There is no map.

For Wisconsin’s 23 energy-independent model communities, gut feelings and limited research are the only guides when deciding how best to spend state grant money to improve energy efficiency.

Wisconsin’s Energy Independent Community Partnership pilot program, administered by the Office of Energy
Independence, has so far given 10 grants to the model communities — some collaborated on applications —
ranging from $13,500 to $60,000. Money is used for everything from buying electric vehicles to installing light-emitting diode lights citywide.

These communities are the leaders in Gov. Jim Doyle’s 25×25 program, which seeks to generate 25 percent
of electricity and transportation fuel from renewable sources by 2025. As of press time, 136 communities statewide have taken measures to support Doyle’s 25×25 goal. Some model communities are further ahead than others, but all are working toward the same goal: a greener Wisconsin. This month, Wisconsin Builder highlights three model communities that are leading the charge toward a more sustainable future.

Full speed ahead

Columbus takes citywide approach to going green

Drivers have two parking options in Columbus: with or without a plug.

A leader in sustainable living, Columbus, a city of 5,000 people in south-central Wisconsin, is one of 23 communities that received grants through the state’s Energy Independent Community Partnership pilot program.

Deciding how and where to spend the money is difficult due to the lack of direction, said Steve Sobiek, director of economic development and energy sustainability for Columbus.

“There are no road maps,” he said. “We are the first generation of leaders, and there are no examples in Wisconsin of doing this. We have to accept the fact that there’s a risk, but we need to mitigate those risks and do our homework.”

Columbus was one of the first pilot program communities in the state, Sobiek said. The city aggressively mines many sources of grant money to help meet the state goals without burdening taxpayers, Sobiek said.

For instance, a $225,000 Community Development Block Grant, paid for by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, helped cover the cost of converting all of the city’s streetlights to LED. The conversion is projected to save $10,000 and 221,908 kilowatt hours per year.

“We were able to procure the grant so the city was not on the hook for $225,000,” Sobiek said.

In his dual role as leader of economic development and energy sustainability, Sobiek is breaking new ground for Wisconsin. His is the only office in the state to combine those areas, he said.

In that position, Sobiek aggressively pursues a blend of economic growth and sustainability. His work is in conjunction with a committee of key community members who form the Greater Columbus Energy Task Force, which includes the past and current mayor, private employers, the local hospital president and representation from the local school district.

“They really set the tone,” Sobiek said. “We’ve had a lot of progress for exciting programs.”

The city, for example, landed grant money to help pay for two Prius hybrid plug-in vehicles and an electric truck for public works functions, moves made to reduce fuel consumption, he said. The city also was among the first to adopt a neighborhood electric vehicle ordinance allowing electric cars on city streets, and the parking lot at City Hall is equipped with electrical outlets.

Bridging the gap between municipal and commercial interests, a public-private partnership between Columbus Water & Light and Brookstone Homes is building up to 10 energy-efficient homes in the city to educate the public on green building practices. The first house was completed in December and sold in January.

The city’s residential construction permits held steady in 2009, Sobiek said, which shows the city can promote sustainable practices to save energy and spur economic growth.

“We’ve been really successful encouraging economic development with energy sustainability,” Sobiek said.

“We’re bringing people from the region to Columbus.”

Group effort

Smaller communities work together to land grant money

For some of Wisconsin’s smallest and northernmost communities, banding together to solicit grant money is the only option.

The northern Wisconsin city of Bayfield, home to about 600 people, partnered with neighboring Chequamegon Bay as well as Bayfield and Ashland counties to land state money through the 25×25 program.

“We went together because none of us could have afforded to do this on our own,” said Larry MacDonald, mayor of the city of Bayfield. “We gained a lot of synergy by meeting regularly.”

Grant money helped pay for initial assessments of energy use within each area. Establishing the baseline information, MacDonald said, immediately revealed which areas needed improvement.

“We all now know how many miles we drive each of our vehicles, the mileage, what kind of fuel, and we know the same thing about every building,” MacDonald said. “One interesting thing some areas found is there were buildings they didn’t own anymore but they were still paying the electrical bills.”

The baseline studies, MacDonald said, helped communities plan for the future. Projects under consideration include converting some lights to LED and installing solar water heating at the Bayfield County Jail. Wind energy is being explored on Madeline Island and on the mainland, and Xcel Energy’s Bay Front Power Plant in Ashland is converting a third boiler to biomass production.

Like Columbus, the Bayfield area already was pursuing green goals before pledging to become a 25×25 community. In 2008 and 2009, the city launched a “green it/clean it” campaign and gave every household a recycled cotton shopping bag with organic cleaning supplies, a compact fluorescent lamp bulb, a day pass for rural transit and other items.

“The thing that was really amazing is it changed people’s buying habits,” MacDonald said.

Some people got so excited about sustainable practices, he said, they wrote a book called “Earth Care: Choose, Consume, Recycle – Leading a Sensible Life in Bayfield.”

Community support for going green continues to grow, MacDonald said. Several hundred people attended a renewable energy fair in Bayfield last spring, he said. And the city now offers a mini-grant program that gives as much as $250 to families that want to make green improvements to their homes.

“One of the most creative was five families who pooled their applications to buy one high-quality electric lawnmower to replace their five old gas mowers,” MacDonald said.

Through the state grant money and city programs, he said, Bayfield is offering residents incentives to move forward on specific improvements and join in communitywide efforts. The ongoing effort is a learning process, MacDonald said, but a worthy cause.

“People come and give us ideas all the time,” he said. “It’s been fun, but a lot of work.”

In it for the long haul

Brown County officials go green one project at a time

Brown County officials are confident they can generate 25 percent of electricity and transportation fuel from renewable sources by 2025, even if it takes the full 15 years to do so.

“One project is not going to generate 25 percent of renewable energy,” said Bill Dowell, director of facility management for Brown County. “Each one will bring in some renewables and offer some savings.”

By committing to Gov. Jim Doyle’s 25×25 plan, Brown County signed on for the long haul. And with the county’s growing commitment to sustainability has come increased patience for payoffs, Brown County Executive Tom Hinz said.

“We used to think if there wasn’t a payback in six to seven years, it wasn’t worth it,” he said.

Data collected for the 25×25 plan will help guide the county in future decisions to build new facilities, generate or buy renewable energy and set new policies, Dowell said.

Even before committing to the state goals, Brown County was on board with green, he said. Three new county buildings with green features were completed in 2009: a new food court with sustainable landscaping at the county zoo; a 911 communications center featuring day lighting and water conservation; and the Brown County Community Treatment Center, which includes amenities such as solar hot water heat and high-efficiency HVAC.

A county landfill gas-to-energy project converts methane gas to electricity that is sold to Wisconsin Public Service Corp.

“We probably have 10 years of usable gas (there),” Dowell said.

An Energy Independent Community grant has helped the county identify and develop a long-range sustainability plan, Hinz said. Even small changes such as training new employees on energy-efficient driving practices can make a difference, he said.

Plans on the horizon, Dowell said, include the purchase of new electric or hybrid vehicles for county use and construction of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified building at Austin Straubel International Airport.

Conducting a thorough analysis of cost and savings for each project is time consuming, but that is where the county’s long-term view comes in handy.

“Keeping the momentum going is a challenge, especially now with budgets the way they are,” Hinz said. “But if we save money on energy, that’s money we can use for another program.”