Evansville, Wisconsin
An Energetic and Focused Community
Evansville, Wisconsin may be a small city, but it is also a community that dreams big. With the help of its local utility, Evansville Water & Light, the community has rallied together to adopt a community-wide focus on energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy.
Evansville Water & Light began delivering reliable electric power in 1901—10 years ago—and has grown to serve more than 4,000 homes and businesses today. The utility is an integral part of the community, supporting community causes, hanging holiday lights and banners, providing electrical service to local festivals and much more.
School Improvements Yield Savings
As part of that local commitment, the utility has worked with the Evansville School District, one of the utility’s largest power customers, on energysaving projects to improve the school facilities and decrease energy usage. With the help of the utility and a citizen committee, the new high school implemented several energy-efficient features, including high efficiency lighting and HVAC improvements. All of the schools in the district have performed ENERGY STAR® benchmarking using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager and have completed energy assessments by CESA 10, an educational agency serving 29 school districts in West Central Wisconsin. In addition, the utility routinely sponsors energy education performances by the National Theatre for Children and provides programs for local teachers to inform students and the community about energy issues through the K–12 Energy Education Program (KEEP).
Energy Fair Brings Community Together
In April 2011, Evansville held its ninth annual Earth ay Energy air. The event draws more than 2,000 visitors each year for education and a celebration of energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability. More than 65 businesses and organizations host exhibits on a variety of topics, from energy-efficient appliances, to wind energy, to sustainable agriculture.
At the fair, Evansville Water & Light showcases its energy-saving programs and shares tips on how to conserve energy. This year’s fair included tours of the new High School Building Trades Class’ energy-efficient house and the wind turbine on Water Street.
Mayor Has a Vision for the Future
Much of Evansville’s focus on energy conservation and efficiency in recent years can be attributed to Mayor Sandy Decker, an energetic leader who is known for her advocacy on behalf of the community.
Recently, Mayor Decker was recognized with WPPI Energy’s Distinguished Service Award and the American Public Power Association’s Spence Vanderlinden Public Official Award. Both awards recognize her extraordinary contributions as a public power industry leader and her efforts to enhance the prestige of public power nationally. She is also a recipient of the Phillip J. LaFollette Public Official Award from Municipal Electric Utilities of Wisconsin for her efforts to lead the utility.
In addition, Mayor Decker was honored with an Outstanding Woman of Achievement Award from Wisconsin Women in Government in recognition of her commitment to historic preservation and energy conservation.
Mayor Decker is quick to stress that these awards belong to the city. She points out that Evansville’s energy sustainability initiatives are successful because of the enthusiasm and involvement of its citizens.
Taking the Lead
The extraordinary accomplishments of Evansville have not gone unnoticed. Evansville was one of the first 11 member communities to receive WPPI Energy’s Leading by Example award in 2010. This award recognizes communities that demonstrate best practices that help consumers reduce energy costs, save energy and protect the environment.
Also in 2010, Evansville was one of 12 WPPI Energy communities in Wisconsin to receive a Wisconsin Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Evansville received $133,496 to upgrade the lighting in the Public Works Garage and install new, energy-efficient LED streetlights.
On the state level, the City of Evansville was one of the first communities in Wisconsin to be awarded an Energy Independent Community Partnership 25x25 Plan grant. The $50,000 grant, awarded by the state’s Office of Energy Independence in 2009, provided funding to enable the city to complete energy audits on municipal facilities and assess the energy usage of its fleet vehicles.
A Renewable Energy Advocate
Today, support for renewable energy is evident
in the community’s impressive customer participation in the utility’s Renewable Energy
and Green Power for Business programs. Each month, residential and business customers voluntarily purchase 355 blocks of renewable energy, or nearly 1.2 million kilowatthours (kWh) of green energy annually. A portion of Evansville’s renewable energy comes from a 100 kilowatt wind turbine at the Evansville Waste Water Treatment Plant. The project produced approximately 117,000 kWh in the last 12 months and provides a highly visual demonstration of the important role that local renewable resources play.
Public Power Brings People Together
Locally owned utilities like Evansville Water & Light are a community asset because they work in the public interest and are responsive to customer needs. In Evansville, the potential of public power is fully realized, as the utility, community leaders and citizens work together to shape the kind of community they wish to become.
|
Fast Facts
County: Rock
Number of Customers: 4,039
Web site: www.ci.evansville.wi.gov
WPPI Energy member since 2006.
Did you know?
As home of Baker Manufacturing,
a major manufacturer of windmills for
farm pumps from the 1870s until the late 1940s, Evansville has a tradition of renewable energy. Community leaders, who are dedicated to preserving their city’s history, decided that this tradition
of renewable energy was worth continuing.
Today in Evansville, visitors will find displays of windmills, both historic and modern, in a community that is on the leading edge of energy sustainability efforts.
Contact
For more information, contact Alicia VandenOever, energy services representative, at (608) 219-6130 or avandenoever@wppienergy.org.
|
