Stoughton Utilities is marking Earth Day 2026 by highlighting two milestones that put the community on the national map for clean energy: Stoughton ranked sixth in the nation for 2024 green power participation rate and ninth for green pricing sales rate, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Laboratory of the Rockies, and local solar connections exceeded 200 projects in 2025.

According to a company news release, as Stoughton’s locally owned, not-for-profit electric utility, Stoughton Utilities works with customers and the City of Stoughton to expand renewable energy options, improve energy efficiency, and support conservation – helping residents and businesses lower their environmental impact while keeping service reliable and affordable.

Stoughton Utilities has supported customers interested in adding solar to their homes and businesses for over a decade. In 2008, the utility installed a 6.8-kilowatt photovoltaic system on its administration building – an early local investment in modern solar technology.

Today, the city and surrounding townships served by Stoughton Utilities include more than 208 customer-sited solar projects interconnected with the distribution system, a total that exceeded 200 projects in 2025 and has more than doubled over the last five years. Customers can view the locations of these projects by visiting stoughtonutilities.com/solar.

Choose Renewable

For customers who cannot install solar panels where they live or work, Stoughton Utilities’ Choose Renewable program – launched in 2003 – offers a simple way to support clean energy. Participants can add a few dollars to their monthly bill to ensure some or all of their electricity use comes from renewable resources such as wind, solar and biogas. One 300 kilowatt-hour block costs $2 per month; most households can offset all of their monthly usage with two to three blocks.

To lead by example, Stoughton Utilities and the City of Stoughton each purchase enough Choose Renewable blocks to ensure that 100% of the electricity used for their operations is from renewable sources.

Stoughton has consistently ranked among the top 10 communities nationwide for green power program participation and sales, driven by local adoption of Choose Renewable. Most recently, Stoughton ranked sixth in the nation for its green power participation rate (6%) and ninth for its green pricing sales rate (5.5%), according to NLR. The rankings, measured as of December 2024, were released on February 3, 2026.

Stoughton Utilities is also working to increase renewable energy use through its wholesale power supply. WPPI Energy’s membership has reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 45% since 2005. In 2024, nearly 25% of the power purchased by WPPI Energy on behalf of member communities came from renewable sources including wind, solar and biogas.

Beyond renewable generation, Stoughton Utilities promotes practical steps the community can take to save energy and water. The utility regularly connects residents with programs such as Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy, which offers incentives for qualifying energy-efficiency upgrades, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, which encourages water conservation. With Earth Day approaching, customers are encouraged to explore these options and identify upgrades that can reduce both utility bills and environmental impact.

Stoughton Utilities also offers customer incentives to help make efficiency upgrades more affordable, including incentives for ENERGY STAR® appliances, EV chargers, smart thermostats, and home energy assessments. Learn more, view current eligibility requirements, and find application details at stoughtonutilities.com/incentives.