It’s not a secret that the City of Madison is dedicated to a sustainable energy future and values its relationship with Focus on Energy and its partner allies, Madison Gas & Electric and Alliant Energy. The City of Madison started installing energy-efficient and renewable energy products in their buildings when Focus on Energy began in 2001.

“I have the pleasure of accepting the award, but the only reason that we are standing here today is because of the amazing work of folks in facilities and engineering and across the city over many, many years,” City of Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said. “Thanks to the city staff, to Focus on Energy, and to the Public Service Commission for the work making sure the entire state of Wisconsin has access to renewable energy.”

Madison city leaders created a sustainability plan in 2005 and have worked hard with Focus on Energy nearly every year sticking to that plan, revamping it as new technologies emerged, and ensuring the strategies used keep the City of Madison moving forward with energy efficiency, renewable energy, and green building projects.

Since 2015, the city of Madison has saved:

• 200 million kWh – that is equivalent to powering 17,854 homes.
• 9.2 million therms – that is equivalent to powering another 6,132 homes.
• 649,000 metric tons of CO₂ – that is the same as recycling all the contents of 32,081 garbage trucks rather than putting the waste into a landfill.

“Since 2015 through today, Focus on Energy (in partnership with Madison Gas & Electric) has given us $1.1 million of incentives,” City of Madison Engineering Department Public Information Officer Hannah Mohelnitzky said. “Some projects, big and small, we’re proud to have the Focus on Energy incentives.”

In 2021, the City went above and beyond by installing efficient equipment and five solar PV systems at some of their facilities. Energy efficiency upgrades at their police departments (East and West as well as their training center), Ashman Library, many of their water supply wells, and recently, Madison Fire Station 14 wrapped up several energy efficiency projects.

“It has geothermal heating and cooling, radiant floor heating, LED lighting, passive lighting and day lighting, solar hot water, solar electric all that make it a leader for this type of building,” Mohelnitzky said.

In addition, they completed a major remodel of the Metro Maintenance Facility to drive down the energy consumption and incorporate advanced control strategies; scheduling to use only the energy they need at that building when they need it.

“For an entity like the City of Madison, energy efficiency means lower energy bills that translates back to the taxpayers of the City having a lower burden,” Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Commissioner Tyler Huebner said. “And reducing the increases that might otherwise be necessary to run the City.”