About Us

We, the students of CLEAN, are seeking to commit the  University of Wisconsin-Madison to power the university exclusively with renewable energy by 2035 and derive all electrical power from renewable resources by 2030. We demand sustainability on campus for the physical, economic, and environmental health of all present and future Badgers.
Campus Leaders for Energy Action Now started the summer of 2017 when student leaders Kendl Kobbervig, Mary Pierce, and Leah Johnson from The Sierra Student Coalition, Climate Reality Project, and ASM Sustainability Committee, respectively, realized there was a lack of collaboration between environmental student organizations on the issue of clean energy on UW-Madison's campus. As of summer 2018, the coalition has grown to include nearly a dozen student organizations and works very closely with other student groups and various community members to push the University toward adopting renewable energy sources.

​CLEAN is actively working towards the goal of committing the University of Wisconsin-Madison to 100% clean energy by 2035. Utilizing the principles of democratic and grassroots organizing, we have spent the year empowering and organizing our fellow students to conduct informational interviews, lead strategy sessions, and forge alliances with key stakeholders, administrators, and faculty members. Ultimately, we hope to develop a technical roadmap for a just and student-led clean energy transition that includes on-campus infrastructure, contracts with off-site renewable energy providers, and energy efficiency initiatives.​

Interested in joining CLEAN?
Email us at cleanuwmadison@gmail.com to join the campaign!

SURVEY ANSWER: 11% of UW-Madison's electricity is renewable

Accomplishments

2022
  • Hosted sit-ins at two Board of Regents meetings in support of Fossil Fuel divestment
  • Reached over 2000 signatures on our new petition
  • Collaborated with Helios student organization on Google Sunroof - a solar energy potential program - and collaborated with student outreach efforts
  • Communicated with Chancellor Mnookin about our petition and students calling for renewable energy 
2021
  • Co-hosted Earth Day March with WSCAC and other organizations
  • Met with environmental student leaders from across the UW System to discuss and work towards common goals
  • Collaborated with Wheelhouse Studios on a student led climate justice Mural (now housed in Sterling hall)
  • Joined UW Divestment Coalition as a campus organizer and co-hosted a Divestment Day of Action
  • Reached 1,400 signatures on our new petition
2020
  • Started a new petition with more a ambitious clean energy transition goal
  • Re-passed our resolution through ASM to reflect our updated goal of renewable energy by 2035
  • Presented our clean energy vision to the Campus Planning Committee
  • Co-hosted a Green Lawns event with FH King

2019

  • Co-hosted a Climate Strike with 11 other organizations 
  • Received over 1600 signatures on a petition based on CLEAN's goals dispersed by CLEAN, SEBA, NextGen, and other collaborating organizations
  • Worked with the Associated Students of Madison to pass a resolution that reflected CLEAN's clean energy goals
  • Received 10 media mentions in Fall 2019​​
  • Met with Chancellor Rebecca Blank, Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway, and Director of Sustainability Missy Nergard
  • Mentioned by Chancellor Blank at the Spring 2019 Commencement Address
  • Chancellor Blank signed the Resilience Commitment and is creating a Sustainability Advisory Council to develop an action plan for transitioning the campus to 100% clean energy

2018

  • Met with Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration Laurent Heller and Director of Facilities, Planning, and Management David Darling
  • Our Time To Shine was our first event and with the help of Sierra Club staff, community members from Oak Creek, and CLEAN Volunteers it was VERY successful
  • A strong media presence often reaching over a thousand people
  • CLEAN member sitting on Search and Screen for Director of Sustainability illustrating that renewable energy is a student priority

Theory of Change

People across the world have begun to appreciate the importance and urgency of a shift away from fossil fuels. Some people contribute to this transition by driving less, some install solar panels on their roofs, and still others become lifelong clean energy activists. 

So, what role does CLEAN play in the energy revolution? Far too often, the decisions made on university campuses are done so without the meaningful input of students. This, despite the fact that universities exist for and because of students. In fact, at UW-Madison, student tuition makes up 19% of all university revenue. CLEAN believes student voices matter, and that it is up to us to advocate for important changes in our own community.

We care deeply about the future of our planet and its people, and are driven by the benefits clean energy will provide to UW in the short- and long-term. Solar and wind energy technologies are innovative, economical, and provide myriad educational and leadership opportunities to our community. Any and all are encouraged to support this cause and join in the work we are doing.

About UW-Madison

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UW-Madison Electricity Mix Chart
Although UW-Madison has put many sustainability measures in place, they are falling short when it comes to their energy mix. Almost half of our energy comes from coal mining, a practice that has serious health risks on the communities from which the coal comes from.  

Chancellor Blank has listed resource stewardship as one of the main priorities for UW-Madison, and yet continues to fail on one of the biggest aspects of sustainability. We intend to see the percentage of renewable energy used on campus to grow to 100% by 2035.

Key Decision Makers

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin

Email: chancellor@news.wisc.edu
​
Mnookin graduated from Harvard with a bachelor in arts, then attended Yale Law School and holds a Ph.D. from MIT in History and Social Study of Science and Technology. She has served on the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Science, Technology, and Law. Previous to her position at UW-Madison in 2022, she served as dean of UCLA School of Law. 

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
​Robert Cramer

Email: vcfa@vs.wisc.edu
Hired at the University in 2021, Cramer came to Wisconsin from after serving as the Vice President for Administration at the University of Wisconsin System. He received degrees from the University of Wisconsin System and also served in the Wisconsin Department of Administration. 

Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities, Planning & Management
​Cindy Torstveit

Email: cindy.torstveit@wisc.edu

Director of Sustainability
​Missy Nergard

Email: missy.nergard@wisc.edu

Nergard was hired in August 2018 as the first ever Director of Sustainability at UW-Madison. She worked for seven years as the Director of Sustainability at Illinois State University prior to coming to Wisconsin. She has an undergraduate degree in broadfield sciences from UW-Stevens Point, a masters in History, and is working toward a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration. Nergard says she is guided in the professional world and personal life by humor, innovation, and resilience.

Director of Utilities and Energy Management
​Jeff Pollei

Email: jeffrey.pollei@wisc.edu

Hired in March 2017, Pollei is responsible for heating, cooling, and all utilities provided by Facilities Planning & Management. With a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from UW-Madison, Pollei has worked with campus energy and utilities for the majority of his career.