By Economic Development Research Group and PA Government Services, for Wisconsin Dept. of Administration, 2010

Wisconsin's Statewide "Focus on Energy" program is a public-private partnership offering energy efficiency information and services to energy utility customers throughout the state. The statewide program was initiated by the state legislature with goals to reduce the need for fossil fuels, improve the health of the state's economy and reduce negative environmental impacts. The Wisconsin Dept. of Administration, Energy Bureau engaged PA Consulting Group, KEMA and EDR Group to evaluate how their "Focus on Energy" was helping to improve the health of the state's economy. Over a period of five years, EDR Group measured the program's impacts on various sectors of the Wisconsin economy and its impacts on job creation, income levels, occupations and economic competitiveness. The outcome is a series of reports covering economic impacts, economic development policy implications, and benefit-cost analysis. This work has started in 2004 and has since been updated twice--most recently in 2009. The latest update included a new section on the potential for additional green jobs that would arise from the program.

Reports that are now publically available include:

Report - Focus on Energy Evaluation - Economic Development Benefits: CY09 Economic Impacts, by L. Petraglia, T. Comings and G. Weisbrod of Economic Development Research Group, for the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, March 2010

Related Articles:

State Clean Energy Programs Have Created Thousands of Jobs in Wisconsin, State of Wisconsin, Office of the Governor, March 2010

Business Coalition Praises Clean Energy Jobs Report, Renew Wisconsin, March 2010

Report - FY07 Economic Benefits Report
By Lisa Petraglia and Glen Weisbrod, Economic Development Research Group and PA Government Services for the Wisconsin Dept. of Administration- Division of Energy, 2007 (pdf 2.6MB)

Report - Economic Development Benefits of the Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program. Lisa Petraglia and Glen Weisbrod, Economic Development Research Group and PA Government Services for the Wisconsin Dept. of Administration- Division of Energy, 2007. pdf file (834kb)

Report - Focus on Energy Public Benefits Evaluation: Economic Policy Analysis Final Report (year 2 statewide program). Economic Development Research Group and PA Government Services for the Wisconsin Dept. of Administration- Division of Energy, 2004. pdf file (959kb)

Report - Focus on Energy Statewide Evaluation: Economic Development Benefits: Interim Economic Impacts (year 1 statewide program). Sherman, M., L. Petraglia. and G. Weisbrod, Economic Development Research Group for the Wisconsin Dept. of Administration- Division of Energy. 2003. pdf file (310k)

Report - Low Income Public Benefits Evaluation - Economic Development Benefits, by Sherman, M., L. Petraglia. and G. Weisbrod, Economic Development Research Group for the Wisconsin Dept. of Administration- Division of Energy. 2003. pdf file (310k)

An Approach to Quantifying Economic and Environmental Benefits for Wisconsin's Focus on Energy. Sumi, D., G. Weisbrod, B. Ward, and M. Goldberg. Paper presented at the International Energy Program Evaluation Conference, August 2003. pdf file (55k)

Program Web Site http://www.focusonenergy.com/

Complete Focus on Energy Program Evaluation Research Reports