Business Insider: How Madison, Wisconsin, is accelerating climate action with renewable energy, recycling, and green job initiatives

Erica Sweeney, Business Insider

When she announced the city's Climate Forward agenda last April, Satya Rhodes-Conway, the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, said the city had a "scientific imperative" to cut its carbon emissions in half by 2030, among other actions to combat climate change. 

"Climate action is about improving air quality and public health, lowering utility bills for residents and businesses, and creating more opportunities for good-paying, high-quality jobs," she said. "I believe Madison is ready to accelerate climate action for the benefit of our community and our world."

The city has since stuck to Rhodes-Conway's word. Here's a look at some of the ways Madison's government, residents, and organizations are making it more resilient to climate change.

Investing in clean energy for city operations

The city of Madison is aiming for 100% of the electricity needed for city operations to come from renewable sources, like solar power, by 2030 — and it's making progress. Now, nearly 75% of the electricity is renewably sourced. 

The city is also tracking municipal energy use, upgrading city buildings, and requiring new and renovated city buildings to be LEED-certified — a globally recognized standard for sustainability. So far, about 15 buildings are LEED-certified and more are under review. 

"We want to make sure that we're walking the walk on the things that we want to see everyone doing," Jessica Price, Madison's sustainability and resilience manager that's housed in the mayor's office, told Insider. 

That commitment extends to the city's fleet. Price said Madison is adding 50 electric vehicles, more than 100 hybrid vehicles, and a fully electric fire truck.

Expanding equity and accessibility with a new transit system

In 2024, Madison plans to launch a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system with zero-emissions buses, Price said. This system will focus on equity and accessibility by increasing the frequency of buses and expanding service to different parts of the city.

The city is also adding bike lanes and bike paths and upgrading street crossings to improve access and connectivity. "We want to make it really easy for our residents to get around without driving a car," Price said.

Addressing flooding issues

Because it's located on an isthmus surrounded by lakes, Madison is vulnerable to flooding, Price said. In 2018, the area experienced 11 to 13 inches of rainfall in 24 hours, which caused widespread flooding. Price said unprecedented rainfall events will likely become more common, and the city needs to be prepared. Right now, it's focused on revising stormwater ordinances and conducting studies on how rain barrels, permeable pavements, and other green infrastructure can minimize flooding.

Growing the green job market

To create a climate-friendly economy, Madison is investing in green-job training programs that focus on educating people from underrepresented groups in solar panel and LED lighting installation, tree planting, and electric vehicle work. 

"We want to make sure that green jobs are accessible to everyone in our community and remove barriers that folks might have," Price said. 

Through a partnership with the city's engineering division, the GreenPower Program hires and trains unemployed or underemployed individuals to install solar energy systems in municipal buildings. The city also partners with other workforce organizations to boost green-job training and opportunities.

Making affordable housing energy efficient

Affordable housing stock tends to be older than other housing, so it often uses more energy. Madison is working with local nonprofits Sustain Dane and Elevate to make naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) more energy efficient.

The program, Efficiency Navigator, offers $10,000 to $20,000 to upgrade housing units with efficient lighting, better insulation and sealing, water conservation systems, and improved ventilation and HVAC systems. The project also includes an accelerator program to ensure contractors from diverse backgrounds get the opportunity to work on projects.

"The project is really important if we're looking to have an equitable and more climate-sound future," Claire Oleksiak, Sustain Dane's executive director, told Insider.

Helping businesses and residents become more sustainable
Helping local businesses with their own sustainability projects is another climate-forward initiative. The city-run MadiSUN program offers financial assistance to businesses and other organizations, as well as homeowners, to incorporate solar energy. 

Sustain Dane also hosts Accelerate Sustainability Workshops to help businesses and individuals launch sustainability projects, like installing LED lightbulbs or solar panels or composting, and educates restaurants on finding solutions to food waste.

Reducing food waste and encouraging recycling

Reducing waste and recycling are other focus areas for Madison. The city has goals to reduce food waste and will launch a composting program at local farmers' markets with Sustain Dane in May. Residents can bring food scraps, which will be composted at nearby farms. 

Sustain Dane works with local schools, too, on food waste audits to determine how much food is wasted from meals and what solutions, like menu changes, composting, or food-sharing, could reduce waste. Oleksiak said the organization also partners with school cafeterias on milk carton recycling programs and uses its Master Recycler program to educate residents about improving recycling and getting their family and friends involved.

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