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Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022

Did Tony Evers sign an executive order to make Wisconsin carbon-free by 2050?

Jacob Alabab-Moser, Wisconsin Watch
yes

Gov. Tony Evers issued an executive order on Aug. 16, 2019 that created the Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy. It was charged with "ensuring all electricity consumed within the State of Wisconsin is 100 percent carbon-free by 2050." 

The order required the office to create and implement a clean energy plan — designed to combat climate change — in collaboration with other state agencies and nongovernment stakeholders.  

The OSCE released that plan in April 2022. It called for increased funding and support for clean energy and low- and no-emissions vehicles, updated state building codes and strengthened energy efficiency standards.

Executive orders are "directives issued by the governor based on the governor’s constitutional or statutory power and have the force of law," according to the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau. Recent Wisconsin governors have increasingly used executive orders to govern state agencies without using legislative processes. 

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