Press Release: Multifaith Leaders Call on the Next Governor to Lead Wisconsin to a Clean Energy Future
- Faith in Place
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28, 2026
Media Contact:
Laura Lane
Faith in Place
608-215-0112
Multifaith Leaders Call on the Next Governor to Lead Wisconsin to a Clean Energy Future
More than 100 multifaith leaders from across the state signed a letter urging a just transition to one hundred percent renewable energy in Wisconsin
Madison, Wis. – Faith leaders and community members gathered at the State Capitol to proclaim the climate crisis is a spiritual crisis and urge the next governor to lead a just transition to one hundred percent renewable energy in Wisconsin. Led by Faith in Place, more than 100 multifaith leaders signed an Open Letter to our Next Governor, uplifting the message that clean energy ensures healthier communities, a more stable climate, resilient local economies, and more affordable energy bills for families.
“Our faiths share the call to be good stewards of the earth, and to uphold and defend the sanctity of every human life. So both for the people and for the planet, we need the next governor to lead in helping us catch up to our Midwest neighbors in Minnesota and Illinois, on the transition to renewable energy. Because dependence on fossil fuels is making working people poorer, as it poisons the places where they live,” said Rev. Kelly Asprooth Jackson, co-senior minister at the First Unitarian Society of Madison.
Rev. Nick Utphall, pastor at Advent Lutheran Church agreed, saying, “It is our moral imperative to protect and preserve our natural world not only so that future generations can access and embrace the joys of living in our beautiful state, but also for those who struggle now with the undue burdens of choosing between putting food on the table and keeping their loved ones cool in the summer and warm in the winter."
Rev. Teresa Thomas-Boyd, a faith partnership consultant at Walnut Way Conservation Corp, said the next governor must be a courageous and visionary leader who recognizes that the costs of continuing to burn fossil fuels are too high, and our children and communities of color shouldn’t have to pay the price. “We live in a deeply unjust system where those who do the least to cause the climate crisis are the most harmed by it. Our next governor must dramatically turn these tides and prioritize a clean energy future. We must be good stewards of this beautiful creation God has given us,” she said.
Rabbi Abby Phelps, associate rabbi at Congregation Shalom in Milwaukee, said that there is no time to delay as Wisconsinites are already grappling with the effects of the climate crisis, including extreme heat and wildfire smoke this summer.
"We know that the need for change is acute and that the time to act is now. Fortunately, we already possess much of the knowledge and technology needed to meet this challenge. We are optimistic that Wisconsin’s next governor will provide the leadership necessary for a thoughtful and equitable transition to clean energy. We stand ready to work alongside that governor, hand in hand, toward a cleaner and brighter future," she said.
The press conference was covered by the Wisconsin Examiner, CBS58, WKOW, Channel 3000, and others!
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Faith in Place is a multifaith organization working for environmental justice through connection, education, and advocacy in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.
