November might be my favorite month of the year. I realize I might be alone in this feeling, given the loss of vegetation, warmth, and daylight, but it’s genuinely my favorite time of year. I love November because it’s a time for gearing up for bigger things. It’s prepping for the long, cold months of December, January, and February. It’s prepping for the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. As a former meteorologist, I always take delight in watching the weather actively turn from fall to winter. In many ways, November is literally the calm before the storm!
The RENEW team is also gearing up for big things on the horizon. A brand-new state legislature will greet us in 2025, we’re expecting even more renewable energy activity at the Public Service Commission, and we’re prepping for our 14th annual Renewable Energy Summit in February. Thanks to our great staff and members, the Summit has continually grown since 2020, and we expect 2025 to be our biggest -and best- Summit yet!
November is also a time to show thanks and gratitude. A few weeks ago, we launched our Rural Gratitude campaign, to acknowledge the commitment rural Wisconsin communities are making for our energy transition. We often talk about the tangible benefits these projects have for Wisconsin, but we rarely stop to acknowledge our appreciation for the communities that host these projects. Change can be scary for anyone and rural landscapes will most likely experience the most noticeable changes as we transition to clean energy.
There is uncertainty in many parts of our world right now, but it’s important to focus on what we do know and what we can control. Clean energy has enormous momentum, it’s widely popular across political and demographic spectrums, and it’s the right choice for Wisconsin. At RENEW we remain very excited for what’s to come.
LAVEEN, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 25: U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at Gila Crossing Community School on October 25, 2024 in Laveen, Arizona. Biden formally apologized for the trauma inflicted by the federal government's forced Native American boarding school policy. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Standing solemnly in front of a crowd full of Indigenous people on the grassy field of a tribal elementary school near Phoenix, President Joe Biden issued a formal apology to Indigenous communities across the country for the role the United States government had in the Native American Boarding School system, a system that harmed Indigenous people for generations.
“After 150 years, the United States government eventually stopped the program, but the federal government has never formally apologized for what happened,” Biden said. “Until today — I formally apologize, as president of the United States of America, for what we did.”
Biden’s apology was met with loud cheers from the crowd. He is the first sitting president in the last 10 years to visit a Tribal Nation.
He told the community that it was long overdue and that it was only fitting that it was given at a tribal school within an Indigenous community deeply connected to culture and tradition.
“I have a solemn responsibility to be the first president to formally apologize to the Native peoples, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, Native Alaskans and federal Indian boarding schools,” he said. “It’s long, long, long overdue. Quite frankly, there’s no excuse that this apology took (150) years to make.
Biden said the pain that the federal Indian boarding school policy has caused will always be a significant mark of shame for the United States.
“For those who went through this period, it was too painful to speak of,” he said. “For a nation, it was too shameful to acknowledge.”
“This formal apology is the culmination of decades of work by so many courageous people,” Biden said, acknowledging many who were sitting in the audience, including the boarding school survivors and descendants.
“I know no apology can or will make up for what was lost during the darkness of the federal boarding school policy,” Biden said. “But, today, we’re finally moving forward into the light.”
Biden’s apology, delivered Friday at the Gila River Crossing School on the Gila River Indian Community, comes three years after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland launched the first ever federal investigation into Native American Boarding Schools.
Haaland spoke before Biden, and was welcomed to the stage by Miss Gila River Susanna Osife as “Auntie Deb.” Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, told the crowd that thinking about our ancestors today is important because they persevered, and their stories are everywhere.
“We tell those stories because Native American history is American history,” Haaland said.
The Department of Interior released the final boarding school report in July. It provided eight recommendations from the Department of Indian Affairs for the federal government that would support a path to healing for tribal communities.
At the top of that list was a call for the United States to acknowledge and apologize for its role in the federal Indian boarding school policies that have harmed — and continue to harm — Indigenous peoples across the country.
“Today is a day for remembering, but it’s also a day to celebrate our perseverance,” Haaland said. “In spite of everything that has happened, we are still here.”
While boarding schools are places where affluent families send their children for an exclusive education for most of the United States, Haaland noted how different the prospect was for Native Americans.
“For Indigenous peoples, they served as places of trauma and terror for more than 100 years,” she said. “Tens of thousands of Indigenous children as young as four years old were taken from their families and communities and forced into boarding schools run by U.S. government institutions.”
Haaland said that the federal Native American Boarding School system has impacted every Indigenous person she knows, and they all carry the trauma that those policies and schools inflicted.
“This is the first time in history that a United States cabinet secretary has shared the traumas of our past, and I acknowledge that this trauma was perpetrated by the agency that I now lead,” Haaland said. “For decades, this terrible chapter was hidden from our history books, but now our administration’s work will ensure that no one will ever forget.”
Haaland launched the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative in 2021 to shed light on the “horrific era of our nation’s history.”
The initiative compiled two reports and visited dozens of Indigenous communities, hearing from survivors and descendants so that their experiences are all documented because the goal of Native American Boarding Schools was to assimilate and eradicate Indigenous people.
Haaland said the investigation into these boarding schools are shared in those reports and it shows the “loud and unequivocal truth” that the federal government took deliberate and strategic actions through boarding school policies to isolate Indigenous children from their families and steal from them the languages, cultures, and traditions that are fundamental to Indigenous people.
“As we stand here together, my friends and relatives, we know that the federal government failed,” She said. “It failed to annihilate our languages, our traditions, our life ways. It failed to destroy us because we persevered.”
The Federal Boarding School Initiative’s report called on Congress and federal agencies to take action, and Haaland said that some of those recommendations are already being put into effect.
For instance, Haaland said the department is working alongside the departments of Education and Health and Human Services to invest in the preservation of Native languages.
“We are developing a 10-year national plan guided by tribal leaders and Native language teachers,” Haaland said, and more details about their efforts will be released later.
“The painful loss of our Indigenous languages has been a consistent topic as we have met with survivors across our nation,” she said.
Another effort Haaland highlighted is the department’s collaboration with the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition to create an oral collection of first-person narratives from boarding school survivors.
Haaland said this collaboration is a way to ensure that future generations are told the stories of the boarding school era and understand the impacts and intergenerational trauma caused by boarding school policies.
As the crowd listened to Biden give his speech, protesters with O’odham Solidarity made their voice heard as one walked toward the stage holding a sign calling for justice for Palestinians.
LAVEEN, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 25: Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupt U.S. President Joe Biden’s remarks at Gila Crossing Community School on October 25, 2024 in Laveen, Arizona. Biden formally apologized for the trauma inflicted by the federal government’s forced Native American boarding school policy. (Photo by Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
As Biden delivered his remarks, one protester yelled from the crowd: “No, what about the people in Gaza.”
The protest was met with shouts from the crowd as a man in the crowd yelled: “Get out of here.” But Biden said let her talk.
“Let her go,” Biden said as the protester was being removed. “There’s a lot of innocent people being killed and it has to stop.”
Even after the protestors voiced their concerns, the community’s attention went back to Biden as he continued his speech about the boarding school years as well as his investments to Indian Country.
‘It was long overdue’
Crystalyne Curley said she thought of her grandfathers as Biden delivered his apology, which brought back memories of the stories they would tell of their time at boarding schools and the trauma they experienced.
“It’s a bittersweet moment,” Curley said. “I think there is a lot of a mix of emotions, because each of our Navajo citizens has a tie to the trauma that has happened within our boarding schools.”
Curley serves as speaker of the Navajo Nation Council and has heard stories about the federal boarding school system from her community for generations.
“It was long overdue,” Curley said. “I really commend our president Biden for taking that step and being the first one to have that courage to say, ‘Yes, we done wrong.’”
Curley said that is something that many Indigenous people have been waiting to hear, including the Navajo people.
“Many of our children didn’t come home,” she said, and the policies’ lingering effects include the loss of language and culture.
The Department of the Interior investigated the federal Indian boarding school system across the United States, identifying more than 400 schools and over 70 burial sites.
The legacy of the federal Indian boarding school system is not new to Indigenous people. For centuries, Indigenous people across the country have experienced the loss of their culture, traditions, language and land.
Multiple federally operated boarding schools were established in the Navajo Nation in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, and many of them are still operational today, though under different policies than when they were constructed.
Curley said that there are still a lot of federally operated Bureau of Indian Education schools in operation on the Navajo Nation, but some families still hesitate to enroll their children in them because of the boarding school history.
She hopes that this apology will lead to the federal government investing in the education system within tribal nations.
“Start investing back into our children and our mental, spiritual, (and) psychological health that this has caused for many decades,” she added.
Curley said she hopes that the momentum of Biden’s apology will be carried on into the next administration by acknowledging the wrong done to Indigenous communities.
Now that an official apology has been given, Curley said that healing needs to take place and that comes in the form of investing in Indigenous communities, something she said is best done by funding public and mental health resources, as well as reinvesting in the culture and language revitalizations within their communities.
“For healing to take place, it takes at least two generations,” Curley said.
After Biden issued his apology, Native organizations and advocates from across Indian Country called for action.
Cheryl Crazy Bull, the president and CEO of the American Indian College Fund, said that the federal government and philanthropists need to make a significant investment in restorative and healing approaches as well as institutions to repair the harm done by the boarding school era.
“The Native people who we support, from our youngest children to our college students, deserve that investment,” she said.
Crystal Echo Hawk, the founder and CEO of IllumiNative, called Biden’s apology a significant step toward justice for Indian Country, but said it must not be the end of the government’s efforts.
“True accountability requires comprehensive action — beginning with full transparency about the extent of these abuses and the return of Native children’s remains to their families and communities,” she said.
“We must continue to demand further accountability of the harms done to Native peoples, especially the Native children who experienced neglect, inhumane conditions, physical and sexual abuse, and death under the guise of education,” Echo Hawk said. “The federal government must commit to supporting Native-led healing initiatives, language revitalization programs, and cultural preservation efforts to effectively begin repairing the damage of the past.”
Arizona Mirror is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. Follow Arizona Mirror on Facebook and X.
Pershlie Ami, a citizen of the Hopi tribe, shares her experience of attending Phoenix Indian School when she was a kid during the Road to Healing tour hosted by the U.S. Department of Interior at the Gila Crossing Community School on Jan. 20, 2023. Photo by Shondiin Silversmith | Arizona Mirror
For the first time in history, a sitting U.S. president is set to apologize to Indigenous communities for the role the federal government played in the atrocities Indigenous children faced in the federal Native American Boarding School system.
The apology, which President Joe Biden will deliver Friday when he speaks at the Gila River Crossing School on the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix, comes three years after Interior Secretary Deb Haaland launched the first-ever investigation into Native American Boarding Schools.
The final boarding school report provided eight recommendations from the Department of Indian Affairs for the federal government that would support a path to healing for tribal communities.
At the top of that list was a call for the United States to acknowledge and apologize for its role in the federal Indian boarding school policies that have harmed — and continue to harm — Indigenous peoples across the country.
“The president is taking that to heart, and he plans on making an apology to Indian Country for the boarding school era,” Haaland said in an Oct. 23 interview with the Arizona Mirror.
Haaland said she has been pinching herself since she got the news that Biden planned on issuing an apology because of the work put in by so many people to shed light on Native American boarding schools and the lasting impacts it has had on Indigenous communities.
“It’s incredibly meaningful,” Haaland said, because, as part of the boarding school initiative, their department organized the Road to Healing tour, where they visited several Indigenous communities to hear stories about boarding schools.
“They were all heart-wrenching,” Haaland said of stories that were shared by victims and their families. “We sat through so many testimonies from survivors and descendants, and I have a deep understanding of what so many people went through and what our community suffered from.”
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland poses for a picture with Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis during her visit to the community and Arizona on Feb. 22, 2022. Photo Credit: Gila River Indian News
The Department of the Interior investigated the federal Indian boarding school system across the United States, identifying more than 400 schools and over 70 burial sites.
The legacy of the federal Indian boarding school system is not new to Indigenous people. For centuries, Indigenous people across the country have experienced the loss of their culture, traditions, language and land.
“This is an incredibly suppressed history that so many people didn’t know about and now it’s seeing the light of day,” Haaland said. “I have to believe that people will heal from what we’ve been able to do, and certainly hearing from President Biden, who has been the best president for Indian Country in my lifetime, say that he’s sorry, it’s beyond words.”
Biden plans to visit Indian Country for the first time on Oct. 25, where he will issue that apology alongside Haaland at the Gila River Crossing School.
“Some of our elders who are boarding school survivors have been waiting all of their lives for this moment,” Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said in a statement to the Arizona Mirror.
“It’s going to be incredibly powerful and redemptive when the president issues this apology on Indian land,” he added. “If only for a moment on Friday, this will rise to the top and the most powerful person in the world, our president, is shining a light on this dark history that’s been hidden.”
Haaland said Biden, being the first sitting president willing to apologize, helps Indian Country feel seen because the “horrible history” of Native American Boarding Schools and assimilation policies aimed at pushing Indigenous people out of their communities has been ignored “for so long.”
“It was an outright assault and genocide that our communities went through for centuries, and we’re still here,” Haaland said. “None of anything that the federal government or anyone did throughout those centuries managed to eradicate us.”
“We have persevered,” she added. “I feel so proud the sitting president is acknowledging that. It’s amazing, and I am deeply appreciative.”
Learning that the president is willing to issue an apology, Indivisible Tohono Co-founder April Ignacio said that it is a historic event because they finally acknowledge the government’s role in a national policy of forced assimilation against the first peoples of this land.
“Never in my life did I think we would be here,” Ignacio said. “This apology is long overdue, and the impact the Boarding School era had on our loss of culture and language must be tied to immediate action through reparations.”
In 2023, Ignacio said, Indivisible Tohono organized a caravan of 18 Tohono O’odham elders who were boarding school survivors and attendees to testify during the Road to Healing Tour organized by the Department of Interior.
Ignacio said she has five generations of boarding school survivors and attendees in her family. She shared her story during the Road to Healing tour.
“As a co-founder of Indivisible Tohono, I thank President Biden for his willingness to address the historical and ongoing impact of Indian Boarding School policies,” Ignacio said. “This apology is consistent with President Biden’s promise to honor sovereignty, and this historical acknowledgment will be a part of his legacy.”
Praise for Biden’s forthcoming apology is being shared by tribal nations across the country, including the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma.
“President Biden’s apology is a profound moment for Native people across this country,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a written statement. “I applaud the President for acknowledging the pain and suffering inflicted on tribes and boarding school survivors, which is long-overdue.”
Hoskin said that Oklahoma was home to 87 boarding schools, which were attended by thousands of Cherkee children. Today, he said, nearly every Cherokee Nation citizen feels the impact.
“Our children were made to live in a world that erased their identities, their culture and upended their spoken language,” he said. “They often suffered harm, abuse, neglect and were forced to live in the shadows.”
The Cherokee Nation is one of the largest tribes in the United States with more than 450,000 tribal citizens. About 141,000 of them reside within the tribe’s reservation boundaries in northeastern Oklahoma.
“The significance of this public apology by the President on behalf of this nation is amplified and an important step, which must be followed by continued action,” Hoskin said.
He said that the Department of Interior’s recommendations in the boarding school report, especially those focused on the preservation of Indigenous languages and the repatriation of ancestors and cultural items, can be a path toward true healing.
Arizona Mirror is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arizona Mirror maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jim Small for questions: info@azmirror.com. Follow Arizona Mirror on Facebook and X.
On Thursday, October 3, the women of RENEW Wisconsin held the first of many GROW events. The Green Revolution of Women (GROW) was founded to create a welcoming space for women to connect, gain mentorship opportunities, and build lasting friendships that can enhance their work in building a clean energy economy.
At the heart of the clean energy industry are the dedicated individuals who work day in and day out to create a better environment for Wisconsin. Fostering inclusivity and empowering all voices can be a challenge in any workplace, and it is with this obstacle in mind that the women of RENEW Wisconsin aim to connect women through GROW. By sharing our experiences – whether they’ve led to major successes or taught valuable lessons – GROW was designed to offer support and inclusivity. GROW brings women together to have a greater collective impact.
“As someone who is new to the renewable energy field, I’ve only been in it for a little under a year, I find that when I go to events it often feels like I don’t know a lot of people, and we just wanted to create a space where we can come together and create relationships that will help us intentionally build a community for women in the clean energy field,” said Kim Bauer, while welcoming GROW attendees.
RENEW welcomed a diverse group of women from all across Wisconsin at our first event, with over 40 women in attendance. GROW attendees spent the evening networking and enjoying each other’s company at Giant Jones, a Madison-based, woman-owned brewery. The event welcomed established leaders in the clean energy industry who have a wealth of experience, newcomers to the industry, and recent graduates who are beginning to explore a career in sustainability. While building new relationships and reconnecting with old friends, GROW attendees talked about a multitude of topics, including excitement for having a space to connect with other women in the industry.
“As someone fresh out of grad school, GROW was helpful for me to learn more about the field of renewable energy from more experienced women and get some tips about networking in a comfortable space,” said attendee Rhiannon Erhardt, a recent graduate from the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies.
As GROW continues to grow, the women of RENEW Wisconsin plan to create spaces where women can build confidence in their professional capabilities and feel empowered in the clean energy revolution. The GROW community will help women advance their careers and connect with those who have shared experiences. In addition to hosting quarterly events in Madison and Milwaukee, we have also created a GROW group on our community portal, which women in the industry are encouraged to join to connect between events! The women of RENEW Wisconsin want to express our sincerest gratitude for the crowd that showed up for our first GROW event and we look forward to seeing everyone in December.
Wisconsin already has a lot going for it — home of the Packers, world-class cheese, and breathtaking landscapes. But we can make it an even better place to live, work, and play by expanding renewable energy! That’s where you come in.
At RENEW Wisconsin, we’re on a mission to transition our state’s economy to clean energy, but we need more than solar panels and wind turbines. We need a powerful community of supporters backing our cause, which is why we’ve created the Sustainer Program. When you join RENEW as a sustaining member, you’re joining a community of clean energy champions with a shared commitment to a healthier, stronger Wisconsin, powered by clean energy.
Why Become a Sustainer?
Monthly donations give us the power (literally) to plan ahead and scale up our impact. Here’s what we can accomplish with that support:
Reliable Energy for Change: We love sun and wind power, but nothing powers our work like consistent support from folks like you. When you become a Sustainer, your monthly donation helps us keep focused on the day-to-day, ensuring our state moves forward with positive clean energy policy and legislation!
Energy Equity: Not all Wisconsinites have equal access to clean energy, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Your support can help us change that, making solar power and wind energy accessible to everyone—from Milwaukee to Hayward.
Help Us Save Wisconsin’s Natural Beauty: Renewable energy reduces air and water pollution and conserves natural resources. When you support renewable energy, you’re helping protect our landscapes and climate, so future generations can enjoy our state’s natural wonders.
Perks of Becoming a RENEW Sustainer
We know you’re not just in it for the perks, but there are benefits to becoming a sustainer. Here’s what you get when you join RENEW as a sustaining member:
Exclusive Insider Info: You’ll get regular updates on the latest renewable energy trends in Wisconsin straight from the RENEW team!
VIP Invites: As a Sustainer, you’ll be the first to know about our upcoming events, whether it’s a behind-the-scenes webinar with energy experts or exclusive happy hours where we talk wind turbines over craft beer.
Bragging Rights: Have you ever wanted your name immortalized on our website and annual report? Consider it done! You’ll be forever listed as a clean energy champion.
Feel-Good Vibes: Nothing beats knowing you’re making a direct impact in securing our clean energy future. Being part of the solution is a priceless feeling.
How to Join (It’s Easier Than Installing Solar Panels)
Becoming a Sustainer takes just a few moments of your time. Head to our membership page, pick your monthly donation amount (whether it’s the cost of your daily coffee order or favorite streaming platform), and just like that, you’re part of the clean energy revolution!
We also make it easy for you to adjust or cancel anytime.
Join the Movement Today
Become a Sustainer today and help us build a future where every home, school, and brewery in Wisconsin runs on renewable energy. We can’t do it without you!
Let’s make the future bright, together.
Want to know more about membership with RENEW Wisconsin? Contact our Development Director, Ismaeel Chartier.
The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is committed to preserving their environment and fostering sustainable growth. In the face of a rapidly changing climate, investing in clean energy isn’t just about harnessing the power of the sun and wind—it’s about empowering their community, protecting their sacred lands, and ensuring a vibrant future for generations to come. With increased clean energy funding opportunities, such as those provided by the Inflation Reduction Act, the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin is creating new opportunities, enhancing economic resilience, and supporting the Tribe’s cultural values.
Special thanks to Isaiah Ness (Sun Bear Industries) and Zoar Fulwilder (Mavid Construction Services) for their work to advance clean energy in Tribal communities and for inviting RENEW to witness the transformation.
Mou Vang grew up in Section 8 housing in the Twin Cities and is familiar with the outdated infrastructure that often exists in affordable housing. Now she uses her experience and knowledge to serve the residents of Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp (WHPC). Recently, with financial support from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) Energy Innovation Grant Program (EIGP) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and technical assistance from Elevate Energy (Elevate), she co-led WHPC’s Green Team toward solar and battery storage for their Villa West property in Green Bay. The energy savings from these efforts will be reinvested in other areas of the property for the benefit of the residents.
WHPC has been dedicated to preserving, providing, and protecting homes for low- and moderate-income individuals and families across Wisconsin for over 20 years. With more than 9,000 housing units across Wisconsin, WHPC’s mission is not just about shelter; it’s about fostering stability, empowerment, and community well-being.
Central to WHPC’s initiatives is sustainability. In 2020 they convened a “Green Team” whose aim is to make its portfolio more environmentally friendly and efficient. By identifying opportunities for sustainable upgrades and prioritizing energy efficiency in its existing and new developments, WHPC is lowering utility expenses, reducing carbon emissions, and making the properties more comfortable for residents.
In April of 2022, WHPC received a grant from the PSC to create a microgrid at Villa West. This Green Bay property offers affordable housing for individuals earning no more than 50 percent of the area median income, with its residents being persons with disabilities or seniors.
“A lot of our properties were built in the mid to late 70s so they don’t have air conditioning,” said Mou. “In Wisconsin, not having air conditioning in a senior and disabled building is concerning.”
As an Asset Manager, Mou is regularly touring properties and can attest to the lack of progress that has been made in the quality of affordable housing. It reminded her of her childhood. On one hand, it forced her to reflect on how far she has come. On the other, she is well aware of the technological advancements that have been made since then and wonders why these properties seem to be frozen in time.
“The properties still look the same,” Mou said. “They still function the same. It really didn’t sit well with me. In 30 years, nothing’s changed.”
There is no shortage of work to be done to create more comfortable living spaces for residents living in affordable housing structures.
Embracing Sustainability through the Green Team
Partners at Elevate play a pivotal role in WHPC’s Green Team. Elevate is a nationwide non-profit specializing in clean affordable energy with a focus on low-income communities. Jake Archbell, Program Manager of Solar Programs at Elevate, leads efforts to study energy usage across properties and implement strategies to enhance efficiency.
For Jake, “The more complicated something is, the more I enjoy it. So, I love projects like this; I love doing new things and managing all the pieces and seeing them come together,” he said.
Jenna Grygier, Associate Director of High Performance Buildings at Elevate echoes Jake’s love for a challenge.
She said, “I’ve seen rooftop solar, ground-mounted solar, micro wind turbines, etc. but I’ve never seen battery storage on multi-family properties. So, it’s pretty exciting for me just to see how it all fits together.”
Bringing Solar and Battery Storage to Villa West
The initial phase of the Villa West project is nearly complete, with three of the twelve buildings having solar panels installed on the roof and backup solar battery storage. The solar panels alone amount to $14,000 of savings annually.
For WHPC, “that $14,000 is the difference between new flooring in the common space so that there’s less of a trip hazard,” said Mou.
While the battery storage has no direct cost savings for WHPC, the indirect savings are very real and tangible for the residents.
Mou explained, “Think of insulin that needs to be refrigerated but the power goes out; the medication may become unusable. Typically, insurance only covers this medication being refilled once a month. So now a person with limited income has to pay out of pocket for insulin to get through the month, in the event of an extended power outage.”
“It’s just something that I think a lot of people don’t think about because we don’t experience it firsthand,” added Mou.
When asked about the intangible benefits of this project for residents, Jenna highlighted an important, yet often overlooked aspect of making people feel valued.
She said, “Even if they [residents] don’t completely understand the mechanics of it, everyone can at least identify the solar panels. My hope is that it might make them feel more valued. That they live in a place where the owner cares enough to do something like renewable energy.”
Paving the Way for Clean Energy Benefits
Earlier this year, WHPC secured additional funding for Villa West to receive installations and storage for two more buildings. As each phase progresses, the vision of outfitting all buildings with solar and battery storage inches closer to reality, shaping a brighter, more sustainable future for Villa West and its residents.
Villa West Phase I was funded with a PSC EIGP award in 2022 for $500,000. WHPC will also be taking advantage of Focus on Energy incentives available at the time of installation completion to help fund this effort. Additionally, the IRA’s Elective Pay provision will enable Villa West to secure a federal rebate covering 30% of the solar project’s cost.
As WHPC continues to pave the way in the affordable housing sector, its commitment to sustainability stands as a testament to its ethos. Through the efforts of individuals like Mou and the Green Team, WHPC is providing housing, nurturing communities, and fostering a brighter, more sustainable future for all. In this journey towards inclusive, eco-conscious housing, WHPC is not just building structures; it’s building hope and resilience.
Mou added, “It truly is an investment back to the property and the tenants benefit from it.”
As a valued supporter of RENEW Wisconsin, we know you understand the critical role that renewable energy plays in creating a sustainable and resilient future. Today, I want to share the immense importance renewable energy plays in achieving energy independence for our great state of Wisconsin.
Energy independence is about more than just reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. It ensures that our energy needs are met through locally produced, clean sources that benefit our economy, environment, and communities. Renewable energy is at the heart of the transition to energy independence. This transition will promote:
Community Empowerment: Wisconsin has less than 1% customer-owned clean energy sources. Local renewable energy projects empower residents, businesses, and communities by giving them greater control over their energy sources.
Energy Security: As a state, Wisconsin spends over $10 billion each year importing fuels to power our energy sector. Diversifying our energy mix with renewables enhances our energy security by reducing our dependence on imported fuels, making our state less vulnerable to external disruptions and price volatility.
Economic Benefits: Costs of solar and wind have declined significantly, making renewable energy investments the best option for our energy production. Investing in more renewable energy creates local jobs, stimulates the economy, and keeps energy dollars in our state.
Environmental Protection: Temperatures in Wisconsin have risen 3 degrees since 1950, and our precipitation has increased by 17% over that time. Renewable energy resources emit no greenhouse gases, which helps protect our natural landscapes, improve air and water quality, and mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
At RENEW Wisconsin, we are committed to advancing renewable energy initiatives that drive us toward energy independence. However, we cannot do this work alone. With your support, we can advocate for stronger policies, promote groundbreaking projects, and educate the public on the importance of clean energy.
Renew your commitment to Wisconsin’s energy future by donating today. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to an independent energy future for Wisconsin.
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