RENEW Wisconsin
 | |
| Type | NGO |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 214 North Hamilton Street, Suite 300 Madison WI 53703-2106 |
| Area served | WI |
| Key people | Sam Dunaiski, Executive Director |
| Services | renewables advocacy |
| Revenue | $1.32 million (2023) |
| Employees | 14 (2024) |
| Website | RENEWWisconsin.org |
RENEW Wisconsin is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was founded in 1991. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, it works to promote policies and programs that expand solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, geothermal energy and electric vehicles. RENEW Wisconsin works within the state legislature and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to increase support for the renewable energy sector.
RENEW represents more than 80 business members conducting renewable energy business in Wisconsin as well as more than 300 individuals and other organizations.
It sponsors an annual RENEW Wisconsin Summit, which gathers industry experts, policymakers, innovators, and community leaders dedicated to accelerating the transition to clean energy sources.
RENEW also issues grants to businesses, nonprofit organizations and individuals to help them purchase renewable energy equipment.
RENEW shares its office with The Energy Fund, a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization that engages in educational campaigns, lobbying and nonpartisan political efforts to support renewable energy. RENEW is a member of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.[1]
Programs
- Solar for Good awards grants to nonprofit organizations to assist them in installing solar panels.
- MadiSUN works on behalf of the City of Madison to administer the MadiSUN Solar Programs to increase the number of residences in the City of Madison with solar systems.
Personnel
RENEW has 14 employees, including Executive Director Sam Dunaiski. It is governed by a 15-member board of directors.
Funding
In 2023, RENEW reported $1.32 million in revenue and $1.58 million in expenses. According to its financial reports, 87% of its expenditures were spent on program expenses.
Funders include:
- Argosy Foundation
- Carolyn Foundation
- City of Madison
- Couillard Solar Foundation
- McKnight Foundation
- United States Energy Foundation
Activities
2022
- RENEW's annual renewable energy summit in January brought together more than 600 renewable energy industry professionals, utility leaders, government officials, students, and advocates.
- RENEW supported the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bill (SB 692), which was passed in February 2022 by the Wisconsin State Senate and signed into law by Governor Tony Evers. It enables property owners to obtain low-cost, long-term loans for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation improvements.
- RENEW and other clean energy advocates submitted comments to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) in favor of protecting and improving net metering in Wisconsin.
- In April, RENEW assembled a team of experts to develop a comprehensive framework for setting distributed generation (DG) buyback rates to counter utility efforts to undervalue customer-sited renewables.
- With RENEW's support, the PSCW approved Alliant Energy's application to construct 414 megawatts (MW) of solar generation at six locations. With approvals totaling nearly 1,100 mw, Alliant's solar portfolio is set to become the largest of any midwest utility.
- The PSCW also approved Invenergy's Koshkonong Solar project in eastern Dane County. The project combines 300 mw of solar generation with 165 mw of battery energy storage
- The PSCW also awarded $10 million in funding from the Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP) to support innovative energy efficiency, solar and storage projects, and clean energy planning projects.
- Governor Tony Evers introduced Wisconsin's first-ever clean energy plan and created a new Wisconsin Office of Environmental Justice to promote environmentally fair policies.
- RENEW and a group of solar developers and installers launched SolarShare Wisconsin Cooperative, which enables members to pool investments into developing small-scale solar farms.[2]
- Two petitions were filed at the PSCW in May seeking rulings to clarify the issue of third-party-financed renewable energy generation serving individual customers behind their meters.
- Wisconsin submitted its Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (WEVI) plan, outlining plans for spending $78.65 million of available funding to build, operate and maintain electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
2023
- Supported the Midcontinent Independent System Operator board, which signed off on a $10.3 billion portfolio of 18 transmission projects for the upper Midwest.
- Encouraged the states of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan to add charging stations and boost electric vehicle use around Lake Michigan.
- Attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of Alliant Energy's 150 MW Wood County Solar Project solar project near Nekoosa, WI.
- RENEW and Clean Wisconsin released Wisconsin's Roadmap to Net Zero by 2050, an energy and economic research showing that Wisconsin can cost-effectively achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, bringing economic and health benefits to the state.
Contact
RENEW Wisconsin
214 North Hamilton Street, Suite 300
Madison WI 53703-2106
608-255-4044
608-819-0748
https://www.renewwisconsin.org
Social media
Charity ratings
References
- ↑ Midwest Renewable Energy Association website, business member directory. Accessed July 6, 2024.
