The utility industry in Wisconsin has been upgrading the power distribution system for a number of years in an effort to provide clean reliable power to Wisconsin’s agricultural enterprises. However, individual farm electrical systems are often overloaded and deteriorating due to the transition from manual labor to more mechanization and the detrimental effect of the high moisture environment of animal agriculture. Time has taught us that farm buildings need to be wired with plastic conduit and water tight enclosures instead of metal conduit and residential electrical boxes. The state’s utilities launched a program to assist particularly dairy farmers to upgrade the wiring in their animal housing facilities to current electrical standards in an effort to reduce the likelihood of stray voltage and to improve electrical safety. Financial assistance varies depending on your utility but the basic program provided 50% matching grants up to a maximum threshold and then low interest loads to pay for the costs of rewiring. If your utility participates in the Wisconsin Focus on Energy Program, there may also be incentives to help with the cost of upgrading lighting and other energy efficiency equipment. Contact your local utility or electrical cooperative for additional information.
Links
Wisconsin Utilities Rewiring Programs:
- Alliant Energy
- Wisconsin Public Service
- Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association
- Xcel Energy
- WE Energies
If you have information you think would be useful to this site, please contact
Scott Sanford, Distinguished Outreach Specialist, University of Wisconsin, sasanford@wisc.edu.
