May 01, 2020

A Tale of Two States Clean Energy Report

Minnesota's Clean Energy Policies Outpace Wisconsin's

ELPC compared renewable energy policies in the Upper Midwest states and found strong state policies led to more clean energy development in Minnesota than in neighboring Wisconsin. These policies help to fix broken energy markets, level the energy playing field, and foster jobs and business growth, spreading the benefits of clean energy widely across society and providing for future generations.

The badger state, on the other hand, has suffered from weak policies, with a heavy coal reliance and fewer opportunities for energy innovation. Once a leader in renewable policies, today the state lags while the vast majority of Wisconsinites want more renewable energy. However, Wisconsin has already begun to benefit from the growing renewable marketplace beyond its borders, as Dairy state companies increasingly serve nationwide or even worldwide renewable energy markets with manufacturing, repair, and professional services.

Wisconsin has the opportunity now to catch up and even pass up. New and robust clean energy policies can propel Wisconsin “Forward” with business and job opportunities. We can learn from the experiences of other states and then “leap-frog” them to become, again, renewable energy leaders. Shout-out to graduate student Samantha VanDyke who helped spearhead this report and law student Austin Putz who provided research.