In its continuing quest to become more energy efficient the
state was awarded for its efforts Wednesday when it was officially recognized as
a national "Rising Star."

Environment America recently released a study about energy
output in all 50 states.

A state can earn gold, silver or rising star status, decided
by renewable electricity standards, the Clean Cars Program, utility energy
efficiency programs, energy efficiency standards for appliances and building
energy codes.

"Rising Stars" are defined as clean-energy states that have
recently undertaken strong actions to promote energy efficiency and the use of
renewable sources of energy.

"While we can and should do even more to meet our energy
challenges, our leaders in Washington should stop dragging their feet and start
dancing with the clean energy stars in the states," Dan Kohler, director of
Wisconsin Environment, said in a release. "They can follow the road map
provided by the Wisconsin Legislature, and pass a strong energy bill this year
that saves energy, saves oil and moves America forward to a new energy future."

Wisconsin is one out of nine states to receive Rising Star
status, joined by Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, New
Hampshire and New Mexico.

Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton joined
Wisconsin Environment to announce the state's honor,

"I think that our economic
prosperity depends on making the environment a priority," Lawton said. "We've
got to find a way to operate businesses … and maintain a high quality of life
through sustainable practices."

Lawton said the importance of responding to global climate
change, the need for energy conservation and the need to reduce carbon emissions
are all challenges that if successfully undertaken, can yield advantageous
results.

"It's also an opportunity to build business that can create
jobs as we strive to devise new strategies to defeat this challenge," Lawton
said. "It's also the only way we can assure an ongoing prosperous outlook."

The state has taken the most important and bold first step,
Lawton said, by setting ambitious goals like to have a higher percentage of
reusable energy. 

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle convened with other Midwestern
governors Thursday in Milwaukee to sign an accord, Lawton said.

"This regional accord is to develop strategies to address
global climate change with both litigation and adaptation at the regional
level," Lawton said. "We have a very active task [with] global warming that is
going to be bringing recommendations to us early this spring."

The 2007-09 Wisconsin state budget allocates $15 million in incentives
for the development of reusable energy, Lawton said. Environmentalists
throughout the state are coming up with ways to use that money to help the environment, she added.

Lawton said that others can learn from Wisconsin's success
that environmental conservation can help grow an economy.

"We even get some sectors of industry that say 'we can't
afford to make these changes', but what they are going to find out is, you
can't afford not to make these changes," Lawton said. "We strive for a
framework for change, this will in the end be better for our environment and
businesses."

Kohler was unavailable for comment as of press time.