The city of Madison announced the implementation of the MadiSUN program last Tuesday to transition the city to renewable solar energy throughout 2023.
The MadiSUN program will support local renewable energy providers while expanding access to solar energy installations for homes, businesses and nonprofits in the Madison area throughout the year.
The program’s three main initiatives for 2023 include a solar group purchase program aimed at reducing the cost of solar installations for households, a pool of grants provided to businesses installing solar energy sources, and a grant to increase solar energy access for residents and local organizations.
The city partnered with local non-profit RENEW Wisconsin, an organization that promotes the expansion of renewable energy in the state. RENEW Wisconsin Executive Director Sam Dunaiski said in a press conference the initiative will continue to increase access to renewable energy.
“We’re bringing more solar to families, more businesses and more nonprofit organizations across our community,” Dunaiski said. “2022 was our most successful year ever for both the residential and the backyard programs, and our business program is also seeing very high levels of participation.”
Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said the initiative will mark continued progress toward the decarbonization of the city.
“We are proud of our investments and progress, and are grateful for our partners in this work,” Rhodes-Conway said. “Still, there’s a lot to do. We must keep moving forward to improve our resilience, grow our green economy and advance climate equity.”
According to Rhodes-Conway, Madison has installed 1.4 megawatts of solar energy on the city’s buildings, and the city’s goal is to install eight more megawatts by 2030.
The initiative also encourages businesses, homeowners and organizations to take advantage of the tax incentives included in the Inflation Reduction Act, according to Rhodes-Conway. The Inflation Reduction Act offers to cover 30% of the cost of renewable energy installation for taxpayers, organizations and government entities.
Dunaiski said the initiative will facilitate the transition to renewable energy while ultimately boosting Wisconsin’s economy.
“These technologies are speeding us away from our fossil fuel-based economy to a decarbonized economy, which will result in far better health and economic outcomes for all Wisconsinites,” he said. “And we can keep these energy dollars at home, while reducing pollution and mitigating climate change as well.”
