Governor Doyle Announces $28 Million Available for State Clean Energy Manufacturing Projects

For Immediate Release: July 27, 2009
Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
Carla Vigue, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162

MADISON - Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Wisconsin has been approved for $28 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal funds for its State Energy Program (SEP). The funds are the first part of the $55 million in Recovery Act funding the state is receiving for this program.

"With these funds, Wisconsin can work with state businesses and take a leadership role in clean energy manufacturing and create good jobs," Governor Doyle said. "Wisconsin is the only state to target its SEP funds exclusively to manufacturing. Wisconsin has a larger percentage of employees in manufacturing than any other state, and we can leverage our innovative, high-skilled workforce to create clean energy products and processes."

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) will administer the program. Eligible activities will include:

• Reducing fossil fuel use in manufacturing by deploying renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies;
• Retooling Wisconsin businesses to enable them to produce components of renewable energy systems and energy efficient products; and
• Investing in renewable energy projects.
• Projects must create or retain jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce fossil fuel use, and/or deploy renewable energy.

Applications and program information will be available at the Commerce website: http://commerce.wi.gov/BD/BD-SEP-ARRA.html.

For more information on the SEP, contact Amy Cumblad at Commerce, amy.cumblad@wisconsin.gov; or David Jenkins at the Office of Energy Independence, davidj.jenkins@wisconsin.gov.

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