By Meghan Sovey
MADISON – Today the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) unveiled the “Wisconsin Energy Statistics” portal, an online resource that provides a snapshot of energy use in Wisconsin and its economic and environmental impacts. Prior to the “Wisconsin Energy Statistics” online portal, the State Energy Office – known as the Office of Energy Innovation at the PSC – compiled this information and regularly published revised editions of the “Energy Statistics Book” since 1976. The “Energy Statistics Book” has served as a comprehensive source of data on energy consumption, generation, prices, expenditures, and renewable energy development in Wisconsin. The Office of Energy Innovation prepared the new online portal to make this information more accessible and support more frequent and regular data updates. “For more than 45 years, the Office of Energy Innovation has collected important energy statistics to inform and involve the public. This interactive online tool now makes it even easier for public officials, researchers, and citizens to learn how we, as a state, are generating, consuming and developing electricity in Wisconsin as well as the progress being made on Governor Evers’ goal for all electricity consumed in our state to be carbon-free by 2050,” said PSC Chairperson Rebecca Cameron Valcq.
The portal updates the most recently published Energy Statistics Book with data through the year 2021, while maintaining data on long-term historical trends. The data addresses all sources of energy used, from petroleum for transportation to renewables and fossil fuels for electricity generation in Wisconsin.
Key findings in the “Wisconsin Energy Statistics” Online Portal:
- Since 2015, Wisconsin’s annual solar energy generation has grown from 1.41 Megawatt hours to 830.54 Megawatt hours, which is enough to power more than 150,000 average Wisconsin homes.
- Since 2015, the use of coal for Electricity Generation has decreased by 37.86% from 380.6 trillion BTU to 236.3 trillion BTU.
- As of 2021, energy sector jobs in Wisconsin contributed to 4% of the total employment in the state, with the largest percentage being energy efficiency jobs at 56,241.
The “Wisconsin Energy Statistics” online portal can be found here.