Center on Wisconsin Strategy
The Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan "think-and-do tank" dedicated to improving economic performance and living standards in the state of Wisconsin and nationally. Based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, COWS works to promote "high road" strategies that support living wages, environmental sustainability, strong communities, and public accountability.
Outcomes
(1) COWS publishes reports and briefings on jobs, workforce development, energy efficiency, and the clean energy economy; (2) COWS and the Cities of Milwaukee, Madison, and Racine have pioneered Wisconsin Energy Efficiency (WE2), a program that targets residential, commercial, and industrial buildings in the three cities for energy efficiency upgrades. The Racine Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) launched in April 2010 (www.retrofitracine.org), and Milwaukee Energy Efficiency (ME2) is set to launch in Summer 2010; (3) COWS has been instrumental in forming the Emerald Cities Collaborative (www.emeraldcities.org), a new national consortium united around the goal of greening our nation's urban building stock; (4) Through the Mayors Innovation Project, Center for State Innovation and Efficiency Cities Network, COWS has conducted more than 300 conferences, webinars, policy briefings, and strategy academies. COWS also provides direct technical assistance to states and cities with high road aspirations. (5) COWS is working to form a State Smart Transportation Initiative for states, which will work to improve U.S. transportation policy and practice from the ground up.
Focus Areas
Project Leader
Joel Rogers
Director
- Department/Unit
- Sociology
- School or College
- College of Letters & Science