Imagine Wisconsin is about to take the most ambitious road trip in its history.
The destination? A future where the lights stay on, electric bills are affordable, businesses have the power they need to grow, and the air is cleaner than it is today.
Three people walk up to the driver’s seat and say, “I know the best way.” But they all want to take a different route.
Mandela Barnes: “Let’s Build Opportunity.”
Barnes looks out the windshield and says, “This trip should help everyone.”
His path focuses on creating good-paying jobs, expanding clean energy, and making sure the benefits reach working families and communities that have often been left behind.
His message is simple: Wisconsin can grow its economy while building more renewable energy.
Francesca Hong: “Let’s Build the Highway of the Future.”
Hong unfolds what appears to be the largest map anyone has brought. She talks about adding more solar and wind farms, more battery storage, and a stronger electric grid. She also wants Wisconsin to plan ahead rather than wait until there’s a problem.
When giant new electricity users, like AI data centers, move into Wisconsin, she argues they should pay for the new power plants and transmission lines they need, rather than sending the bill to everyone else.
Her route is ambitious and detailed.
Tom Tiffany: “Don’t Fix What Isn’t Broken.”
Tiffany eases off the gas and says, “Slow down.” Tiffany wants to pump the brakes on utility-scale renewable energy projects. His alternative? Wisconsin should lean into fossil fuels and add more nuclear energy generation to the mix to meet our energy needs and keep prices low.
Renewable energy could have a place on his map, but he believes nuclear energy and fossil fuels are what’s needed to meet Wisconsin’s energy needs.
Who Has the Strongest Plan to Expand Renewables?
If the only category being judged is renewable energy strategy, Hong has the best route. She explains not only where Wisconsin should go, but also how to get there. That doesn’t automatically make it the “best” plan for every voter, but it’s certainly our preference at RENEW.
Francesca Hong — A
Hong brings the most complete blueprint to the table. Her plan covers renewable energy from nearly every angle—expanding solar and wind power, adding battery storage, strengthening the electric grid, improving energy efficiency, and planning for Wisconsin’s future energy needs. She also explains who should help pay for new infrastructure.
Mandela Barnes — B+
Barnes strongly supports renewable energy and clean-energy jobs. His vision is optimistic and focuses on creating opportunities for working families. While his goals are clear, his publicly released energy strategy contains fewer specific details about how those goals would be achieved.
Tom Tiffany — D
Tiffany’s focus is different. He believes that expanding nuclear power and relying on fossil fuels will drive down energy prices. Renewable energy might be part of his approach, but it is certainly not the centerpiece of his energy strategy. Because this report card grades only renewable energy policy, he receives the lowest score.
*These grades are not an endorsement, just a review of a specific policy area
The Destination
Every candidate agrees on one thing:
Wisconsin needs more energy.
Where they disagree is how to build it, who should pay for it, and how quickly the state should move toward renewable energy.
As with every road trip, there are different routes to the same destination, but it’s up to the people of Wisconsin to decide who gets the keys.
*This blog post is not a candidate endorsement.