It has been almost a year since cities across the country rebuked President Donald Trump’s threat to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, the international agreement between 195 countries that was nearly two decades in the making.
Following Trump’s announcement last June, Milwaukee reaffirmed its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. Tom Barrett became one of more than 400 “U.S. Climate Mayors” condemning Trump’s position and the city’s common council passed a resolution to support the climate accord. Milwaukee gets criticized on a number of issues, but most people do not realize that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is not just one of these more than 400 mayors but is one of a handful of real leaders in this area. Milwaukee currently has some of the most eco-friendly programs relative to other cities in the country.
So what is the city actually doing to fulfill that commitment?
Local Effects of a Global Problem
Though climate change was hotly debated in the past, the breadth of current and future effects has become more apparent.
A report from the National Climate Assessment found that in Wisconsin and the Midwest extreme heat, heavy downpours and flooding due to climate change will affect infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation and air and water quality. Climate change will also exacerbate a range of risks to the Great Lakes, the report states.
“Climate change is already starting to happen,” said Erick Shambarger, Milwaukee’s environmental sustainability director. “We have already experienced flooding and we will continue to experience it if we don’t change things.”
The common council’s resolution states that actions that reduce the burning of fossil fuels and release of greenhouse gasses in Milwaukee, including prioritizing efficiency and transitioning to low-carbon energy sources, can improve air quality, public health, energy security, social equity, natural environments and quality of life for residents. To local officials, it’s also a matter of attracting jobs and staying competitive in a new, green economy.
“Now other countries will leapfrog ahead of us. Not only was it a poor economic decision, but it will affect our children and grandchildren, so I felt the city should take a stance,” said Alderman Michael Murphy, who drafted the council’s climate accord resolution.
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Actions for Change
The mayor’s commitment to the accord is more than a signed letter and a resolution. With a longstanding goal of 25% renewable energy by 2025, and a large focus on the energy efficiency of buildings, there are several programs in place to move the city away from fossil fuels.
Milwaukee’s Better Buildings Challenge helps building owners and property managers finance energy saving and clean energy projects, while the Me2 Home Energy Efficiency program allows homeowners affordable energy-saving upgrades such as insulation, air sealing, furnaces, boilers, hot water heaters, air conditioners and windows. The Better Buildings Challenge and the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing model used in the program have become national examples for other communities and have earned the city a distinction as one of the first Building Efficiency Accelerator cities.
In addition, the city’s Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO) implemented the Milwaukee Shines Solar Program, which takes a citywide approach to expanding solar energy. Since starting the program, Milwaukee has streamlined the solar permitting process, created a solar zoning ordinance and began providing financing resources for home and business owners, according to the ECO. As of January 2017, there were more than 2.2 megawatts of solar energy being produced in Milwaukee, which exceeded the city’s goal of 1 megawatts of solar capacity.
Shambarger said the office was also responsible for building the wind turbine near Milwaukee’s port and has plans on the horizon to install a megawatt of solar energy on municipal buildings.
Room for Improvement
Despite the goals and programs already in place, there’s more to be done.
Shambarger said the transportation sector is another major contributor to the city’s emissions and providing transit on a metropolitan scale could help reduce carbon that comes from automobiles. “I think the street car is a huge advancement, but in terms of other cities, we’re falling behind,” he said. “ECO’s goal is to help make Milwaukee a global eco-city by creating neighborhoods where you can live closer to where you work with more transit options. The mayor’s proposals around workforce housing and supporting housing where jobs are will help.
“All that’s well and good, but we’d also like to encourage our utility to add more renewables to their facility,” Shambarger continued, noting that there were a number of large customers interested in access to renewable energy.
Earlier this year, some of those large customers, including Mayor Barrett, County Executive Chris Abele, MATC president Vicki Martin and MMSD Executive Director Kevin Shafer, sent a letter to We Energies requesting more options for renewable energy that offer long-term price stability and potential bill savings, measurable reductions in emissions and new and additional installations of renewable energy that are visible to the local community.
We Energies said it has made significant changes to its portfolio in the last few years, including the recent retirement of the Pleasant Prairie coal-fired plant, the conversion of the Port Washington plant to natural gas and plans to retire two more in the near future. We Energies Spokesperson Cathy Schulze said the company also constructed the state’s two largest wind farms, a biomass plant and has a goal to invest in 350 megawatts of solar by 2020.
“With all of these measures together, we really are reshaping our renewable generation portfolio,” Schulze said.
According to information provided by We Energies, the utility has reduced reliance on coal as an electric energy supply by 20% since 2005. The company is currently sourcing 53% coal, 21% natural gas and 26% carbon-free sources—which include nuclear and renewable energy—but is aiming to reach one-third carbon-free energy by 2030.
Making the Pledge?
Meanwhile, environmental groups like the international nonprofit 350.org are calling for city governments to make a 100% renewable pledge.
“Of course, that’s more difficult in a case like Milwaukee where we have to rely on We Energies, and We has been, at best, stodgy about renewable programs,” said Mark Haag, who is a member of 350.org.
Pressure surrounding the utility’s use of coal is mounting, not just from elected officials and environmental groups eager for renewable energy, but from residents living near the company’s coal-fired Oak Creek power plant, who are concerned for their health and wellness. Tensions were made worse in March when winds blew coal ash onto homes, cars and playground equipment.
During a listening session in early April by the Clean Power Coalition, residents voiced their concerns to We Energies representatives and urged them to stop burning coal. Executive Vice President Tom Metcalfe apologized for the incident and discussed the measures they would be taking to manage the dust issue, including additional screenings, wind breaks and sealing off the pile until they find a more permanent solution.
“My takeaway from the meeting is its just more the same from We Energies,“ said Bill Pringle, who used to live near the power plant. “Metcalfe walked around the room and said, ‘You just need to be patient with us.’ That made me realize they have no intention of helping us.”
When it comes to personal agency in mitigating climate change, Haag said there are a number of steps individuals can take, including looking toward community solar options, encouraging companies to divest in fossil fuels and urging their representatives and utilities to invest in more renewable options.
“I think people need to speak out and say these things are important,” Shambarger said. “Climate action is important not just on a city level, but at the state level. The city’s trying to do what it can, but a lot of these decisions are made at the state level, at the utility level.”
