UW Madison supports multi million dollar U.S. clean energy project to benefit rural Wisconsin communities

WESTBY, WIS. - The University of Wisconsin­­-Madison College of Engineering is a partner in a major new project led by Dairyland Power Cooperative that will create well-paying jobs, significantly reduce emissions and lower energy costs for rural Wisconsin communities.

Dairyland Power Cooperative, based in La Crosse, Wis., was selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to receive grant and loan funding of nearly $579 million through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. The New ERA program helps rural Americans transition to clean, affordable and reliable energy.

The award is part of a $7.3 billion investment in clean and reliable electricity for rural areas across the country that President Joe Biden and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Sept. 5, 2024, during a visit to Westby, Wis.

Dairyland will use the funding to procure 1,020 megawatts of renewable energy through four solar installations and four wind power installations across rural portions of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Illinois. Dairyland member cooperatives will benefit from reduced rate pressure due to the New ERA funding, and the cooperative plans to leverage this funding for a total project investment of $2.1 billion.

This award will reduce pollution by an estimated 3.3 million metric tons of carbon annually - or 90 million tons over the lifespan of the projects. That reduction is the equivalent of taking 729,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road every year.

"Dairyland is honored to receive the New ERA award, which provides an incredible opportunity to accelerate deployment of renewable energy investments, facilitate economic growth and job creation, promote environmental stewardship and justice, all while lowering energy costs for rural communities," says Dairyland President and CEO Brent Ridge.

Based in the UW-Madison College of Engineering, the Clean Energy Community Initiative led the Dairyland proposal's community benefits planning process, which includes the proposal's community engagement, workforce development and energy justice activities. The Clean Energy Community Initiative is a consistent two-way engagement approach that brings together a network of industry, policy, research and community partners to co-create equitable and community-driven clean energy solutions throughout Wisconsin.

"With the Clean Energy Community Initiative, we have created a partner network to support such large-scale clean-energy projects to aid in an equitable execution along community priorities and needs, and to leverage the projects for sustainable community benefits through career perspectives and the advantages technology innovation brings to the region," says Oliver Schmitz, who directs the Grainger Institute for Engineering at UW-Madison. The Clean Energy Community Initiative is a program of the institute.

The Clean Energy Community Initiative also will support Dairyland in developing a farmer benefit plan and union engagement plan. Members of the initiative will facilitate community workshops, which are inclusive events designed to be two-way engagements with communities to identify the values, needs and priorities of stakeholders.

"Making such investments sustainable and creating the maximum set of community benefits around them is an excellent way for engineers and innovators to serve the Wisconsin Idea," Schmitz says. "The partnership with Dairyland Power Cooperative is a door-opener for us to serve the broader Wisconsin communities and empower communities to leverage the expertise and deep knowledge of UW-Madison for their benefit."

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