Gov. Evers, Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy Celebrate 2026 Clean Energy Plan Progress Report

“Wisconsin is becoming a national leader in charting the course toward a stronger, more sustainable clean energy future, and our latest Clean Energy Progress Report shows just how far we’ve come,” said Gov. Evers. “By lowering energy costs for working families, creating good-paying jobs in innovative industries, and bolstering our efforts to lower carbon emissions, we’re building the healthier, cleaner, and more sustainable state and future that Wisconsinites deserve. I’m proud of our efforts to move these important priorities forward, and especially during 2026 the Year of the Neighbor, it’s up to all of us to work together to deliver on our promise to the next generation of Wisconsinites to leave them with a better state and world than the one we inherited.”

“The Clean Energy Plan shows that Wisconsin does not have to choose between a prosperous economy and a healthy environment, and that by working together we can make progress towards both,” said DOA Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld. “I’m proud that as a state, we’re leading by example and working collaboratively to find real solutions for our state’s climate challenges.”

Since Day One, Gov. Evers and the Evers Administration have been committed to promoting climate resilience and building a clean energy economy in the state. In his first year in office, Gov. Evers joined the U.S. Climate Alliance, of which he was the first Midwest governor to serve on the executive board and as co-chair. The governor, along with his fellow U.S. Climate Alliance governors, is committed to collectively achieving the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement to combat climate change and has established an ambitious goal of ensuring 100 percent carbon-free electricity consumption in Wisconsin by 2050. In 2019, Gov. Evers also created the Governor’s Task Force on Climate Change, which advised and assisted the governor in developing strategies to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change for the benefit of all Wisconsin communities.

In addition to joining the Alliance in 2019, in his first year in office, Gov. Evers signed Executive Order #38 to create the OSCE, charging the office with developing the Wisconsin Clean Energy Plan to promote the development and use of clean and renewable energy across the state, advance innovative sustainability solutions that improve the state’s economy and environment, and diversify the resources used to meet the state’s energy needs.

In accordance with Gov. Evers’ Executive Order #38, the state’s first-ever Clean Energy Plan was released in 2022, providing a roadmap for the state to lower energy bills and prices at the pump for Wisconsin families, promote energy independence by reducing reliance on out-of-state energy sources, create an estimated more than 40,000 jobs by 2030, and invest in job training and apprenticeship programs in innovative industries and technologies. Since creating Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan four years ago, OSCE has released annual clean energy progress reports to outline the strides the state is making to meet our clean energy goals.

“This year’s progress report highlights the enormous progress the state of Wisconsin has made towards this goal since 2022,” said OSCE Director Maria Redmond. “Despite numerous challenges, this year has seen strong momentum across the state supporting our shift to a clean energy economy, while prioritizing environmental justice and workforce development.”

Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Plan focuses on four foundational pathways to ensure a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future in Wisconsin:

The 2026 Clean Energy Plan Progress Report highlights progress in clean energy deployment and emissions reductions that, among many other accomplishments, includes:

Throughout the year, Gov. Evers and his administration have also remained steadfast in fighting federal attempts to reverse course on combating the climate crisis as well as slash and claw back millions in already approved and agreed-upon dollars for clean energy innovation, both in Wisconsin and across the nation.

Namely, Gov. Evers sent two letters to the U.S. Department of Energy this year, one in April and another in July, both of which slammed the Trump Administration for forcing multiple aging and expensive coal-fired power plants in the Midwest to remain open past their scheduled retirement dates, which will raise energy costs for Wisconsinites and impede the state’s ongoing clean energy efforts. A new analysis outlined in the governor’s July letter shows that the Trump Administration’s decision to force several coal plants to stay online will cost Americans between $3.1 billion and $5.9 billion over the next few years, including an estimated $117 million in increased costs to ratepayers in Wisconsin alone.

Further, the governor sent a series of letters to every member of Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation, urging bipartisan opposition to provisions in President Donald J. Trump’s proposed Federal Fiscal Year 2027 budget that would have devastating impacts on the state, including Wisconsin’s valuable natural resources and clean energy infrastructure. In one of the governor’s letters, Gov. Evers urged Wisconsin’s Congressional delegation to reject, among several other proposals, President Trump’s proposal to reduce funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program that helps to continue the state’s successful electric vehicle charging network build-out along high-traffic corridors.