A couple thoughts...
Wisconsin gets its electricity from a variety of sources, not just coal. Appleton was home to the very first hydroelectric power plant in 1882.

CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury. The amount is not large enough to pose a hazard to users, but it does become a concern at landfills and trash incinerators where the mercury from many bulbs can escape and contribute to air and water pollution. CFLs need to be recycled, and some people aren't willing to cope with this hassle, like it or not.

Frankly,it's not the city business to ordinate what kind of lighting fixtures are used. This is free society. If the city wants to replace their old bulbs to CFLs, that's great, but it doesn't have jurisdiction in private residences.

In the grand scheme, we need to stop wasting the flow of electricity...and this isn't going to be solved by changing a few light bulbs. Look at all the light pollution at night. Every vehicle has handlamps, so why do we need street lamps?

The real problem is consummerism.

True. My landlord already changed because it saves him money. This is so obvious, it's surprising that it's controversial.

I bet he'll write on this.

"Here in Wisconsin, we are plagued by our reliance on dirty, old, inefficient coal-fired power plants."

This a direct result of killing the Lake Koshkonong Nuclear Power Plant back in the 70s (along with others). It will get really grim if any of the nukes that did get built are decomissioned.

Among plants once considered for Wisconsin, but never built, were sites in Pleasant Prairie, Koshkonong, Haven, Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin Rapids and Durand.

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=502707

"For long-term sustainability and absolute minimization of greenhouse gas emissions, there are no current practical alternatives to some appropriate combination of wind and nuclear generation."

http://www.chancellor.wisc.edu/nuclearenergy.html

Here's the solution:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_reactor