Ecomunicipality.com

From the Nov. 7 issue of Isthmus, a weekly news magazine from Madison, WI:

Chuck Erickson thinks it's about time Dane County got serious in its efforts to become more sustainable. "We're trying to have a more coordinated approach," says Erickson, a county supervisor. Being green "should become part of the culture."

Together with Supv. Robin Schmidt, Erickson has proposed several amendments to the 2009 budget. One would establish a committee to oversee sustainability projects. Another would allocate $500,000 in the capital budget to create a "Green Energy/Green Jobs Project Fund."

This fund would subsidize sustainable projects by county departments. "In a lot of cases, [green building] is more expensive," says Erickson. "We make a higher purchase upfront to achieve a sustainable goal and maybe in the long run same money on utility costs."

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle's Office of Energy Independence has received a good deal of support from folks in Polk County. Created by Governor Doyle on April 5, 2007 with the mission to advance energy independence in the State of Wisconsin, the goals of the OEI include:

1. Generating 25% of our state's electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by 2025.
2. Capturing 10% of the emerging bioindustry and renewable energy market by 2030.
3. Leading the nation in groundbreaking research that will make renewable energy more affordable and will create good paying Wisconsin jobs.

Last February the Polk County Renewable Energy Committee invited OEI representatives to meet with local elected officials at the Paradise Landing restaurant in Balsam Lake. Secretary of Agriculture Rod Nilsestuen joined in addressing the large group that came to learn how state and local governments might work together to lessen our dependence on energy sources from outside Wisconsin.