Environmental & Economic Research Program

Program Quick Links
EERD Program Overview

Research Reports

Environmental & Economic Research Newsletters

RFP Postings

Grant Process FAQs

Environmental Research projects selected
     Environmental Research Projects Selected in FY07
     Environmental Research Projects Selected in FY06
     No Environmental Research Projects Selected in FY05
     No Environmental Research Projects Selected in FY04
     Environmental Research Projects Selected in FY03
     Environmental Research Projects Selected in FY02

Environmental Research Forum members

Other Program Publications

Frequently Asked Questions:
Why is it important to study the effects of energy use on the environment and economy of Wisconsin?
The combustion of coal and natural gas for electricity and heat emits carbon dioxide, the primary cause of global warming. We need to know more about how global warming will impact both the environment and standard of living in our state. Furthermore, burning fossil fuels produces other pollutants as well, and understanding their effects on the environment and our health will help us prevent this pollution in the future. As our towns and cities grow, we will need to produce more electrical power and use more natural gas. How we accomplish this will have an impact on many things including our health, our economy, and our beautiful natural environment. We need to have more information in order to make wise decisions about new generation plants, transmission lines and other energy infrastructure, and to know how we can reverse environmental damage that has already occurred.

What is the Environmental and Economic Research and Development (EERD) Program and what are its goals?
The EERD Program is an important part of the Focus on Energy Program because its purpose is to further the exploration of how our energy use has an impact on Wisconsin’s natural environment and economy. Funding for this program is designated to support research projects that study these issues. The primary goal of this program is to contribute practical and useful knowledge to the ongoing process of designing Wisconsin’s energy future. Of specific interest are research projects that fill gaps in existing knowledge.

Interested researchers are invited to participate in the EERD program. For complete information about the latest Request for Proposal, go to RFP Postings. For further information about the process, go to Grant Process FAQs

What is the Research Forum and what is its role in the Program?
Nine Wisconsin organizations were each invited to send a representative to serve on the Research Forum for the EERD program. They are the USDA Forest Products Laboratory, the University of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Clean Wisconsin, two investor-owned utilities(currently We Energies and Alliant Energy), and the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence. A representative of the Public Service Commission serves as Chair, bringing the total membership of the Research Forum to ten members. The primary role of the Research Forum is to evaluate submitted proposals and recommend a list for program funding.

For more information about the Environmental Research Forum, download the ERP Program Overview document listed under Question 2 above. For a print-optimized list of the members of the Environmental Research Forum, download: ER Forum Members

How will the EERD Program results be used to improve the environment in Wisconsin?
The Research Forum wants to emphasize the importance of learning new information about the effects of electricity and natural gas use on Wisconsin’s environment and economy. Information from new research results will be made available to legislators and policy makers, the scientific community, and the general public. Research reports and other new data will appear on this website as it becomes available.