Mayor, MPower Partners Announce Completion of 100k Challenge

City, Community Surpasses Goal of Reducing Carbon Emissions by 100,000 Tons

Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced today that the city and a coalition of community partners has exceeded a clean energy goal to reduce carbon emissions citywide by 100,000 tons over four years. "We launched this climate change challenge in 2007, knowing it would be an ambitious goal. I'm proud that working together with MGE, the UW and a coalition of community partners, we've surpassed our goal 3 months early," Mayor Cieslewicz said. The mayor also thanked all the MPower partners including MGE, UW-Madison, Sustain Dane, UW-Extension, Sierra Club, ReNew WI, Dane County United, Focus on Energy, CUB and Good for Business. Between the City, UW, businesses and residents we documented eliminating 324,443 metric tons of carbon dioxide from our air. "UW-Madison has reduced its cumulative carbon dioxide emissions by 183,000 tons since 2007 and will continue its aggressive energy conservation and environmental protection efforts in years to come," Faramarz Vakili, UW-Madison Director of Campus Sustainability Operations said. The goal was surpassed by purchase of green power alone, through MGE's Green Power Tomorrow program with city, business and residents all participating. "MGE's green pricing program has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy as one of the best in the country. This is a tribute to the deep commitment of our customers to support renewable energy," Gary J Wolter, CEO and President of Madison Gas and Electric Company said. MGE program participants in the clean energy challenge have saved over 128,000 tons of avoided CO? emissions. The city's contribution to reducing emissions came not only from using green power, which runs 22% of city operations, but also through energy efficiency and lighting upgrades to city facilities, reducing fossil fuel use by adding 24 hybrid busses to Metro's fleet, installing solar hot water systems on fire stations and other solar projects. MPowering Madison has also worked directly with several local businesses through the MPower Business ChaMpions Program. The program provides businesses with technical support, tools and a structured approach to reducing emissions and saving their companies money.