Energy efficiency efforts save state more than $268 million a year

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, has helped Wisconsin residents and businesses save more than $268 million in annual energy costs. The program is just one of the many efforts Governor Doyle has led to help Wisconsin residents and businesses save money through improved energy efficiency.

“The Focus on Energy Program has worked very hard with Wisconsin residents and businesses to lower energy costs and reduce their environmental impact,” Governor Doyle said. “We all know the cheapest way to lower carbon emissions is through energy conservation and Wisconsin’s efforts have resulted in significant savings for our residents and businesses.”

Governor Doyle recently launched the Clean Energy Jobs Act, a landmark legislative package to accelerate the state’s clean energy economy and create jobs. The package calls for updating renewable portfolio standards to generate 25 percent of Wisconsin’s fuel from renewable sources by 2025 and sets a realistic goal of a 2 percent annual reduction in energy consumption by 2015. A comprehensive economic assessment of the package found that it would directly create at least 15,000 green jobs in Wisconsin by 2025.