November 18, 2015
University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point
Dreyfus University Center
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
1015 Reserve St • Stevens Point, WI 54481
The Wisconsin Academy, through our Climate & Energy Initiative, convenes a full-day leadership summit for Wisconsin local government and energy program leaders to advance clean energy, efficiency, and resilience for their communities.
Our aim is to share best practices in—and identify needs for—moving communities and Wisconsin forward in curbing carbon emissions and encouraging energy innovation. This event will bring these groups together to learn what resources currently exist, and how organizations could collaborate more effectively. We hope that this summit will build the foundation for an ongoing annual conference.
During this summit we:
- Identify the needs, priorities, and current programs within Wisconsin local governments across the state through a pre-event survey. This will result in a report, which we will use to craft the Summit agenda.
- Allow local governments of various sizes, and organizations designed to serve those local governments in energy conservation/innovation efforts, to present and discuss their work with all attendees.
- Offer two panels of program experts and local government leaders on how to implement sustainable energy programs and finance those programs.
- Provide time for group discussion among leaders with common needs to troubleshoot problems, share best practices, and develop professional networks.
- Invite local-level media outlets to raise awareness of A) Wisconsin’s ongoing local-level leadership in energy efficiency and renewable energy, B) the needs of those local governments, and C) the state programs that exist to promote energy savings and innovation at the local level.
- Identify options for action within the Climate Forward Report’s five “Pathways to Progress” that address municipal and local government needs in Wisconsin for cities of various sizes, which can be published on our web site.
- Post a participant list for Wisconsin municipal and local government sustainability leaders, as well as resource organizations, engaged in responsive climate and energy strategies so they will be able to maintain contact and share their practices with each other.
