Imagine it’s 1999 and you’re driving home from work and you hear this commercial droning on and on about how you’re wasting electricity and gas in your home…and the voice turns into the teacher from Charlie Brown “Peanuts” and now you can’t even remember what you were hearing.
Suddenly, the radio blares out a “Go Pack Go” chant and it’s a commercial for the grocery store down the street and you remember you need to stop to grab brats and beers for Sunday’s game.
The Packers saved you again!
Focus on Energy started as a state pilot program in the Fox Valley, partnering with Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) in late 1999.
Wisconsin’s utilities worked with Wisconsin’s top environmental experts to figure out how to get businesses and homeowners to stop consuming so much energy.
Yes, it sounds counterintuitive! Moving towards energy efficiency would not only lower energy bills, but it would also reduce the need to build new power plants, create new jobs, and strengthen the state economy.
Since 2011, Focus on Energy has delivered more than $1 billion worth of net economic benefits to Wisconsin.
But getting here wasn’t easy!
How do you get people in Wisconsin to think about energy waste and their utility bills?
Go Pack Go!
Here are the most recent projects Focus on Energy worked on with the Green Bay Packers:
2014 – Lambeau Field Goes Green(er), The Packers Turn Green(er) Saving Money on Energy, The Packers are Always Looking to Go Green(er)
2018 – Packers Kick off 100th Season with Energy Savings, Lambeau Field Gets a Fresh Set of Lights
In 2001, state legislators moved to make Focus on Energy a permanent state program and in 2005 made sure Focus on Energy remained funded under Wis. Stat. § 196.374(2)(a).