Madison named a 2025 Climate Champion
Wisconsin Eagle/10316592

~ Madison, WI - The City of Madison has been named a 2025 Dane County Climate Champion not once, but twice. The city was recognized in the Catalyst category for their Building Energy Savings Program (BESP) and in the Fleet Operations category for their innovative use of renewable diesel.

The BESP, which was awarded in the Catalyst Category, was implemented in 2023 and made Madison the first city in Wisconsin to adopt an ordinance aimed at improving energy efficiency in existing buildings. Through this program, the city partners with large commercial building owners to improve energy performance through benchmarking and tune-ups. It is estimated that once fully implemented, the program will reduce emissions by up to 91,000 tons of CO₂ each year - equivalent to taking nearly 18,000 cars off the road. Currently, over 397 buildings have participated in the program and an additional 400 are expected to join by 2026.

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Jessica Price, Sustainability and Resilience Manager at the City of Madison, stated that "buildings are currently the source of 65% of our community's greenhouse gas emissions." She also expressed gratitude towards building owners and managers for helping make Madison a leader in sustainable buildings.

In addition to their recognition for BESP, Madison's Fleet Service Division was also named a Climate Champion for their transition to renewable diesel. This sustainable fuel product can be used in existing diesel engines without costly equipment upgrades required for traditional biodiesel. In 2025 alone, the city purchased approximately 95,000 gallons with overwhelmingly positive results. Rachel Darken, Assistant Fleet Superintendent at the City of Madison, emphasized that incorporating renewable diesel into their fuel program has been a success and has allowed them to benefit from reduced greenhouse gas emissions without investing in new equipment upgrades.

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Out of approximately 1,300 motorized assets maintained by the Fleet Service Division, about two dozen smaller pieces of equipment such as mowers and grounds keeping tools are powered by renewable diesel. This includes 385 out of 500 diesel vehicles, spanning across nine city departments. The division also maintains 130 full electric vehicles and 173 hybrid vehicles.

The Climate Champions program, launched by Dane County as part of their Climate Action Plan, recognizes local governments, businesses, and non-profit organizations leading the way in areas such as building energy use, fleet operations, employee commuting, water conservation, agricultural practices, and net carbon emissions. Madison is proud to join this year's awardees in demonstrating that climate action is happening in Dane County.

This is not the first time Madison has been recognized as a Climate Champion. In previous years, they have been honored for their energy-efficient facilities, transition to electric vehicles in their fleet, and the launch of their all-electric bus rapid transit system. This year's dual recognition serves as a reminder that the community is continuously working towards building a more sustainable future.

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