Author: Clean Wisconsin

In this episode, we walk deep into the Wisconsin woods for the rarest of discoveries: a nest of endangered Rusty Patched Bumblebee queens.

Net metering. It doesn’t sound that exciting, but it’s actually one of the biggest incentives for families and small businesses to go solar. When your rooftop panels produce more energy than you can use, that energy goes into the grid, and your utility credits you for it. Now, MG&E and Alliant Energy are taking aim at that net metering incentive. Both are seeking approval from the Public Service Commission to drastically change the way they treat customers who install solar panels.

Beach closures, fish kills, green lakes. They are unfortunate signs of summer in Wisconsin. A big reason: untreated animal waste. Large dairies can produce as much waste as a small city. It’s not only hard to deal with, it’s dangerous if it gets into our water. Animal manure is one of the biggest sources of

Scientific, peer-reviewed studies. Turns out they just don’t hold a candle to what your neighbor says. Or your friends on Facebook. And that can be really bad news when it comes to fighting climate change. A sea of misinformation is getting in the way of badly-needed clean energy projects.

To reach our climate goals, Wisconsin needs to build one major wind project and three to four large solar farms every year for the next few decades. But a wave of pushback could be coming. Some Wisconsin communities are working to pass ordinances making it harder to build those clean energy projects. It’s something happening across our region.

Since last fall, New Glarus Brewing has been capturing more than 330 pounds of carbon dioxide every hour of operation and reusing it. Join co-founder and master brewer Dan Carey for a tour.

We’re hearing it more and more: Solar farms in Wisconsin are taking away prime farmland used for food. But it turns out, a million acres of farmland in Wisconsin are already being used energy production by growing corn for ethanol. A quarter of all the corn grown in our state is processed into ethanol. Nationwide, it’s 45%.

University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers say they’ve linked toxic PFAS contamination in Lake Michigan’s Green Bay to Tyco. Hear what needs to happen now to get a handle on growing PFAS contamination across Wisconsin and the world.