by Jeremy Orr | Aug 27, 2021 | Electric Vehicles, Legislative Watchlist
Did you know Wisconsin is one of over a dozen states that currently does not allow direct sales of electric vehicles?
This week, I had the opportunity to provide testimony – alongside Tesla, Lucid, and other industry experts – explaining RENEW Wisconsin’s support of Senate Bill 462, which would allow direct sales of electric vehicles in Wisconsin.
This is an important and much-needed step towards electric vehicle (EV) expansion in Wisconsin, as it removes market barriers and allows consumers greater access to EVs that better suit their financial and driving needs.
This legislation also ensures Wisconsin does not get left behind in the electric vehicle marketplace. It has the potential to bring jobs to Wisconsin by opening the door for companies like Fisker, Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla to both manufacture and sell EVs directly in Wisconsin. As Henrik Fisker, CEO and Co-Founder of Fisker, Inc., recently said in Forbes: “The one sticking point for me would be that I don’t want to start producing a car in a state where I can’t sell my car direct.”
And if you’re worried about direct sales putting dealerships out of business, research shows that in states that currently allow direct sales of electric vehicles, the traditional dealership model experienced 52% sales growth and 18% employment growth (higher than the national average).
However, in states that do not currently allow direct sales, the sales and employment growth of the traditional dealership model is lower than the national average and much lower than in states that do allow it.
Senate Bill 462 is about diversifying Wisconsin’s auto industry and Wisconsin’s economy. In 2020, 45% of electric vehicles purchased by Wisconsinites were purchased in-state, and 55% were purchased out-of-state. That’s 55% in lost sales revenue due to an out-of-state electric vehicle purchase!
The chart illustrates the projected growth in electric vehicle adoption in Wisconsin based on Bloomberg’s EV Outlook 2021 (analysis conducted by Robin Lisowski of Slipstream Aug 2021).
Passage of this legislation would let consumers decide for themselves, how they want to shop for and purchase an electric vehicle. As Kathy Harris from NRDC puts it “Let Drivers Buy Clean Cars.”
by Jim Boullion | Aug 21, 2021 | Action Alert, Advocacy, Electric Vehicles, Legislative Watchlist
The Senate Committee on Government Operations, Legal Review, and Consumer Protection scheduled a public hearing on Senate Bill 462 / Assembly Bill 439 relating to ownership, control, or operation of a motor vehicle dealership and performance of motor vehicle warranty service.
Wednesday, August 25, 2021, 10:00 AM
Room 411 South, State Capitol
Senator Dale Kooyenga (R-Brookfield) and Representative Adam Neylon (R-Pewaukee) introduced legislation to allow a direct sales business model for electric vehicles (EVs) in Wisconsin. If passed, EV manufacturers could sell and deliver their vehicles directly to consumers, either online or from a manufacturer-owned dealership, rather than Wisconsin’s current dealership model. The bill would also clarify that an EV manufacturer can provide warranty and preparation work on vehicles they manufacture in Wisconsin.
RENEW Wisconsin strongly supports this initiative and sent a letter to legislators urging their endorsement. To help pass this legislation, we encourage you to contact your legislators directly or attend the public hearing to register in favor, or even better, speak directly with the committee members.
The Kooyenga/Neylon bill is one of the keys to increasing EV availability for Wisconsin businesses and consumers and reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. The internet has completely reimagined how we buy things, opening opportunities, lowering prices, and eliminating many market barriers of the past. The bill would permit Wisconsin’s consumers greater access to EVs that better suit their financial and driving needs by allowing them to purchase directly from the manufacturer-dealership without traveling to Illinois or Minnesota.
If you have any questions or would like to report whether or not your legislators support this legislation, please contact Jim Boullion, Director of Government Affairs at jim@renewwisconsin.org or Jeremy Orr, Emerging Technologies Program Manager at jeremy@renewwisconsin.org.
by Katelynn Samuelsen | Jul 23, 2021 | Advocacy, Community, Community Solar, Legislative Watchlist, Policy, Renewables, Solar, Utilities
This blog is from 2021 and does not reflect the 2023 iteration of the Community Solar Bill. For information on the current iteration check here.
Over the past few months, RENEW Wisconsin and our partners have been developing statewide policies that would expand customer access to community solar projects. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory defines community solar, also known as shared solar or solar gardens, as a distributed solar energy deployment model that allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger, offsite shared solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Community members subscribing to a solar facility receive credits for their share of the power produced, either in electricity bill savings or energy (kWh) credits.
New community solar projects are being rapidly developed around the country; 21 states, including Minnesota and Illinois, have already enacted policies that expand the community solar market between subscribing organizations and participating customers. Community solar deployment in the United States has achieved a five-year annual growth rate of 53%[1]. But, lacking statewide policies to promote community solar options, Wisconsin is quickly falling behind.
Since 2010, the number of solar energy systems purchased by US homeowners and businesses has grown tenfold. By the end of 2019, nearly two million homeowners and businesses were reaping the rewards from producing solar-generated electricity. Solar power is popular with many US consumers, and it has become an affordable option for many households and businesses. Yet access to solar power is limited. More than 50% of Wisconsin households cannot access solar energy onsite because they rent, live in multi-tenant buildings, have roofs that cannot host a solar system, or experience some other constraining factor.
In Wisconsin right now, only regulated utilities and cooperatives can provide energy from solar gardens to customers. A few utilities, like Madison Gas and Electric, offer a shared solar service that customers can enroll in today. However, most Wisconsin utilities do not currently have a comparable program available for their customers. That lack of access will persist unless state lawmakers adopt a modernized policy to promote a robust community solar marketplace.
Senator Duey Stroebel (R – Saukville) and Representative Timothy Ramthun (R – Campbellsport) have introduced legislation that would expand access to community solar in Wisconsin. This legislation enables the development of more community solar and supports energy freedom, expands customer choice, saves money on your utility bill, all while creating healthier and more resilient communities.
With a stronger statewide community solar policy, we would open the door for homeowners, businesses, schools, churches, and nonprofits to supply themselves with clean, affordable electricity from a local solar array.
Community solar legislation would benefit all utility customers by adding locally generated electricity to our energy grid while strengthening the rural economy at the same time. Community solar brings guaranteed savings for every subscriber as well as predictable and stable long-term energy costs. It gives customers a choice to support local clean energy projects while expanding access to affordable renewable energy for low-to middle-income residents.
Community solar expansion would allow more Wisconsin farmers to lease their land to host solar arrays and receive a guaranteed secure income for 25 years or longer. This drought-resistant cash crop is especially valuable for Wisconsin’s agricultural communities facing economic stress.
The soil underneath the panels can be planted with a variety of native plants and perennials. In addition to minimizing agricultural runoff and fixing nutrients in the soil, these perennials create a high-quality habitat for bees, butterflies, and other insects that move pollen in and around the fields and improve farm productivity.
When solar panels have reached the end of their useful lives, the equipment can be removed, and crop production can resume on the land that has become more fertile as a result of the native plantings.
A robust community solar market in Wisconsin will create thousands of jobs, spur hundreds of millions of dollars in economic growth, and save customers millions in utility bills. Community solar is proven to support economic development, expand consumer choice and bring clean energy to urban and rural communities across Wisconsin.
Learn more about the proposed community solar legislation at www.wisolarcoalition.com.
[1] The Vision of US Community Solar: A Roadmap to 2030
by Jim Boullion | Jul 15, 2021 | Advocacy, Community Solar, Electric Vehicles, Legislative Watchlist, Policy, Renewables, Solar, Utilities
When Governor Tony Evers introduced his 2021-23 Budget Bill in February, it included 28 provisions to advance clean energy and energy efficiency in Wisconsin. Among those provisions were recommendations to expand Focus on Energy, invest in the clean energy workforce, and support Wisconsin’s electric vehicle infrastructure.
Unfortunately, by the time the Governor signed the Budget on Thursday, July 8th, those 28 provisions, along with a majority of the Governor’s other initiatives, were removed from the Budget document adopted by the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) and legislature.
A number of the provisions and other clean energy bills may still be considered during the remainder of the upcoming regular legislative session. Among the proposals we expect to be considered include:
- Community Solar Expansion – Authorize the development of non-utility-owned community solar projects. Would direct the PSC to establish fair credit rates for subscribers and compensation to utilities for the use of their infrastructure and billing services. (Introduced for co-sponsorship on July 14th)
- 3rd Party Financing – Affirm 3rd party financing of solar arrays is legal.
- Direct Purchase of Automobiles – Enable electric vehicle manufacturers to sell vehicles directly to consumers in Wisconsin, either online or at manufacturer-owned facilities, without going through an independent dealership.
- EV Charging Station Grants – Allocate up to $10 million of the unspent VW Settlement funds for clean energy corridor incentives for EV charging stations.
- EV Charging Fees – Clarify selling electricity by the kilowatt-hour to EVs does not subject EV charging station owners to utility regulation.
RENEW Wisconsin will continue to work with the legislature and the Governor to advance these and other clean energy initiatives. We hope you will join us.
If you would like to talk to your legislators about any of these provisions or have other clean energy ideas that you think the State should adopt, click here to find your representatives’ contact information.
If you have any questions or comments about any of these issues, please contact Jim Boullion, RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs, at jim@renewwisconsin.org.
by Jim Boullion | Mar 22, 2021 | Action Alert, Legislative Watchlist, Policy
RENEW Wisconsin supports the 28 clean energy provisions that Governor Evers included in his proposed 2021-23 Budget Bill. Among them are recommendations to expand Focus on Energy, invest in the clean energy workforce, and advance Wisconsin’s electric vehicle infrastructure.
The Budget Bill is now in the hands of the state legislature, and the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has announced four listening sessions, three in-person and one virtual, to learn about your Budget priorities.
The JFC public hearings all begin at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at these locations:
- Friday, April 9, 2021, UW-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI
- Wednesday, April 21, 2021, The Hodag Dome, Rhinelander, WI
- Thursday, April 22, 2021, UW-Stout, Menomonie, WI
- Wednesday, April 28, 2021, Virtual
Due to the expected crowd size, speakers (virtual and in-person) will be given just two minutes to speak. If you would like to submit more in-depth comments, the committee has created a web portal for citizens to provide input. The JFC has also developed a dedicated email address for comments: budget.comments@legis.wisconsin.gov.
While the JFC process is important, it does have its limitations. The most effective thing you can do to support the clean energy Budget proposals is to speak directly with your state legislators, especially if they are a member of the Joint Finance Committee or in the Senate or Assembly legislative leadership. You can contact them one-on-one or see if they are holding in-district or virtual listening sessions for their constituents. To find the contact information for your legislators, you can use the digital Legislative District Map.
Every legislator has a vote and can influence what is included in the final Budget package. Make your legislators understand that clean energy issues are a priority for you!
If you have any questions or find out that your legislators are especially supportive or opposed to the clean energy proposals, please tell Jim Boullion, RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs, jim@renewwisconsin.org.
by Jim Boullion | Feb 24, 2021 | Legislative Watchlist, Policy, Renewables
On Tuesday, February 16th Governor Tony Evers presented his 2021-23 Budget Bill proposal, SB 111. Among the 1,848 pages of the $91 billion budget RENEW Wisconsin has identified 28 proposals that are directly related to clean energy and energy efficiency. A short summary of the individual issues can be downloaded HERE.
The bill now goes to the Joint Finance Committee (JFC) for review. The JFC will hold a series of public hearings, likely in April, to gather public comments and then will spend the next several months amending the bill. Once the bill passes out of Joint Finance, it goes to both houses of the legislature for final review and potential amendment there. The Session Calendar indicates that the legislature plans to finish the budget and adjourn for the summer by June 30th.
RENEW Wisconsin will be closely monitoring the progress of the bill and working to pass as many of the Governor’s clean energy and efficiency proposals as possible. If you would like to talk to your legislators about any of these provisions, or if you have ideas that you think the State should adopt into the Budget Bill, you can click here for a directory to find contact info for your state representative.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact Jim Boullion, RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs at jim@renewwisconsin.org.
