Leading by Example: Clean Energy on the Ground in Wisconsin
On Sunrise Drive in La Crosse, a two-story older home now boasts cutting-edge energy efficiency—a visible testament to what public policy done right can accomplish. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers didn’t just offer platitudes about the future of clean power during National Clean Energy Week; he showed up in person. Touring this upgraded house, Evers illustrated a message often lost in political abstraction: clean energy isn’t just about theory or far-off climate goals. It’s about transforming daily life, lowering bills, and cementing a more secure future, one household at a time.
The sheer practical value of these improvements cannot be overstated. The La Crosse homeowner, guided by Green Homeowners United, leveraged multiple state and federal programs—most notably the federal Inflation Reduction Act’s Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate Program—to swap aging fossil-fuel systems for a state-of-the-art electric heat pump and water heater. The transformation didn’t stop there. Air and duct sealing and upgraded insulation together create a living space that’s cheaper to heat, healthier, and climate-friendly.
By all accounts, Wisconsin stands at the forefront of states leveraging these powerful federal incentives. According to data from the Public Service Commission, Wisconsin was the first state in the nation to roll out the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate Program. Neighboring states are now racing to catch up. For Evers and the state’s Democratic leadership, these aren’t just box-ticking exercises, but a recalibration of what energy policy can look like when focused on real people and real needs.
Partnerships and Progress: Tribal Leadership in Clean Energy
Moving beyond city limits, Evers’s visit to the Menominee Reservation in Keshena highlighted a collaboration that defies conventional wisdom—a tribal community pushing rural Wisconsin toward energy independence. Here, Sun Bear Industries, partnering with the Menominee Nation, is leading two major solar projects: the Community Kitchen Solar Project and the Elder Home Solar and Battery Backup Project. These aren’t experimental installations or tech showcases for press releases; they’re working systems bringing down energy costs for families and building resilience where it’s sorely needed.
The Menominee Reservation, far from urban Madison or Milwaukee, has emerged as a clean energy laboratory. By installing solar panels and battery backup systems in homes and communal facilities, the tribe is cultivating energy self-sufficiency in environments often left behind in the clean energy transition. Governor Evers expressed admiration for the Menominee’s stewardship, underscoring that tribal and rural communities can drive the larger state—and indeed, the nation—toward a sustainable future.
“When communities take control of their energy future, it’s not just the environment that wins—it’s families, elders, and future generations who benefit most,” Evers remarked during his Menominee stop.
Historical neglect means many tribal and rural areas have missed out on the economic and health benefits of the nation’s energy shifts. Now, these Wisconsin projects show what a different approach can yield: not trickle-down promises, but tangible change powered by inclusive public investment. The Menominee’s solar advancements, praised by clean energy advocates such as the Environmental Law & Policy Center, are a template for resilience—especially as climate extremes imperil both urban and rural communities.
Overcoming Obstacles: Politics, Policy, and the Path Forward
The clean energy blueprint Evers promotes is ambitious, but not without resistance. Conservative state lawmakers and industry lobbies frequently rely on stale talking points—too expensive, too complicated, too much government. Yet these criticisms struggle to hold water when a growing number of Wisconsinites see firsthand lower bills, cleaner air, and greater comfort resulting from these investments.
Consider the alternative. Wisconsin lags in solar deployment compared to progressive states like California or New York, due in large part to regulatory barriers and fossil fuel lobby interests pushing back on renewable mandates and grant programs. Republican legislators have repeatedly attempted to stall or defund the Energy Innovation Grant Program and disparaged climate action as “job-killing.” But is it truly job-killing to create thousands of local jobs in the installation, maintenance, and manufacturing sectors tied to renewables? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, clean energy jobs are among the nation’s fastest-growing—solar installer positions alone are projected to grow 22% through the next decade, more than three times the national average across all occupations.
Beyond that, the economic stakes are intergenerational. As climate impacts worsen, the costs of inaction land squarely on the shoulders of working families and marginalized communities—higher utility prices, more frequent blackouts, and widening health disparities. Progressive leaders like Evers argue, drawing on research by Harvard economist Jodi Kanter, that public investments in energy efficiency deliver outsized social returns—from reduced medical costs to local job creation, especially in communities historically left behind by the status quo.
Is this a perfect plan? Of course not. No policy is, and skepticism is warranted. Some residents—especially in lower-income or rental housing—still face barriers accessing credits and grants, a flaw Evers himself has acknowledged. But these are policy problems, not arguments for abandoning the larger project. For every conservative claim about government overreach, there are thousands of Wisconsinites who now enjoy warmer homes, lighter bills, and a glimpse of a sustainable future—because government stepped up.
Wisconsin’s Model: A Blueprint for the Nation?
Clean energy critics complain about mandates; Wisconsin is showing what voluntary, incentive-driven change can look like. The Evers administration’s efforts, celebrated during National Clean Energy Week, mark a pro-active role for government that is still all too rare. Instead of waiting for markets alone to solve inequality and climate threats, Evers bets on democracy, public investment, and community partnership. Perhaps the real lesson here is that a smarter, fairer energy future is built—not wished for.
The road ahead for Wisconsin—and the country—is complex, but if you walk the streets of La Crosse or visit the solar installations rising among the tall pines of the Menominee Nation, the benefits are concrete and transformative. Progressive leadership doesn’t just talk about change; it delivers it, sometimes home by home, sometimes tribe by tribe. In doing so, it invites all of us to imagine what’s possible—if only we have the courage and will to build it together.
