Policy & Advocacy

RENEW is dedicated to increasing access to the benefits of renewable energy for everyone in the Badger State. To accelerate the clean energy transition, we are focusing on the following key policy priorities:

Affirming the legality of third-party financing
Third-party financing is a solution to the barrier of upfront costs associated with renewable energy projects and makes ‘going solar’ an accessible option for low to middle-income homeowners, churches, government agencies, and nonprofits. Legal clarity on third-party financing is essential to expand access to clean energy. Learn more at wisolarcoalition.com.

Implementing fair and clear distributed generation policies
Breweries, farms, manufacturers, solar companies, families, congregations, and others produce clean energy that benefits the electric grid. RENEW is working to ensure that electricity is valued fairly by advocating for improvements on net metering, parallel generation rates, and interconnection rules. If we get these policies right, Wisconsin can reach its clean energy potential.

Expanding Community Solar
Community solar is a simple solution that enables residential, commercial, and large energy customers to shift to renewables and reduce energy bills. Presently, 21 states have policies supporting community solar, but Wisconsin lacks a similar framework. Learn more at wisolarcoalition.com.

Building A Roadmap for Wisconsin’s Zero Carbon Future
RENEW is partnering with Clean Wisconsin and GridLab to conduct a zero-carbon grid study for the PSC’s consideration.

Our analysis will help answer the following questions:

  • What is the right mix of renewable resources in-state and out-of-state?
  • What is a reasonable balance between utility-scale and distributed solar resources?
  • How much transmission capacity is needed to achieve a zero-carbon future?
  • What will be the health, jobs, and economic impacts as we make this clean grid transition?

Learn more about Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan HERE.

 

Our Current Priorities at the PSC

Protect Rooftop Solar in Wisconsin

Net metering is a utility billing policy that enables customers who generate electricity from their own solar systems to receive a bill credit for any energy they export to the grid. This arrangement encourages residential and business customers to invest in solar...

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Legislative Watchlist

RENEW’s legisltive focus includes clean energy financing, electric vehicles, community solar, third-party financing, net metering and energy storage. 

Clean Energy Legislative Update • July 2024

Wisconsin’s primary election is an opportunity to have your voice heard on which local and national candidates you think best align with your view. This year voters also have a say in how the state decides to spend federal dollars.

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Clean Energy Legislative Update • March 2024

As the legislature wraps up for this session, RENEW is celebrating several victories and reflecting on some of the other renewable energy measures being considered by the state legislature. Big Win for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Senate Bill 791, the Electric...

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Action Alerts

Action Alert: Vista Sands Solar Development At Risk

A draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) created by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin regarding Vista Sands Solar Farm and is missing a discussion of solar’s impact on reducing carbon...

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Protect Rooftop Solar in Wisconsin

Net metering is a utility billing policy that enables customers who generate electricity from their own solar systems to receive a bill credit for any energy they export to the grid. This arrangement encourages residential and business customers to invest in solar...

read more

Current Local Initiatives

Fall 2024 Solar for Good Grant Awards

The Solar for Good grant program has awarded over $220,000 in grants and solar panel donations to Wisconsin nonprofit organizations for the Fall 2024 grant round. The 14 nonprofits will install 16 projects for a total of 1,000 kilowatts of solar electricity, leading...

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CESA 10 Serving Schools & Going Solar

On Friday, November 1, Cooperative Education Services Agency 10 (CESA 10) celebrated the completion of its new 124.2-kilowatt solar array during their ribbon-cutting ceremony.

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