Eau Claire Children’s Museum gets half-million-dollar state energy innovation award

MADISON, Wis. (WKBT) — The Children’s Museum of Eau Claire will receive nearly $500,000 in one of the Wisconsin Energy Innovation Grant Program awards the state Public Service Commission announced Thursday.
The museum is one of 32 projects the PSC deemed worthy of receiving a portion of the total of $7 million it awarded. The PSC received 108 applications requesting more than $24.4 million in total funding.
The winning projects reduce energy consumption, increase the use of renewable energy and transportation technologies, bolster preparedness and resiliency in the energy system and create comprehensive energy plans.
The Children’s Museum grant of $478,300 saluted the facility’s renewable energy and energy storage efforts.
Other awards announced for west-central and southwestern Wisconsin include:
⦁ Boscobel Area School District, $130,000
⦁ Vernon County Energy District Inc., $78,068
⦁ University of Wisconsin-Platteville, $98,000.
“This grant funding makes investments in innovative projects and technology that will help the state of Wisconsin reach its goal to be carbon-free by 2050,” said chairwoman Rebecca Cameron Valcq.
The projects will create jobs, provide economic development opportunities and boost the transition to to cleaner energy, Cameron Valcq said.
The projects range in size from $5,152 to $1 million and include 15 renewable systems, nine for energy efficiency improvements, six for planning and two for clean transportation.
The award winners will provide or secure $7,915,675 in matching funds.
The full list of grant recipients is on the PSC website.

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