Search | Menu Madison College leverages $3M grant to help businesses cut energy costs
Madison College is leading a Wisconsin Energy Partnership to help small and medium-sized manufacturers reduce their energy footprints.
Madison College, Southwest and Northeast Wisconsin Technical Colleges and the K-12 Energy Education Program at UW Steven's Point, were awarded a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains Industrial Training and Assessment Center (ITAC) program.
The goal is to bolster small and mid-sized businesses in Wisconsin by reducing energy costs and using new technologies, says Ken Walz, director of the CREATE Energy Center at Madison College.
“We are engaging our clean energy faculty and students to drive energy efficiency in local businesses,” Walz says. “By providing solar photovoltaics, energy storage, and electric vehicle technology, we will deliver actionable recommendations that lead to cost reductions and enhanced competitiveness.”
IATC intiatives
• Innovate Industry
Through hands-on, work-based learning, students will bring the latest innovations and best practices to the manufacturing floor. Free, course-based energy site assessments will jump-start conversations about energy reduction, electrification, and decarbonization. Over three years, the consortium is expected to conduct 39 energy assessments while engaging at least 90 students in high-impact learning.
• Empower the Workforce
Energy considerations are increasingly complex as the world electrifies and digitizes. Through upskill training, manufacturers and industries along the supply chain will arm employees with the tools to implement energy decisions. Topics will range from sensors and cybersecurity to energy analytics and HVAC controls. At least 265 incumbent workers will be upskilled with more than 117 trainings.
• Advance Pathways
The biggest concern among Wisconsin employers is the lack of qualified and available workforce with energy expertise. The group will address this by promoting energy career pathways to increase enrollment, focusing on females and special populations. They will launch the “Clean Energy Careers” campaign and hold 39 recruitment events.
Aim to reduce energy use, save millions
The Wisconsin Energy Partnership aims to identify $4.88 million in energy savings, reduce energy use by at least 19.5 million kilowatt hours, and increase enrollment in energy degree programs in the partnering agencies by 25 percent.
Wisconsin manufacturers account for 31 percent of energy use and play a crucial role in Wisconsin's economic and energy landscape. Recent technology advances and new federal financial incentives for energy infrastructure, make it an ideal time for businesses to improve their operations and strengthen their balance sheets.
“This partnership will help our manufacturers make the best use possible of their resources, so they can run more efficiently, adopt new technologies, and save money,” said Amy Seeboth-Wilson, director of grants at Southwest Tech.
Wisconsin business owners can apply for the Wisconsin Energy Partnership energy assessment services in early 2025. For more information, contact Walz at 608.246.6521 or kwalz@madisoncollege.edu.
This is the first time the Department of Energy program has been extended to technical and community colleges. Madison, Southwest, and Northeast Wisconsin Technical Colleges will be part of the first cohort of two-year colleges in the country working with the DOE Industry Assessment Center program.
Madison Area Technical College is the lead institution for the CREATE Energy Center funded by the National Science Foundation. Madison College offers academic programming focusing on clean energy including construction, electrical apprenticeship, industrial maintenance, heating ventilation and air conditioning, electrical engineering, and renewable energy technology. The college owns and operates multiple solar PV systems, totaling nearly 3,000 kW of installed capacity, and is a recipient of the EPA Green Power Leadership Award.
