Wisconsin DNR secretary touts climate control legislation

From an article in the Appleton Post-Crescent:

KAUKAUNA — State officials are banking on clean energy to bring up to 15,000 new jobs to Wisconsin by 2025.

Matt Frank, secretary of the state Department of Natural Resources, stopped by Bassett Mechanical on Thursday to rally support for the Clean Energy Jobs Act, now under consideration by the state Legislature. The bill's language is based on recommendations from Gov. Jim Doyle's Global Warming Task Force.

"Wisconsin manufacturing is growing in new areas," Frank said to a crowd of more than 100 people, which included state and Fox Cities elected officials, business representatives and Bassett workers. "We are looking to grow business, grow our economy and demonstrate that we can take care of our environment at the same time."

The state believes job growth will come through requirements proposed in the Clean Energy Jobs Act. As state and federal rules increase for businesses to purchase energy generated by alternative sources — solar and wind, for example — it naturally will create demand for specialized machinery, which isn't produced in large volumes.

Frank asked Wisconsin businesses to look to alternative energy for new opportunities.

"Wisconsin spends $16 billion a year buying energy and all of that money now leaves the state," he said. "We don't have coal, oil or gas fields, but we can be proactive about looking at alternative energy sources."