This bill establishes a state goal to achieve 100 percent clean electricity and net zero carbon emissions by 2050, creating a new Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy to oversee implementation. It sets specific milestones requiring the state to reach at least 50 percent carbon-free electricity by 2030, 65 percent by 2035, 80 percent by 2040, 90 percent by 2045, and full carbon-free status by 2050. The legislation also directs the state to develop a detailed decarbonization roadmap using sector-based modeling and provides funding for technology needed to meet these targets. Additionally, the bill clarifies definitions for renewable and carbon-free resources and includes provisions for agencies to consider technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness when meeting these energy standards.
This bill establishes a comprehensive clean energy framework requiring Wisconsin to achieve 100 percent clean electricity production and net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It creates a new Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy within the Department of Administration to develop and update an economy-wide decarbonization roadmap using sector-based modeling. The legislation sets specific interim targets for carbon-free electricity, including 50 percent by 2030, 65 percent by 2035, 80 percent by 2040, 90 percent by 2045, and full carbon-free status by 2050. State agencies must consider purchasing renewable energy from providers with long-term contracts, though the requirements do not apply if generation is not technically feasible or cost-effective. The bill also provides funding for technology implementation and defines carbon-free resources to include hydroelectric power alongside other renewable sources.
AB 858 requires Wisconsin's Public Service Commission to consider a minimum "social cost of carbon" of $185 per metric ton of CO2 emissions when reviewing energy certificates. It mandates that costs for expanding fossil fuel infrastructure can only be recovered from customers who directly benefit from that infrastructure, and prohibits passing transition costs to renewable energy onto ratepayers. The bill directly affects utilities seeking infrastructure investments and residential/commercial electricity customers paying rates. Key provisions ensure fossil fuel expansion costs are tied to specific beneficiaries while shielding customers from transition expenses during the shift to renewables.
SB 853 requires local governments (counties, cities, towns, and regional planning commissions) to consider climate change impacts when updating specific plans, including comprehensive plans, community health plans, and hazard mitigation plans. The bill creates a new grant program to cover the full cost of climate planning for these local documents, funded by a dedicated state appropriation. Local governments must apply to the department for grants that finance all expenses related to incorporating climate change considerations into their planning processes. This policy change directly affects how communities develop and update key planning documents, with no new requirements for local funding.
SB 856 creates a new $5 million annual scholarship program (biennially) to support Wisconsin students pursuing climate-related education. It directly affects Wisconsin residents enrolled in eligible higher education institutions - such as UW System campuses, technical colleges, tribal colleges, or private nonprofits - who study fields addressing climate change. The program awards up to $5,000 per academic year, with half of scholarships based on merit and half on financial need. Funding comes from the state's Higher Educational Aids Board budget, and students with unresolved child support liens may qualify only if they provide approved payment agreements.
SB 854 creates a new funding line to support county conservation staff focused on climate change resiliency. It directly affects counties with approved land and water resource management plans, requiring them to request funding for climate-focused personnel in annual grant applications. The bill adds a specific appropriation of $1.8 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year under statute 20.115(7)(f) for "soil and water management; climate change personnel." This establishes a dedicated funding mechanism for counties to hire or retain staff addressing climate impacts, separate from existing conservation program funding.
AB 875 creates a new funding line for county conservation staff focused on climate change resiliency. It directly affects counties that have approved land and water conservation plans and choose to allocate matching funds. The bill adds "climate change personnel" as a specific budget item under soil and water management, requiring counties to specifically request funding for these roles in their annual grant applications to the Department of Agriculture. This changes how counties can use state grants by mandating explicit requests for climate-focused staff positions within their conservation planning process. The bill appropriates $1.8 million for the 2026-27 fiscal year for this purpose.
AB 862 creates a state grant program to help local governments (counties, cities, towns, and regional planning commissions) cover the full cost of including climate change considerations in specific planning documents. The bill requires these local governments to consider climate change effects in comprehensive plans, community health improvement plans, and hazard mitigation plans to the extent practicable. Funding for the grants comes from a new state appropriation, with the department determining the grant amount based on the cost of climate considerations for each plan.
AB 853 allocates $200,000 annually for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 fiscal years to fund two full-time research positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on agriculture and climate change. The positions must be filled using existing vacant research roles (not creating new ones), assigned to the university's extension division, and contribute to increasing the total number of research positions at UW-Madison. The bill modifies the state budget to add this funding under existing appropriations for the University of Wisconsin System. It does not create new positions but directs existing resources toward climate science research in agriculture through UW-Madison's extension program.
SB 855 allocates $200,000 annually for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 to fund two full-time research positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison focused on agriculture and climate change. These positions must use existing vacant research slots, increase the total research staff count, and be assigned to UW-Madison's Division of Extension. The bill modifies the state budget to provide this funding without creating new positions or changing existing law. It directly affects UW-Madison's research staffing structure and extension programs.
