Columbus Receives Energy Study Grant (1/30/09)

Columbus wins $50,000 for energy independence The City of Columbus has been named a winner of Wisconsin’s first Energy Independent Community Partnership 25x25 Plan grant. The $50,000 grant was announced in January by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle and the state’s Office of Energy Independence.

“This grant will help strengthen our community’s ongoing commitment to building a better energy future for our children and our grandchildren,” said Steve Sobiek, Director of Economic Development/Energy Sustainability for Columbus..

Recent efficiency and conservation efforts in Columbus have included energy-efficient lighting upgrades at City Hall and at public works, library, senior center, parks, fire station and garage buildings; several LED lighting demonstration projects; passage of a neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) allowing the energy-efficient NEV’s to access city streets; and a city-wide energy conservation challenge issued by the mayor to all residential, commercial and industrial customers of Columbus Water & Light..

The Governor’s “Clean Energy Wisconsin” plan calls for Wisconsin to generate 25 percent of its electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025. Winners of the “25x25” grants will receive funding to aid in the development of 25x25 plans for their own communities. The communities’ pilot efforts are anticipated to provide leadership for renewable energy efforts across the state. .

“These plans will help to shape how other communities around the state address clean energy challenges,” said Governor Doyle. “Resources will be shared, new tools created, and much experience gained throughout this coming year.” .

The grant application from Columbus was among the 10 winners selected from a pool of more than 40 entries. The community will use the funds to complete energy audits on municipal facilities and assess the energy usage of its fleet vehicles. Resulting data will be used to help Columbus evaluate its conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy opportunities and to select and prioritize projects for implementation..

Assistance with the grant application was provided by the Energy Center of Wisconsin and WPPI Energy, Columbus’s power supplier. As member of WPPI Energy, Columbus has access to a wide variety of energy conservation, efficiency and renewable energy programs. .

In 2008, Columbus was selected for WPPI Energy’s Model Community Energy Project, intended to create a community-wide effort to instill a strong local conservation ethic and demonstrate the effectiveness of energy efficiency, conservation and renewable resource development. WPPI Energy provided $20,000 in implementation funds for both 2008 and 2009. .

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Columbus Water & Light is a community-owned utility supplying power to 2,200 area homes and businesses.