Wisconsin aims to fully transition its electrical grid to clean, carbon-free energy sources by 2050.
But Andrew Kell of the nonprofit Renew Wisconsin says there’s an opportunity to do more.
“If you focus only on the electric grid, you are ignoring all the emissions that still happen at the transportation sector,” he says. “And same thing with natural gas and other petroleum products being burned in homes and businesses for heating.”
His group partnered on research about the costs and benefits of eliminating carbon pollution from those sectors, too.
It would require fully transitioning to electric vehicles and electrical HVAC systems and developing renewable energy projects to power them all with clean electricity.
Those changes would take large investments. But Kell says the climate, people’s health, and the economy would benefit.
“The results show over 3% increase to gross state product by the year 2050 with regards to all the clean energy development that will occur within the state, compared to importing fossil fuels from outside of the state,” Kell says.
So his group encourages the state to go beyond cleaning up the electric grid and prepare for a future where clean energy powers homes and vehicles, too.
Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy/ChavoBart Digital Media