Several WPPI Energy members have once again been ranked as part of the nation’s leading utilities for their renewable energy programs.
Boscobel Utilities, River Falls Municipal Utilities, Stoughton Utilities, Waterloo Utilities, Waunakee Utilities and Westby Utilities all earned spots, with River Falls and Stoughton being recognized in two categories.
Together, these and other locally owned member utilities of not-for-profit joint action agency WPPI Energy offer the voluntary Choose Renewable program for local residents and businesses.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly named National Renewable Energy Laboratory, releases rankings for participation and sales in such “green” energy programs.
NLR evaluated the renewable energy efforts of utilities in four categories and released lists of the top 10 utilities across the nation.
NLR’s “Top 10” rankings list for the participation rates measures the percentage of customers who participate in a utility’s programs. The sales rate ranks utilities based on the percentage of their total sold that came from renewable sources.
“It’s no surprise to see WPPI members leading the way in renewable energy programs,” said Mike Peters, president and CEO of the joint action agency. “The residents and businesses within these communities have shown year after year through these findings that they believe it is important that their utilities offer renewable energy options.”
The rankings, measured as of December 2024, were released Feb. 3.
Green Pricing Sales Rate
Waterloo Utilities ranked second with over 17%, followed closely by Boscobel Utilities in third with more than 14% and RFMU in fourth with just under 10%. Stoughton Utilities ranked ninth out of the top 10 with 5.5%.
Green Pricing Participation Rate
RFMU ranked second at slightly over 18%, followed by Stoughton in sixth with a 6% rate and Waunakee in eighth at more than 5%. Westby ranked right below at ninth with a rate of just over 5%.
The WPPI membership’s Choose Renewable program allows customers to sign up to increase their monthly bill by a few dollars to offset their energy usage with power from renewable resources such as solar, wind and biogas. One Choose Renewable block of 300 kilowatt-hours costs $2 per month. A typical home can run on the equivalent of two to three blocks.
