Michael Mangan, RENEW member and owner of Ecology Services & Products, has formed Wisconsin's first locally owned and produced renewable energy provider.

Mangan's company, Emerald Energy, has amassed several hundred kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity from a portfolio of existing facilities including small wind, solar electric and small-scale hydro. The Waukesha County businessman plans to sell this "green electricity" on a wholesale basis to rural electric cooperatives, municipal and investor owned utilities. Emerald will initially market existing small scale renewable energy production and install new generating capacity later.

"Deregulation is forcing utilities to compete for customers. Many of them want clean energy options like wind or solar-generated electricity, options which utilities are not currently providing," Mangan said. "Emerald Energy will make 'green pricing' easier and more convenient for utilities by reducing the risks and the expense of a new technology learning curve.

Mangan expects the proceeds from these sales will be sufficient to finance the construction of new renewable generating capacity in the state. His goal is to install 10 megawatts (MW) of new renewable electricity, enough to serve 6,000 households. Mangan has operated Ecology Services & Products, a firm which researches, sells and installs energy saving measures, since 1990. For further information, call (414) 646-4664.