Join Dairyland Power Cooperative, RENEW Wisconsin & Wisconsin Clean Cities at 10 a.m. CDT May 19 for Charging Ahead with EVs: A Drive Electric Wisconsin Webinar! Hear from industry experts on the latest in EV trends, programs & grant opportunities from across the state! Scheduled speakers include Lorrie Lisek, Executive Director, Wisconsin Clean Cities; Jeremy Orr, Emerging Technologies Program Manager, RENEW Wisconsin; Jeff Springer, Manager, Innovation & Efficient Electrification, Dairyland Power Cooperative; Maria Redmond, Director, Wisconsin Office of Sustainability & Clean Energy; Matthew Blackler, Founder & CEO, ZEF Energy & Ned Noel, Senior Planner, City of Eau Claire. Register here

Join Wisconsin Clean Cities for our next Quarterly Virtual Membership Meeting! These casual, members only, one hour meetings will take place quarterly during the lunch hour and will allow our members to engage with us and with each other. Please join us from 12 p.m.-1 p.m. CDT Tuesday, May 11 for our next meeting. Login information is available under the Announcements tab in the Member Center or by contacting Emily Nayder via email or by phone at (219) 644-3690. Looking forward to seeing you there!

The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced $61 million is available for biofuels research to reduce transportation emissions. The U.S. Department of Transportation on April 15 published a Notice of Funding Opportunity to apply for $1 billion in Fiscal Year 2021 discretionary grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grants to modernize and create new infrastructure. Also on April 15, the U.S. Department of Energy unveiled two funding opportunities totaling more than $162 million to improve efficiency and reduce carbon emissions among cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles. Details on these & all funding opportunities are available in the Member Center. Email Lorrie Lisek to learn how we can help you maximize the success of your applications!

Wisconsin Clean Cities member the City of River Falls is getting noticed for its environmental efforts. Just off a busy highway, some 800 solar panels are lined up near one of the city’s business parks. Built in 2015, it's the state's first city-owned solar garden. And the 254-kilowatt solar array is just one part of the city's clean energy mix. Located on the Kinnickinnic River, it also uses a small amount of hydroelectric power. River Falls runs its own electric utility. Last year, it began powering all city buildings with 100 percent renewable energy by buying electricity from wind, solar and biogas projects through its primary power supplier, WCC member Wisconsin Public Power Inc. Learn more in the story from Wisconsin Public Radio

On April 22 - Earth Day - the White House announced new progress in the Administration’s goal to accelerate and deploy electric vehicles and charging stations, create good-paying, union jobs, and enable a clean transportation future. In March, the United States passed the milestone of 100,000 public chargers (as recorded by the Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center) and these new actions will accelerate deployment to make driving an electric vehicle convenient in every part of the country. Learn more

One of the many positive aspects of working in the sustainable transportation sector is it truly offers something for everyone. Some individuals and fleets choose to adopt alternative fuel or electric vehicles because they are concerned about the negative impacts of climate change, want to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. Others may be on the opposite side of the spectrum and don’t actively support environmental issues. Their decisions are driven by their passion for reducing dependence on imported oil and petroleum by investing in domestic fuels to support American jobs and the economy. Read Lorrie Lisek's column monthly in Lee Enterprises newspapers across Wisconsin

On the Go is a Clean Cities podcast on alternative fuels, advanced vehicles and emerging transportation technologies that are transforming mobility as we know it. Leaders sit down with experts and fleet practitioners from National Laboratories, federal agencies, utilities and transportation stakeholders to give you on-the-ground insight into the U.S. transportation ecosystem. Public episodes are available on the Clean Cities Website and will soon be available for streaming or download on most music and podcasting apps, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, SoundCloud, Spotify, and more.

WCC member Nissan North America, as part of its effort to accelerate electric vehicle transportation alternatives throughout the U.S., is offering customers with proof of eligibility incentive offers of up to $8,500 toward the purchase of the 100% electric Nissan LEAF. The rebate offers expire May 3, 2021. Learn more

Kwik Trip, Inc. – headquartered in La Crosse, Wisconsin – has been a Wisconsin Clean Cities member since 2011. Joel Fasnacht, Business Development Alternative & Commercial Fuels for Kwik Trip, serves on the Wisconsin Clean Cities Board of Directors. The family-owned business was founded in 1965 and owns and operates more than 700 convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Kwik Trip is recognized as a national leader in the sustainable transportation fuels arena. The Kwik Trip fleet is an esteemed member of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Clean Fleet Partnership. Learn more

Ethanol is a renewable fuel made from corn and various other plant materials collectively known as “biomass”. The use of ethanol is widespread, with more than 95 percent of U.S. gasoline containing ethanol in a low-level blend to oxygenate the fuel and reduce air pollution. Ethanol is also available as E85, a high-level ethanol blend containing 51 percent to 83 percent ethanol, depending on geography and season. The blend can be used in flexible fuel vehicles which have an internal combustion engine and run on either E85 or gasoline. Learn more on our Website