Dane County is Committed to Climate Action
Dane County is committed to meaningful climate action. In 2017 County Executive Joe Parisi established the Office of Energy & Climate Change (OECC), with the goal of developing and implementing a countywide Climate Action Plan (CAP). In 2020 Dane County finalized our CAP, which is a roadmap to deep decarbonization and outlines policies, programs, and projects that will help us meet our ambitious goals. Our vision for a sustainable and resilient Dane County is based on the priority actions identified in our CAP.
To meet these goals, OECC focuses on helping Dane County businesses, nonprofits, faith communities and residents make the transition to clean energy and make their facilities and homes more energy efficient. And because we know that change begins from within, we dually focus on making this transition within our own internal operations.
With this vision and leadership, our goal is to galvanize action and build momentum around these climate goals, with equity and economic security at the forefront. By taking action within our own operations and through harnessing the commitment and expertise of our vibrant communities, we know that we can meet our climate goals while increasing Dane County’s resiliency from the weather extremes and threats climate change poses.
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Since the Climate Action Plan was released in 2020, our office has been taking action to set Dane County on a path to meet our goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% countywide by 2030 and become carbon neutral by 2050.
Here are some of our recent accomplishments:
- In 2023 Dane County became the fourth county in the United States to reach the milestone of using 100% renewable electricity at all county facilities.
- One in four registered electric vehicles are located in Dane County
- Dane County is home to the first net zero energy school in Wisconsin.
Our office is committed to continually leveraging local, state, and federal opportunities to build momentum within Dane County. Our aim is to continually monitor emerging policies, information, and funding to provide updated resources to Dane County residents, businesses, nonprofits, local governments, and faith communities. Recently our focus is on:
Ensuring Dane County residents and organizations take advantage of tax credits and grant funding available through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Building networks and partnerships to share information and resources, such as the Sustainable Leaders Collaborative, Tree Canopy Collaborative, and Environmental Justice Working Group.
Helping to advance workforce training for electrification and renewable energy, especially for underserved populations, to ensure that the new opportunities through the Inflation Reduction Act are possible with a sufficient and prepared workforce able to meet the increased demand.