Our Strategic Priorities

Buildings (residential and commercial) are a top source of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in Wisconsin. To meet clean energy and climate goals while also meeting housing needs for all communities, buildings across the state must be energy efficient, safe, and affordable.

We support:

Strong statewide building codes, following the most recent International Energy Conservation Code standards

A strong and well-funded statewide Focus on Energy program

Federal, state, and utility funding for programs to reduce energy burdens for vulnerable populations

Local policies and programs to support residents and businesses in becoming more energy efficient through renewables, electrification measures, benchmarking, and similar efforts

Access to data, resources, and tools that allow local governments (and community members) to understand building emissions and plan strategies to reduce them

Transportation is the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Wisconsin. To meet clean energy and climate goals, transportation options must be made cleaner, more affordable, and more accessible for communities across the state.

We support:

A robust electric vehicle (EV) charging network across all areas of the state (along commercial corridors as well as within communities)

State, federal, and utility programs that reduce barriers for residents, businesses, and public entities to electrify and find low/no carbon options for their vehicles (examples: tax credits and incentives to reduce upfront costs, outreach and education programs, workforce development, etc.)

Solutions for EV charging in multi-family buildings, as well as within underserved (disadvantaged, rural, etc.) communities facing market and service gaps or barriers

Regional and public transportation solutions and planning efforts that increase the efficiency of transportation networks and collaboration across communities, reduce transportation insecurity, and support workforce development, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions

State and local policies and programs that support “complete streets”, offering people-centered and climate-smart solutions

Access to data, resources, and tools that allow local governments (and community members) to understand transportation emissions and plan strategies to reduce them

Energy production to provide electricity for our homes and businesses is a major source of carbon emissions in Wisconsin. All five investor-owned utilities (IOUs) in the state have publicly committed to net-zero carbon electricity by 2050. To fully realize these goals, we must ensure that utilities are held accountable, stay on track, and support their communities’ needs.

We support:

Utility retirement of fossil fuel plants and the addition of utility-scale renewable projects to the grid

Public Service Commission (PSC) action to increase utility accountability to clean energy goals, through processes like integrated resource planning and performance-based regulation

PSC and utility action to support customer and community-led renewable energy projects, through consistent statewide net metering and parallel generation policies and strategies like third-party ownership models

To fully close the gap in reaching the state’s clean energy and climate goals, our communities must be able to thoughtfully and proactively plan how land is used to best serve its residents' current and long-term needs.

We support:

Local land use policies that promote climate-smart and low/no carbon solutions (model and example ordinances, zoning codes, etc.)

State and federal policies or programs that encourage or fund people-centered and climate-smart land use initiatives within communities

Sharing of information and best practices to support sustainable approaches for local land use

In Wisconsin, as with the rest of the nation, we are experiencing more extreme weather events and temperature shifts that change how our members plan and how they support the health and safety of community members. Resiliency measures and natural solutions can reduce monetary losses and risks to life, land, and property within a community.

We support:

State and federal programs to fund resiliency measures (e.g., microgrids) and natural solutions (e.g., urban forestry efforts, green infrastructure to minimize flooding, etc.) at the local level

Local policies and programs that increase community resiliency and natural solutions

Sharing of best practices and information regarding how communities can become more resilient and implement natural solutions