MILWAUKEE— Milwaukee County leaders highlighted a new clean energy project on Friday, unveiling rooftop solar panels at the Marcia P. Coggs Health and Human Services Building.
County Executive David Crowley and County Board Chairwoman Marcelia Nicholson toured the 50-kilowatt system, which is expected to supply more than 11.5 percent of the facility’s energy needs. This includes 86 panels on the rooftop. What does that 11.5 percent mean? Well, it’s equivalent to driving about 100,000 miles in a passenger car, five home energy use for the entire year, 41,000 pounds of coal burned, if you have an iPhone, 3.1 million of those charged, and that’s 37.2 metric tons of CO2. The project is designed to reduce utility costs, lower carbon emissions, and save taxpayer dollars.
“It absolutely is worth it,” Executive Crowley said. “We’re talking about the long term benefits as it relates to climate change. This not only helps Milwaukee county save money, it helps our environment, it helps everybody’s quality of living because we’re helping to reduce the level of carbon emissions that’s going into the air, polluting our ozone layer and things of that nature. So, you know, these are great investments, not just for the public, but also for the private sector as well.”
The panels are a county wide investment, and are expected to have more influence on other buildings across the city. Chairwoman Marcilia Nicholson aims to push for more.
“I have to be frank. When the resolution was first put forward there was some skepticism, some apprehension, and I think seeing it now in real life and having my board colleagues see the savings that will come from this, and the fact that especially in budgets where we need to reinvest in our community, they’ll see the positive outcomes of initiatives like this, and I plan to put more forward. I fully expect that we’ll be able to do that,” Chairwoman Nicholson explained.
The panels, funded through American Rescue Plan Act dollars, are expected to be fully operational in October. Milwaukee County also anticipates receiving federal tax credits to offset project costs, helping maximize long-term savings.
The installation is part of Milwaukee County’s broader Climate Action 2050 Plan, aimed at reducing emissions and increasing sustainable energy use across county facilities. Officials say the project demonstrates the county’s commitment to both fiscal responsibility and environmental stewardship.
“As we continue to build out our infrastructure and continue to redevelop, many of our infrastructure in our buildings, we want to look at how we can continue to save more taxpayer dollars and whether we’re looking at energy costs, but also when it comes down to saving the environment as well,” Executive Crowley said.
