How Wisconsin Can Meet Its Clean Power Plan Targets

Wisconsin can achieve 63 percent of its Clean Power Plan (CPP) emission reductions by continuing the Focus on Energy program, maintaining its renewable portfolio standard, and improving the efficiency of natural gas and coal plants. To close the remaining gap and exceed targets, the state could increase efficiency targets to 2.5 percent by 2025 and renewable generation to 30 percent by 2030. The document argues that adopting a market-based carbon pricing program could generate over $100 million annually from out-of-state sources between 2022 and 2030 if allowances trade at $10 per short ton. Additionally, investments in energy efficiency via Focus on Energy provided a 3:1 benefit ratio from 2011-14, saving homes and businesses $1.7 billion.

• Wisconsin can achieve 63 percent of the emission reductions required by the Clean Power Plan (CPP) through four specific actions: continuing the Focus on Energy program (which has annual electricity savings targets of approximately 0.8 percent of sales through 2018), maintaining the renewable portfolio standard requiring 10 percent of electricity from investor-owned utilities to be renewable beyond 2015, running existing combined cycle natural gas plants at 75 percent, and implementing low-cost operational improvements at coal plants.
• To close the remaining emissions gap and nearly double the reductions of a mass-based target, Wisconsin could increase its renewable generation to 30 percent of sales by 2030 and raise its efficiency target to 2.5 percent by 2025.
• Implementing a market-based carbon pricing program could allow Wisconsin to generate an average of over $100 million per year in revenue from out-of-state sources between 2022 and 2030, assuming emission allowances trade at $10 per short ton.
• Energy efficiency investments through the Focus on Energy program from 2011-14 yielded $3 in benefits for every dollar invested, resulting in cumulative savings of $1.7 billion for businesses and homes.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). How Wisconsin Can Meet Its Clean Power Plan Targets. https://www.wri.org/research/how-wisconsin-can-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets

Chicago

World Resources Institute. How Wisconsin Can Meet Its Clean Power Plan Targets. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/how-wisconsin-can-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=How Wisconsin Can Meet Its Clean Power Plan Targets |url=https://www.wri.org/research/how-wisconsin-can-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendhow, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{How Wisconsin Can Meet Its Clean Power Plan Targets}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/how-wisconsin-can-meet-its-clean-power-plan-targets}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }