WisBiz Green Blog
Rural Impact On Energy
By Gregg Hoffmann
Rural America, and specifically rural Wisconsin, can play important roles in the move to the next generation of energy.
On May 30, the Rural Energy Startup Program (RESP) Round 2, funded by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG), opened. RESP supports communities taking initial steps to reduce energy use, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency.
RESP eligible applicants include cities, villages, towns, and counties that were not eligible to receive a direct allocation from the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) and are considered rural for the purposes of this program. There are three types of eligible activities: comprehensive energy planning, renewable resource planning, and energy audits and building upgrades/retrofits.
Eligible applicants can receive up to $75,000 for comprehensive energy planning and renewable resource planning, and up to $125,000 for energy efficiency audits and building upgrades or retrofits, with no match required. See more info in a June 6 link on WisBiz Green.
The Wisconsin Rural Policy Institute lists its mission on its web site as: “To empower rural communities across the state by supporting rigorous research, fostering informed dialogue, and educating policymakers about solutions that drive generational growth and prosperity in our rural areas. We are committed to addressing the unique challenges and opportunities that our rural regions face, ensuring that they are heard, understood, and well-supported in the policy-making process.”
“RPI is the first of its kind, nonpartisan policy institute that is solely dedicated to research and development of policies promoting generational prosperity for Wisconsin’s rural communities,” wrote Bob Richard, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) in the June issue of the group’s magazine. WECA, the Wisconsin Towns Association, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and the Welch Group came together to address challenges facing rural areas.
“The convergence of rural energy, rural governance and rural agriculture all coming together to seek innovative solutions and promote policies that will have a positive impact on our rural communities, is an incredibly unique opportunity, I look forward to the challenge,” said Bob Welch of the Welch Group and executive director of RPI.
“For the first time, leading rural voices will collaborate on a shared vision to address the challenges and opportunities facing our rural communities,” Mike Koles, executive director of the Wisconsin Towns Association, said. “I believe this collaboration will lead to better policy and better outcomes for our rural residents.”
While these statements emphasize rural, the research and policy development of RPI is exploring answers to energy and other issues raised on a broader level. For example, the first report of RPI concentrates on Wisconsin’s rural-urban balance. It looks at demographics of what are determined rural and urban areas and interprets the State Legislature’s changing maps for voting purposes.
ScienceDirect, the Journal of Cleaner Production, reported: “Rural areas play a crucial role in energy development. These areas have vast unused potential for new energy resources, and with proper management and government support, renewable energy can pave the way for sustainable development in rural areas. Nearly 50 million Americans live in rural or remote areas where energy costs are often disproportionately high and service can be unreliable.”
What role do rural areas play in the global energy transition? ScienceDirect wrote: “The answer is pivotal but challenging. Rural areas are integral to the development of renewable energy community, particularly due to the abundant natural resources and agricultural potential (Deavers, 1992). Well-suited for developing alternative energy and bioenergy systems in rural areas, it provides both clean energy and solutions for sustainable agricultural waste management and climate change mitigation (Quirapas Franco and Taeihagh, 2024). These regions often have abundant natural resources, e.g., solar, wind, and biomass, harnessed for energy production (Nassar et al., 2024; Röder et al., 2017). Various forms of bioenergy, like biogas, biomethane, and biodiesel, are derived from organic materials, e.g., agricultural residues, livestock effluents, manure, and forestry by-products (Roy et al., 2018; Sokolnikova et al., 2020). These bioenergy sources can be used locally to meet farm energy needs and can also be integrated into national grids, thereby supporting energy access and sustainability both locally and remotely….
“Beyond producing energy for local consumption, rural areas can contribute significantly to broader energy networks. The energy generated in these areas can be transported to urban centers and integrated into larger grids for electricity and heat production (Gaiser and Stroeve, 2014; Raimondi et al., 2024). This interconnected energy system enhances overall grid stability and efficiency while promoting the decentralization of energy production and consumption.”
Dairyland Cooperative has been working with federal grants to expand power supplies throughout its members areas and has explored environmentally friendly sources from wind and solar to SMR nuclear. Its reach goes to urban areas as well as rural.
Dairyland is also a leader in the National Renewables Cooperative Organization, a national cooperative to develop cost-effective renewable energy resources for electric cooperatives across the nation.
While the potential of renewable energy in both rural and urban areas is immense, challenges remain. Rural communities may require government support and infrastructure development to fully embrace renewable energy solutions. Urban areas need innovative planning and policies to integrate renewable energy into dense environments.
In 2023, in Linked In, Anju Mohan, an electrical engineer, wrote Renewable Energy in Rural and Urban Area. “Despite challenges, the opportunities are vast. Renewable energy can empower rural communities, create green jobs, and improve air quality. In urban areas, it can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, lower energy bills, and build more sustainable and resilient cities,” he wrote.
Mohan’s opinion is even more true today than two years ago. Contraction of sustainable energy funding from the federal government presents a challenge but groups like RESP and RPI, utilities and companies like Dairyland and others, see the opportunities in moving toward renewable, sustainable, cleaner energy. And they realize rural efforts can not only have local benefits but also contribute greatly to the larger picture
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