Wisconsin Experts Confident About Renewable Energy`s Future, Even Under Trump

Stable Energy Sources Help Private-Sector Bottom Lines, Panelists Say

President-elect Donald Trump, an occasional climate change denier and outspoken critic of environmental regulations, has given environmentalists little reason for optimism, but some energy experts in Wisconsin agree renewable energy will continue to grow, even under a Trump presidency.

Three panelists who spoke at a Wisconsin Technology Council forum Thursday in Wauwatosa said they don`t know exactly what to expect out of the Trump administration. But Michael Vickerman of the group RENEW said some very large corporations are already moving away from coal-fired electricity.

"They are contracting with entities to build wind projects, large solar arrays and, in some cases, (natural) gas plants, basically to provide them with a stable energy source," Vickerman said.