News

Lawton talks green technology

Wisconsin lieutenant governor promotes environmental conservation, business growth

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton gathered with business leaders and energy consultants Wednesday and said economic growth and environment conservation are linked together.

The Milwaukee 7 Water Council, which hosted the event, is working to make Southeastern Wisconsin a hub for water technology, both to create jobs and to create an advanced industry that others around the world would buy equipment from and consult with, according to sustainability consultant Matt Rochte.

Rochte added the technology would create sustainable job growth and benefit communities throughout the area.

Lawton called the event a success, since many groups that participated freely admitted they did not cooperate often.

“When you think about the immediate goals of private enterprise and conservation groups … maybe they aren’t so different in that sustainable profitability is probably not possible without observing a conservation ethic,” Lawton said.

A variety of proposals were presented at the discussion, such as an initiative to replace old, inefficient water heaters with newer models in conjunction with an ongoing federal project to update buildings, including government subsidized housing.

A consulting database owned by the Low Income Weatherization Project, a program that offers poor families the chance to repair their homes and make them more energy efficient, said they thought housing needing work could be located easily, with work starting within 120 days, creating jobs throughout the area.

In addition, attendees also discussed the benefits of the federal stimulus package on the statewide effort to develop a green economy.

“That is the idea behind the stimulus,” Rochte said. “It’s not just going to pay for one job. … It’s going to pay for one job that creates 10 other jobs that creates 10 other jobs. It’s not meant to pay everybody; it’s meant to be a catalyst to get people moving.”

Despite the benefits of the package, there was also concern the federal funds could be wasted.

Lawton spokesperson Ben Nuckels said the lieutenant governor’s office was already being swarmed with thousands of proposals for projects in need of funds from the stimulus package.

George Penn, an energy consultant, expressed similar concerns.

“It might work if we have a president who is going to do what he says and keep track of it and hold it accountable,” Penn said. “There is not much you can get started in 120 days, in reality, that is going to have a long-term value.”

Overall, however, participants agreed the meeting was a success.

“Meetings like this are very useful to pick a team of sometimes not closely allied entities together, business people and conservationists,” said Charles Adams, an employee of A.O. Smith Corporation. “I look forward to more meetings like this one.”