Renew America Success Stories

Wisconsin Energy Initiative

Description

The Wisconsin Energy Initiative is a statewide partnership between the private sector and state government designed to conserve energy in existing and new state facilities, including offices, universities, health complexes and correctional facilities. The initiative benefits the community through taxpayer savings, job creation and environmental protection.

Like many states, Wisconsin aggressively pursued energy-efficiency and -conservation programs during the 1970's. During the 1980's, however, stable energy prices reduced the focus on conservation and Wisconsin state agencies' electricity consumption increased more than 27%.

In the fall of 1990, Governor Tommy G. Thompson directed the Department of Administration to develop a partnership with the private sector to reduce energy consumption in the state's 6,000 buildings. The Department was to oversee expansion in the use of renewable fuels, efficient lighting, cogeneration and recycling at state-owned facilities. Governor Thompson set goals of reducing electrical consumption by 20% by 2000, with a goal of reducing overall energy consumption by 15%. In addition, the initiative set out to recycle 100% of the ash in state heating plants and to increase cogeneration at state heating plants by 50%.

Working with Johnson Controls, a private energy contractor, the state's utility companies created an innovative plan. They would analyze the state's energy needs, improve purchasing procedures to speed the conversion to new technologies and engage in energy audits to identify the best use of the latest energy-saving technology.

Perhaps what makes the Wisconsin Energy Initiative so unique is the speed with which energy-saving technology, once identified, could be implemented. By hiring a single contractor to handle all facets of the audit and conversion, the initiative's "audit-into-action" process provides for swift transition and can accomplish upgrades in one-tenth the time of comparable programs.

"By upgrading outdated systems and lowering operating costs in state facilities, we are saving money and encouraging economic development," said Wisconsin Building Commission secretary Robert Brandherm. "Scarce tax dollars that were needlessly spent on energy can now be used for programs such as education, transportation and health care that will better serve Wisconsin."

Program Highlights

Program Details

• During conversion to new energy-efficient lighting fixtures, old PCB-laden magnetic ballasts and fluorescent and incandescent lamps, which contain mercury and lead, respectively, are removed, recycled or disposed of in an environmentally-safe fashion.
• Conversion to more efficient lighting systems and HVAC (Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning) upgrades in state buildings, as determined by energy audits, are common features of the program.
• Occupancy sensors, which turn off lights and ventilation in unoccupied rooms, have been installed in numerous state office spaces.
• State power plants have introduced wastepaper fuel pellets, which save 20% in energy costs compared to coal. The paper pellets are manufactured in Wisconsin from non-recyclable paper, which helps create jobs for people in state, reduces landfill use and substantially reduces emissions from the power plants.

• The program is projected to save $60 million in energy costs over 10 years and has become a model for other states.
• Operational savings from avoided maintenance due to newly installed energy-efficient lighting components alone is projected to be approximately $1 million over five years.

• During the Initiative's first six years of operation, the initiative is projected to save 490 million kilowatt-hours and to reduce landfill space by 145,000 cubic yards.

Vital Statistics

Program Management/Partnerships: The Wisconsin Energy Initiative is a project of the State of Wisconsin in partnership with Johnson Controls.

Budget: $50 million over first six years.

Community Served: The residents of the state of Wisconsin.

Measures of Success:

To date, approximately 46 million square feet of state facilities have undergone energy audits.

By the end of 1995, new lighting systems, including energy-saving T8 bulbs, reflectors and electronic ballasts had been installed in 28 million square feet of state space.

Failure testing has been completed on 30,000 steam traps, and more than 400 traps have been repaired or replaced.

Three years after the project's inception, Wisconsin's state buildings consume 21% less energy than they did in 1973, even though state facilities' square footage has increased by 27%.

Annual environmental emissions reductions include 44,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 560 tons of sulfur dioxide and 188 tons of nitrous oxides.

More than 437,000 fluorescent lamps have been recycled.

More than 636,000 pounds of PCB ballasts have been removed and recycled.

To date, the project has realized annual savings of $8.1 million dollars, and the estimated payback period of 4.8 years is far ahead of the original projection of 6 years.

Hundreds of jobs have been created in 60 Wisconsin companies that supply the state with new energy-efficient products and services.

The National Governors Association has listed the Wisconsin Energy Initiative in its Best Practices handbook for states.