Happy National Andrew Day!

Happy National Andrew Day!

August 1st is National Andrew Day! RENEW sat down with our Andrew for the occasion.

Q: Hey, Andrew, when do you first hear about August 1 being ‘National Andrew Day’?

A: Just now, when you told me. 

Q: Now that you know, what do you think?

A: I’m a bit perplexed that I hadn’t heard about it before, to be honest. But mostly just stoked to be part of something bigger than me.

Q: So, you work on energy policy with RENEW Wisconsin. What’s that like?

A: Every day, I’m hustling for renewable energy in Wisconsin; it’s great! We educate, collaborate, and advocate – all good things. It’s something I’m passionate about, so it has been very fulfilling work. I also get to bring my dog, Mocha, into the office, and that makes everything better.

Specifically, I’m very proud of my collaborative work on our Zero Carbon Cost Benefit Analysis Report and Wisconsin’s Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050 Report. 

Q: Tell us more about you, though; what it’s like to be an Andrew?

A: Oh, you know, ups and downs, strikes and gutters, little of this, little of that. Probably not much different from being a George or Tom or whatever. 

Q: Do you go by Andrew, Drew, Andy, or what’s your preference?

A: Whatever’s clever, I guess. By default, I say Andrew. Andy is cool, though. I went by Andy as a kid, but there’s a whole story there.

Q: Go on…

A: Well, my birthname was Andrew, but my folks called me Andy, which I think makes sense. You don’t want to patronize your son by calling him Andrew right out of the womb. You might as well adopt a British accent and say, ‘Does Sir Andrew want two lumps of sugar with his tea, or just one?’ So yeah, Andy made sense for the time and place. And I probably would have wanted three lumps because I was a baby, and tea is bitter.

Fast forward to middle school, and everyone started calling me by my surname, Kell, that is. Through high school and college I was pretty much just known as “Kell.” When I went to college, several high school friends went to the same college as me, and that trend just continued, for better or worse. A few professors called me Andy, but everyone else was like, ‘Kelldawg, what’s up?’ 

I’m not gonna bore you any further, but I think I bucked the whole ‘Kell’ thing sometime after college. Instead of introducing myself as Andy, I went with Andrew. Sounds a bit more sophisticated, right? I mean, I was now the holder of a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, But that’s all ancient history now, and I’m ok with Andy or Andrew. I wouldn’t mind a Drew here and there, either. Maybe I should start introducing myself as Drew just for funsies.

Q: Well, ok, wow, that’s fascinating. Anyway, have you met many other Andrews in your time on this great planet of ours?

A: Yes, a ton. You know, I never came across that many until I moved to Madison. And now it’s like you can’t throw a stone without hitting an Andrew. 

When I worked at the PSC, I think they had an Andrew quota or something. There was like five to ten Andrews at any given moment when I was there. I labeled affectionately myself ‘Andrew #9’. I tried to adopt the ‘nanu-nanu’ greeting from Mork and Mindy as the official Andrew greeting while I was there, but I don’t think any of the other Andrews were as enthusiastic as I was.

Anyway, maybe I can find a pub full of Andrews on Aug 1 and kick-start that greeting nationwide this year. That’s my hope, at least. Just happy to be part of something bigger than me.

Q: Any parting words of wisdom?

A: Yeah, if you see me out on August 1, buy me a drink! I promise to tell a tale of one of my great Andrew adventures, and the words of wisdom I’m sure will flow. You won’t be disappointed.

Oh, and if a petition comes across your desk to make this an ‘International Andrew Day,’ please sign on that dotted line. 

With proper planning and policies in place, Wisconsin can follow this roadmap and reap the benefits of a zero-carbon future. This is just the start of a dialog on how Wisconsin can get to zero carbon emissions. 

Andrew Kell

Policy Director, RENEW Wisconsin

RENEW Celebrates 30 Years of Advancing Clean Energy!

RENEW Celebrates 30 Years of Advancing Clean Energy!

On August 3rd, 2021, RENEW Wisconsin gathered with friends and supporters under Dane County’s new solar shelter near Lussier Family Heritage Center to celebrate 30 years of advancing clean energy in Wisconsin. The weather was beautiful, and after a long period of limited opportunities for gathering in person, it was a welcome moment of connection and joy!

It was wonderful to see longtime friends and clean energy champions. Attendees enjoyed appetizers, drinks, and live music, reminisced over Wisconsin’s clean energy history, and discussed new energy policy and legislative opportunities for growth in Wisconsin.

It is a busy time for energy policy in Wisconsin! We work with lawmakers and regulators to defend renewable energy. This summer RENEW staff are engaged on the forthcoming Clean Energy Plan, the Zero Carbon Roadmap docket, interconnection rules, parallel generation rates, utility rate cases, as well as, legislation on community solar and direct sales for electric vehicles. From distributed solar to energy storage we are expanding the renewable energy market in Wisconsin.

Since 1991, our vision has not changed – to have clean, renewable energy powering a strong, healthy, and vibrant Wisconsin.  We have made significant progress on our 30-year mission to lead and accelerate the transformation of Wisconsin’s renewable energy future through advocacy, education, and collaboration. You can support our urgent work with a donation today.

 

In advance of the event, Governor Evers issued a proclamation commending RENEW Wisconsin on 30 years of work advancing clean energy

Several special guests joined us:

  • Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes
  • Dane County Executive Joe Parisi
  • Don Wichert, RENEW Wisconsin Founder and Emeritus Board Member
  • Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin Policy Director
  • Eric Udelhofen, RENEW Wisconsin Board of Directors
  • and Stanley Minnick, Arch Electric, the evening’s emcee

Thank you to the Honey Pies for the music, Pasture and Plenty for the appetizers, Yellow Dog Farms for the flowers, Kai Brito for photos, and our sponsors Apex Clean Energy, Delta Beer Lab, eagleview, greenpenny, JDR Engineering Inc., PRC Wind, OneEnergy, and Wisconsin Conservation Voters.

This 30th anniversary would not be possible without the support of our members and partners. We thank you for joining us on this amazing journey to a stronger, healthier, more vibrant Wisconsin.

Missed our party but still want to celebrate?  Sign up today for our September 26th, Ride with RENEW in Madison.  Our annual bike ride will feature the Forest Edge Elementary School – the first net-zero school in Wisconsin!

EVs for Good Program Announcement

EVs for Good Program Announcement

UPDATE: The first grant cycle for EVs for Good closed Saturday, May 1, 2021. Applications for the second grant cycle are now being accepted on a rolling basis.


March 5th, 2021

RENEW is happy to announce EVs for Good, a new grant program created to foster the expansion of and transition to electric vehicles among nonprofits in Wisconsin. EVs for Good will reduce the upfront costs of purchasing an electric vehicle while reducing vehicle maintenance costs and transportation emissions. 

RENEW Wisconsin’s mission is to lead and accelerate the transformation to Wisconsin’s renewable energy future through advocacy, education, and collaboration. Transportation accounts for approximately 25% of Wisconsin’s energy use and emissions. This presents a huge opportunity to transition our state’s vehicles away from fossil fuels and onto clean, renewable electricity sources. Electrifying transportation will result in lower carbon emissions and improved air quality for all Wisconsinites. 

EVs for Good is possible thanks to a generous donation from Carol and Andy Phelps. The Phelps installed a solar array at their Middleton home in 2019 and recently purchased an electric vehicle to further reduce their carbon emissions. The Phelps are extremely happy with their shift from gasoline and want to ensure everyone has the same opportunity.

“Everyone thinks electric cars are only for rich people, but EVs are for everybody,” said Andy Phelps.

This interview of Carol and Andy Phelps explains why they are so passionate about the EVs for Good program.

EVs for Good will offer grants for 20% of the cost of an electric vehicle, with a maximum grant of $5,000. Larger grants, capped at $10,000, are available for organizations seeking to purchase an electric van or bus. In addition, $500 grants are available for organizations who choose to install Level 2 (or higher) electric vehicle charging equipment.

Preference will be given to organizations that work on issues related to social justice or education.   Preference will also be given to organizations that serve black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), low-income, or rural communities, as well as, those that serve children or seniors.

 

Nonprofits can apply for the following:

  • Vehicle Grant: Covers 20% of the cost of a new or used electric vehicle, with a $5,000 maximum amount. Grants may also cover 20% of an electric bicycle or an electric cargo bicycle purchase. 
  • Van or Bus Grant: Covers 20% of the cost of a new or used electric van or bus, with a maximum grant amount of $10,000. The vehicle must be able to transport eight or more persons safely.
  • Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment Grant: $500 grant for nonprofits installing a Level 2 (or higher) electric vehicle charger.

 

Organizations that receive an EVs for Good grant must agree to promote their awards in their communities. This outreach can be a media event, an open house for the solar + charging infrastructure, a vehicle demonstration, or a “ride and drive” for an electric vehicle purchase.

Grants will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, with the initial grant cycle opening in Spring 2021. If all funds are not awarded in Spring 2021, grant applications will be accepted on a biannual basis until all funds are dispersed.

The initial grant cycle for EVs for Good opens on Thursday, April 1, 2021. Applications are due by Saturday, May 1, 2021. Questions can be emailed to sam@renewwisconsin.org.

Renewable Energy Champions & Standout Projects Set to Receive Honors at RENEW’s 2018 Summit

Renewable Energy Champions & Standout Projects Set to Receive Honors at RENEW’s 2018 Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 11, 2018

CONTACT:
Tyler Huebner
tyler.huebner@renewwisconsin.org
(608) 255-4044 x1

RENEW’s seventh annual Renewable Energy Summit, set for January 18, 2018, will furnish the occasion for recognizing the leading lights in Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry and spotlighting the developments that made 2017 such a stellar year. Titled “Connecting to a Powerful Future,” RENEW’s Summit will take place at Monona Terrace in Madison; registration starts at 8:00 AM and the program runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The recognition ceremony will begin at 2:00 PM.

Last year saw the first large-scale wind power plant go up in Wisconsin since 2011. Quilt Block, a 49-turbine, 98-megawatt (MW) project developed by Houston-based EDP Renewables is now online, producing power under contract to La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative, whose four-state service area includes 18 member cooperatives and 10 municipal utilities in Wisconsin.

Representing a capital investment of $167 million, EDP’s Quilt Block project will produce enough renewable electricity to power more than 25,000 Wisconsin residences while providing millions of dollars in local aids to the Town of Seymour and Lafayette County, as well as lease payments to participating landowners over the plant’s operating life.

At the Summit, RENEW will honor Quilt Block Wind Farm as Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Project of the Year. Recognizing the strong collaboration forged by project participants, RENEW will present plaques to representatives of the developer (EDP Renewables), the utility purchaser (Dairyland Power Cooperative), local governments (Town of Seymour, Lafayette County), and participating landowners.

Last year marked the emergence of RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good, a program that provides grants to nonprofit institutions that seek to install solar electric systems on their buildings. Initiated by donations from Deerfield-based philanthropists Cal and Laurie Couillard, Solar for Good awarded 16 grants in 2017 supporting the installation of 573 kilowatts (kW) of new solar electric projects to serve such entities as public charter schools, food pantries, houses of worship, and nursing care facilities.

For their philanthropy that made possible the Solar for Good program, Cal and Laurie Couillard will receive honors as Renewable Energy Champions.

Also set to receive honors as Renewable Energy Champions are John and Mary Frantz, both retired physicians and long-time renewable energy advocates now living in Madison who have been generous supporters of RENEW Wisconsin’s work to expand renewable energy.  In recent years, their generosity has taken the form of providing matching donations to “Ride with RENEW,” a fundraising event held in autumn featuring bicycle tours of noteworthy renewable energy projects in Wisconsin.

The recognition segment will also draw attention to other milestones and notable achievements in 2017, including the following:

  • All 15 solar arrays built by SoCore Energy (Illinois) and GroSolar (Vermont) under contract to Dairyland Power are now producing electricity. Three of the arrays, located in New Auburn, Phillips, and Roberts, are the state’s largest in operation. 
  • Xcel Energy’s Wisconsin utility commissioned a 1 megawatt (MW) array in Eau Claire, which now supplies energy to its shared solar subscribers. 
  • SunPeak designed and built the state’s largest rooftop solar electric system in operation, a 1.2 MW array atop the American Family Insurance headquarters building in Madison.
  • Eagle Point Solar installed 350 kilowatts (kW) of solar generation atop two schools in the Northland Pines School District, which now has more solar capacity than any other K-12 district in Wisconsin. 
  • SunVest Solar and Current Electric teamed up to design and install 800 kW of solar capacity on six rooftops in the Oneida Nation reservation in Brown County.
  • Contractors partnered with local nonprofits to launch five residential group solar purchase programs across Wisconsin. Together these initiatives result in 158 installations totaling nearly 1,000 kW of new solar capacity.

“These award winners and honorable projects deserve recognition for the benefits they are bringing Wisconsin’s people and economy,” said Tyler Huebner, RENEW Wisconsin’s Executive Director.  “These honorees are leading the way towards a clean, vibrant, and self-sustaining Wisconsin energy future.”

For more information on the 2018 Summit program agenda, speakers, and registration, please visit http://www.renewwisconsin.org/2018_Summit/index.html.

###

RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization dedicated to renewable energy in Wisconsin. We advance and defend policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, and geothermal energy. More information is available on RENEW’s Web site at www.renewwisconsin.org.  

Jim Boullion Named RENEW Wisconsin’s  Director of Government Affairs

Jim Boullion Named RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 9, 2018
Jim Boullion Named RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs
MADISON
– Renew Wisconsin’s Executive Director Tyler Huebner has named Jim Boullion as
Director of Government Affairs to lead the organization’s policy and advocacy
efforts in Madison.



Jim brings us years of
experience in Wisconsin politics and a broad network of relationships with
utilities, business, labor and other politically active organizations that are
critically important in our efforts to advance renewable energy in Wisconsin.”
Huebner said.


In his new role, Boullion will be working on state and federal
issues to increase the utilization of Wisconsin generated renewable energy that
will power a strong, healthy and vibrant Wisconsin through lower energy costs,
increased energy security and stable, good paying jobs.


“I joined RENEW because of its leadership role in the
exciting changes that are happening in the renewable sectors of the energy
industry. Renewable energy technology and pricing has reached a tipping point
where it is becoming a mainstream and critical component of our energy mix, now
and in the future.” commented Boullion.


Jim is a life-long resident of Wisconsin and attended the
University of Wisconsin – Madison.  He
has served as Director of Government Affairs for various trade associations in
Wisconsin over the past 25 years, including 16 years with the Associated
General Contractors. He is a Past President of the Association of
Wisconsin Lobbyists, worked in the Wisconsin State Assembly for 9 years and
served in Governor Walker’s administration as Administrator of the Division of
Policy
Development in the Department of Safety and
Professional Services.
RENEW Wisconsin is
a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing renewable energy in Wisconsin.
We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas,
local hydropower, and geothermal energy. More information is available on
RENEW’s website: 
www.renewwisconsin.org


###





MEDIA CONTACTS:
Tyler Huebner
(608) 255-4044 x1
  
Jim Boullion

(608) 255-4044 x4
National Leaders & Wisconsin Executives to Headline January Renewable Energy Summit

National Leaders & Wisconsin Executives to Headline January Renewable Energy Summit

Immediate release                                                   
December 19, 2017                                               


More information     
Tyler
Huebner, Executive Director
608.255.4044 x 1                                                                                    
tyler.huebner@renewwisconsin.org                                                                                  


National Leaders & Wisconsin Executives to Headline January
Renewable Energy Summit

RENEW Wisconsin will host
its seventh annual Renewable Energy Summit on Thursday, January 18th, 2018, at Monona
Terrace in Madison. The theme of the event, “Connecting to a Powerful Future,” will highlight the
significant expansion of renewable power underway in Wisconsin, both at the
customer and utility level, and the need to broaden connections to continue
this momentum.


This one-day event will
feature two keynote speakers.


Abby Hopper
is the CEO of the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) in
Washington, DC
.  The solar industry has grown at a 20% annual
clip the past five years as installation costs have declined rapidly. This is
creating great opportunities in up-and-coming markets like Wisconsin!  Abby oversees all of SEIA’s activities,
including government affairs, research, communications, and industry
leadership. SEIA is at the forefront of national solar advocacy, including the
recent Federal tax overhaul and import tariff threat.





Jane Bloch
is Principal at Tusculum Consulting
,
where she is a clean energy communications expert. She comes to our Summit to
share best practices on how to effectively communicate about clean energy with
different audiences.  She has spent the
last decade advancing clean energy policies through strategic communications,
stakeholder engagement, and philanthropic investment. Jane grew up spending her
summers in the Northwoods, near Minocqua, where she learned to love canoeing
and loon calls.




The event will begin with
a recap of 2017 and outlook to 2018 by RENEW Wisconsin’s Board Chair Amy Heart
and Executive Director Tyler Huebner. At 9:30am, three Wisconsin utility executives will participate in a panel
session discussing their companies’ investments and programs for renewable
energy such as wind, solar, and biogas.



WI Utility Executives Roundtable



The lunch panel will feature experts from Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry.
Driving Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Markets





The program will feature
networking opportunities with exhibitors and attendees, as well as a social
hour following the close of the formal program.
Summit registration is open
and over 100 individuals and company representatives have already signed
up.  Rates are $125 for Members of RENEW
Wisconsin, $155 for non-members, $125 for government and non-profit employees,
and $35 for students and elected officials and their staff. Membership with
RENEW starts at $35 for individuals and $200 for businesses and organizations.
For more information on
the 2018 program agenda, speakers, and registration, please visit  
http://www.renewwisconsin.org/2018_Summit/index.html.
An impressive set of
corporate and organizational sponsors, showcased on the final page, have signed
up to attend.


RENEW
Wisconsin Summit Event Sponsors as-of December 18, 2017
   




-END-

RENEW
Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in
Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind
power, biogas, local hydropower, and geothermal energy. More information is
available on RENEW’s website: 
www.renewwisconsin.org.