Policy & Advocacy

RENEW is dedicated to increasing access to the benefits of renewable energy for everyone in the Badger State. To accelerate the clean energy transition, we are focusing on the following key policy priorities:

Affirming the legality of third-party financing
Third-party financing is a solution to the barrier of upfront costs associated with renewable energy projects and makes ‘going solar’ an accessible option for low to middle-income homeowners, churches, government agencies, and nonprofits. Legal clarity on third-party financing is essential to expand access to clean energy. Learn more at wisolarcoalition.com.

Implementing fair and clear distributed generation policies
Breweries, farms, manufacturers, solar companies, families, congregations, and others produce clean energy that benefits the electric grid. RENEW is working to ensure that electricity is valued fairly by advocating for improvements on net metering, parallel generation rates, and interconnection rules. If we get these policies right, Wisconsin can reach its clean energy potential.

Expanding Community Solar
Community solar is a simple solution that enables residential, commercial, and large energy customers to shift to renewables and reduce energy bills. Presently, 21 states have policies supporting community solar, but Wisconsin lacks a similar framework. Learn more at wisolarcoalition.com.

Building A Roadmap for Wisconsin’s Zero Carbon Future
RENEW is partnering with Clean Wisconsin and GridLab to conduct a zero-carbon grid study for the PSC’s consideration.

Our analysis will help answer the following questions:

  • What is the right mix of renewable resources in-state and out-of-state?
  • What is a reasonable balance between utility-scale and distributed solar resources?
  • How much transmission capacity is needed to achieve a zero-carbon future?
  • What will be the health, jobs, and economic impacts as we make this clean grid transition?

Learn more about Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan HERE.

 

Our Current Priorities at the PSC

Protect Rooftop Solar in Wisconsin

Net metering is a utility billing policy that enables customers who generate electricity from their own solar systems to receive a bill credit for any energy they export to the grid. This arrangement encourages residential and business customers to invest in solar...

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Legislative Watchlist

RENEW’s legisltive focus includes clean energy financing, electric vehicles, community solar, third-party financing, net metering and energy storage. 

Clean Energy Legislative Update • March 2024

As the legislature wraps up for this session, RENEW is celebrating several victories and reflecting on some of the other renewable energy measures being considered by the state legislature. Big Win for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Senate Bill 791, the Electric...

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Clean Energy Legislative Update • December 2023

Though the year is coming to a close, RENEW Wisconsin’s efforts to support electric vehicle (EV) charging and community solar will continue into 2024. RENEW staff recently had the opportunity to testify before the Senate Committee on Utilities and Technology to share...

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Clean Energy Legislative Update • November 2023

RENEW Wisconsin is monitoring several new bills relating to solar and wind project siting, reforms aimed at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) and utilities, and a slew of proposals from the Forward on Climate legislative package. We are reviewing these...

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Clean Energy Legislative Update • October 2023

RENEW Wisconsin remains focused on net metering and the two rate cases before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW). The comment periods for both cases have closed and we can expect a decision from the PSCW in early November. In the meantime, we are...

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Clean Energy Legislative Update • September 2023

The 2023-24 legislative session in Wisconsin is nearing the halfway point. Much has happened in the last year, and we are hoping to make great strides by the end of the current legislative session. This year's biennial budget bill for 2023-25 had several provisions we...

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Current Local Initiatives

Pine Valley Community Village Embraces Solar Energy

On Wednesday, November 2, Pine Valley Community Village, a prominent skilled healthcare, rehabilitation, and assisted living facility located in Richland County, celebrated a significant milestone. The organization completed the installation of its 336-panel solar array.

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