Our Legacy of Impact
Energy Priorities Law
In the early 1990s, Clean Wisconsin worked to support a forward-thinking framework for energy policy known as the Energy Priorities Law. Passed in 1993, the Energy Priorities Law established a hierarchy for energy generation sources in Wisconsin with preference for energy efficient and renewable resources over fossil fuels.
Under the law, Wisconsin’s energy utilities are required to thoroughly evaluate energy efficiency options, conservation measures, and wind and solar energy sources when planning power generation projects. These options should take precedence over building fossil fuel-burning power plants when meeting energy demand, according to the law.
Why It Matters
Relying on fossil-fuel burning power plants to meet increasing energy demand in Wisconsin harms the health of our communities and pushes us further away from true energy independence and climate progress. The Energy Priorities Law provides a framework for meeting energy needs through efficiency and clean wind and solar production.
