Senator Baldwin Delivers More Than $24 Million to Lower Energy Costs, Boost Resilience for Tribes and Rural Communities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) announced that the state of Wisconsin will receive more than $24 million in funding to help tribal and rural communities lower energy costs, boost resilience to extreme weather, and ensure residents get reliable energy. The Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding was awarded to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians and the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy (OSCE) through the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Program.

“Every Wisconsinite deserves to have affordable, reliable energy, regardless of where you live or the size of your town. I am proud that my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is cutting energy costs for communities, investing in reliable, resilient power, and spurring economic growth in rural areas,” said Senator Baldwin.

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians was awarded $14.1 million for their Mashkiiziibii Minigrid project to deploy a hybrid mini-grid to build energy resilience in communities that often face extreme weather events and power outages along the shores of Lake Superior. The funding will help the Bad River Band Tribe, alongside the University of Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Community Initiative, to meet their goal of reducing utility bills by 10%. The project aims to contribute $200,000 to workforce development training for local tribal members and contract 50% of workers from the Tribal community. The Tribe seeks to partner with a local school district, community college, and university, to design new employee training and brainstorm activities to support and formalize clean energy workforce development in Wisconsin.

The OSCE for the Energy Resilience for Rural Wisconsin project also received $10 million for a joint effort between the Red Cliff Reservation and Bayfield County to increase regional energy reliability with the deployment of 23 microgrid systems. In many remote towns along Lake Superior, residents face frequent power outages due to lake-enhanced extreme weather events. The funding will help improve resiliency against power outages by deploying solar power, battery storage, and smart controls. The OSCE aims to promote local workforce development, ensure avenues for meaningful public engagement, and provide clean energy education to residents.

The Energy Improvements in Rural or Remote Areas Program received $1 billion from the Baldwin-backed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to improve the resilience, reliability, and affordability of energy systems in communities across the country with 10,000 or fewer people.

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