RENEW is celebrating 30 years of leading Wisconsin's renewable energy transition!

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin grants an award for RENEW to intervene in Advance Plan 6. RENEW’s intervention makes a case for revising utilities’ 20-year resource plans to incorporate more investment in renewable energy. RENEW hires Frank Jablonski to serve as legal counsel and Michael Vickerman to manage the intervention.

RENEW organizes and hosts a two-day conference titled “Renewable Energy in Wisconsin – Working with the Environment.” Held at The Edgewater, the conference addresses the environmental trade-offs that arise from expanding renewable energy development and use. The keynote speaker is WorldWatch vice president Christopher Flavin.

State legislature passes and Governor Thompson signs Wisconsin’s Energy Priorities Law (1993 Act 414).  Relating to utility supply decisions, this sweeping legislation establishes resource priority list that gives preference to renewable energy resources like solar and wind.

Wisconsin legislature adopts 1997 Act 204, which repeals the state’s Advance Plan process. As a trade-off, the law requires utilities to build 50 megawatts of renewable power.

Wisconsin legislature adopts 1999 Act 9, which contains several significant energy provisions, including the creation of Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s ratepayer-funded energy conservation and renewables program.

FPL Energy builds and energizes a 20-turbine, 30 MW wind farm in Iowa County near Montfort. The completion of Montfort caps the first wave of renewable power projects built in Wisconsin.

Focus on Energy launches its renewable energy program, promoting solar, wind, and bioenergy for customer use. The program is instrumental in developing an in-state biopower industry serving dairy producers.

Michael Vickerman is selected to serve on Governor Doyle’s Task Force on Energy Efficiency and Renewables.  While serving on that body, Michael is tasked with redesigning the policy mechanism for increasing utility procurement of renewable power.  The Task Force ultimately produces a consensus package of recommendations for strengthening the state’s implementation of Wisconsin’s Energy Priority Law. These recommendations include increasing the percentage of renewable electricity sold in Wisconsin to 10% by 2015, nearly tripling current volumes in the mix.

Reacting to an increasingly difficult siting climate, RENEW spearheads the formation of the Wind for Wisconsin campaign. This broad-based coalition maps out a legislative strategy leading to the establishment of statewide standards and procedures for permitting wind power projects at the local level.

Acting on a recommendation from Governor Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming, the legislature adopts the Wind Siting Law (2009 Act 40). The law directs the Public Service Commission to promulgate a rule establishing siting standards that apply to wind power projects under 100 MW, which are permitted by local jurisdictions.

The Wisconsin legislature suspends the wind siting rule. That action causes wind developers active in Wisconsin to leave the state.

The wind siting rule survives a repeal vote by the Wisconsin State Senate, allowing PSC 128 to take effect.

RENEW names Tyler Huebner as Executive Director.

Over RENEW’s strong objections, the Public Service Commission approves We Energies’ proposal to restructure net metering tariffs, granting the utility’s request to impose, beginning in 2016, a de facto tax on solar generating equipment owned by small customers.

RENEW partners with the City of Madison to launch MadiSUN, a solar group purchase program, to expand solar energy for homes and businesses.

EDP Renewables and Dairyland Power Cooperative cut the ribbon on the 49-turbine, 98-megawatt Quilt Block wind farm in Lafayette County near Darlington. Permitted in 2003, Quilt Block supplies power to Dairyland’s member cooperatives.

Through a generous partnership with the Couillard Solar Foundation, RENEW Wisconsin launches the Solar for Good program, which directs cash grants and equipment grants to nonprofit organizations, helping them switch to clean, renewable, solar energy.

The largest rooftop solar electric system is installed on the roof of Madison College’s Truax Campus.

A unique partnership between OneEnergy, Organic Valley, and the City of Madison results in the completion of 10 solar farms spanning three states, including seven in Wisconsin totaling 17 MW. OneEnergy’s Butter Solar portfolio is financed through a combination of power sales and purchases of Renewable Energy Credits.

Bowing to pressure from a broad coalition organized by RENEW, We Energies agrees to withdraw a proposed surcharge on customer-sited solar PV systems.

Governor Tony Evers appoints Tyler Huebner to serve on the Public Service Commission.

The 150 MW Two Creeks Solar Park is energized, effectively doubling the amount of solar generating capacity in Wisconsin to 300 MW.