News updates
Be in the KnowRise Up news updates feature content curated in conjunction with the Rise Up policy partners. Content is intended to highlight key Midwest clean energy programs, policy updates, and important action alerts.
Now is the time. #RiseUpMidwest!
Minnesotans: MnDOT is Looking for YOUR Input to Inform Their EV Plans for the State
Minnesota EV Strategic Plan Much has changed in the electric vehicle (EV) landscape in the last two years with more automakers making large commitments to eliminate gasoline vehicles in the future,...
Illinois’ Crowded Clean Energy Battle: Governor Pritzker Proposes New Legislation
After months of declining to endorse any specific plan to both get Illinois on a path to 100% renewable energy and crack down on public utilities’ power in Springfield, Gov. JB Pritzker on Wednesday...
Midwest Cities Increasingly Linking Tax-Increment Financing to Sustainability Requirements
Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a financing option that uses expected future gains in state or municipal property taxes from a development or redevelopment project to finance improvements that will...
Understanding The Future of the US Electric Grid
Rise Up partner, Winneshiek Energy District in Iowa have a monthly Energy Breakfast (sometimes lunch) webinar series. While we encourage you to explore all the entire series, their April webinar...
The Future is Now: Creating a 21st Century Energy Policy in Wisconsin
On March 31st, Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) Executive Director, Nick Hylla sat down with Wisconsin’s Green Fire (WGF) as part of a 90-minute panel discussion on opportunities for...
Community Solar as a Model in Minnesota
Timothy DenHerder-Thomas with Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF) joined Rise Up Partner, Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) out of Minnesota, to talk about his journey working on climate and clean...
Join Illinois’ Virtual Lobby Day April 26th in Support of CEJA, Lead Service Line Replacement and Environmental Justice Bills.
Illinois legislators are getting back to work so it's time for Illinoisans to make their voices heard. You'll be joined by other advocates lobbying not only for the Clean Energy Jobs Act-- which...
Wisconsin Budget Bill Listening Sessions: Voice Support of the Bill’s Clean Energy Proposals
Wisconsin Governor Evers included 28 clean energy provisions in his proposed 2021-23 Budget Bill. Among them are recommendations to expand Focus on Energy, invest in the clean energy workforce, and...
Midwest Energy Bills to Watch in the 2021 State Legislative Session
The 2021 state legislative sessions are underway and multiple solar, renewable energy, and clean energy bills are being considered. pv magazine has put together a list of energy bills that deserve...
Urge the Illinois Governor and State Legislators to Pass the Clean Energy Jobs Act
When it comes to clean jobs, Illinois is falling behind. Right now, Illinois and Oregon are the only states in the country led by Democrats that haven’t committed to 100% clean energy by 2050. CEJA...
Wisconsin Regulators Eye Changes to Policies for Consumer-Generated Electricity
Wisconsin utility regulators are exploring policy changes that could change how utilities compensate customers who generate electricity for the grid. The Public Service Commission voted 2-1...
Save Iowa’s Solar Tax Credit; then Stop Natural Gas Protectionism
Andy Johnson, Executive DirectorWinneshiek Energy District Iowa’s solar tax credit has been critical to the growth of locally-owned solar in Winneshiek County and throughout Iowa. Thanks to...
Renewable Energy Group Sues PSC in Effort to Expand Customer Access
The up-front cost of installing solar is often a barrier for customers, even though the value of the electricity produced from a solar electric system exceeds the installation costs after about...
Write the PSCW Today to Support More Solar in Wisconsin
The upfront cost of solar can be a barrier to access, especially for schools, nonprofit organizations and low wealth families. Luckily, third-party ownership (TPO) presents a tenable solution to...
Solar Advocates Hope Indiana Will Extend Higher Net Metering Rates Before They Expire
Environmentalists hope Indiana will extend net metering rates for solar before time runs out. Net metering gives people with solar panels credits for any excess energy that they deliver to the grid....
Major Companies, Institutions in Illinois Call for 100% Clean Energy Legislation
Nearly two dozen employers across the state urge lawmakers to strengthen clean energy and transportation programs during the 2021 legislative session. SPRINGFIELD, IL—Nearly two dozen companies and...
Energy Equity – Featuring NAACP’s Denise Abdul-Rahman
How do we achieve a more equitable energy economy? If you ask Denise Abdul-Rahman with the NAACP, she’ll kindly tell you that we need a system that increases employment opportunities and decreases...
IL Clean Energy Legislation – Make Your Voice Heard
Join E2 December 7 - 9 for Clean Energy Days of Action in Illinois On behalf of one of our Rise Up partners, Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2), we share the following event, asking IL clean energy...
Beyond Coal – Featuring Sierra Club’s Laura Lane & Ryan Hidden
Did you know that uneconomical coal plants in the Midwest are costing you, the ratepayer, millions of dollars? In recent years, utilities across the region have been clinging to uneconomical coal...
Clean Energy Jobs Pay 25% More Than National Median
We already know how important the clean energy sector is, employing more than 1 in every 50 Americans in 2019. But what do those jobs look like, and what do they pay? The first-of-its-kind Clean...