Gov. Jim Doyle advocated for renewable energy initiatives through Wisconsin's portion of federal recovery and reinvestment funds Tuesday at the U.S. Department of Energy in Washington.
Doyle met with government leaders in the clean energy field, including new U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu, and attended a conference on how to build a low-carbon economy.
Doyle suggested federal funds go largely toward major projects that will have long-term value to the state. He highlighted Wisconsin's paper industry, advanced battery technologies manufacturers and the University of Wisconsin.
Three UW-Madison programs—the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, the UW Energy Institute and the Charter Street Biomass Project—are priorities to receive funding.
""Wisconsin is in a prime position to take immediate advantage of grants from the recovery and reinvestment act that will create jobs for hardworking families, free us from our dependence on foreign oil and protect our environment for generations to come,"" Doyle said in a statement.
According to Doyle, the Midwest Governors' Association is already in the process of developing a cap and trade system for the region, but a system that imposes restrictions on carbon emissions is also high on Congress' agenda.
""[We need] to bring the Midwest perspective to the national debate in Congress about what a cap and trade system would look like,"" he said.
Doyle also said that since much of the funding from the DOE under the stimulus will come in the form of competitive grants, officials did not specify what programs would receive money. However, he said he expects his visit to impact how officials appropriate funds.
""I [want] to make sure that at the highest levels of this administration, people are well aware of all of the initiatives that we have going on in Wisconsin,"" Doyle said.
