050. Luckily, energy developers have proposed new solar and wind projects that will bring us closer to achieving our goal.

There is no question a long list of important federal environmental protections and programs will be targeted during the next presidential administration.

Bruce Steinhagen, a resident of Algoma, Wisconsin, is proud of his new solar panels. The system can produce about as much energy as Bruce needs to power his entire home—a recent electric bill was only $2.

“Wisconsin is moving from relying on dangerous, expensive coal and gas power plants to clean solar, wind, and batteries. More transmission lines directly enable a clean electricity future that is reliable and affordable.

The plant would release almost 3 million tons of greenhouse gases and 200 tons of other dangerous pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds every year in a neighborhood already burdened by industrial emissions

The proposed pipeline route, which crosses 186 northern Wisconsin waterways and hundreds of acres of wetlands, is upstream of Copper Falls State Park and poses a huge risk to the Bad River watershed and Lake Superior.

“Protecting the water we drink, the air we breathe, the places where we swim and fish, our climate—these should not be partisan issues. If these are things we all care about, we’re going to have to fight hard for them.