Village of Viola, Wisconsin Becomes 100% Renewably Powered Through New GoMacro™ Initiative

We’re thrilled to announce that the entire town of Viola, Wisconsin, where GoMacro is headquartered, is now 100% renewably powered by wind energy! In the first known arrangement of its kind in the country, GoMacro is covering the additional costs of renewable energy credits (RECs) for the entire municipality, effectively subsidizing the use of renewable energy for all Viola households, businesses, and schools so that residents won’t see any difference on their energy bills. The initiative went into effect, beginning with the August 2020 billing cycle.

While we at GoMacro have been using a combination of solar panels and wind RECs to power 100% of our energy needs at our manufacturing facility since December 2018, we saw an opportunity to reach beyond our own walls and share the benefits of wind energy with our neighboring community. A “REC” is an energy commodity that attributes value to the green energy attributes of a source of renewable electric generation, such as wind or solar power. The Village of Viola now purchases wind RECs from a group of midwestern municipal utilities, referred to as the Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group (UMMEG). UMMEG obtains these RECs used in Viola from wind turbines in Rugby, ND, and a small percentage from nearby Cashton Greens Wind Facility. The purchase of these RECs helps displace non-renewable power sources and supports the demand for renewable energy in the region.

Thanks to the successful conversion to 100% renewable energy, GoMacro is also a part of the EPA's Green Power Partnership, a program that recognizes and supports the environmental leadership of businesses and communities across the country.

"EPA applauds GoMacro for its commitment to using green power and for taking a leadership position on the environment," said James Critchfield, Program Manager of EPA's Green Power Partnership. "GoMacro is helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provides an excellent example for other businesses to invest in environmental progress."

This vision couldn’t have become a reality without the Viola Municipal Electric Utility, the Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group, renewable energy advisors, and GoMacro’s own Tony Saarem, Director of Operations, member of the Organic Trade Alliance, and environmentalist. We’re very grateful for the opportunity to extend our sustainability goals outside our doors and positively impact the planet and community. Learn more about our sustainability initiatives.