Governor Doyle Announces Capital Budget Creates 30,000 Jobs, Helps Economy

Building Commission Approves $1.4 Billion Investment in
Clean Energy, Higher Education and Economic Development

Governor Jim Doyle

Madison, WI – Governor Jim Doyle announced that his Capital Budget will create or maintain approximately 30,000 jobs and help stimulate local economies around the state. The Building Commission approved a $1.4 billion State Building Program today that focuses on economic development, higher education, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

“This is not the time to pull back on investing in worthwhile state building projects that create jobs and help fuel local economies,” Governor Doyle said. “The State Building Program provides a great opportunity for us to fund needed state projects in ways that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly while creating jobs. We are moving our state forward in areas like science, engineering and green technology and building on the recovery effort at the same time.”

The Capital Budget provides $1.4 billion over the next two years for the State Building Program, including $484.7 million in general fund state bonding with the remainder coming from the federal government, program revenue and private donations. It is estimated that the State Building Program adds $220 million to the local economy and adds 2,200 jobs, mainly in the construction and supply industries, for every $100 million invested.

The building program focuses on clean energy. It provides funding for the UW Energy Institute which will consolidate world-class research in areas like sustainable energy and bioenergy with state-of-theart labs to help produce the green technologies that will grow new, green industries and jobs in the state. The building program funds renovations to the UW-Madison Charter Street and Capitol Heating Plants aimed at eliminating use of coal at those facilities and increasing capacity to burn renewable fuels.

In addition, state agencies and UW campuses will see funds for energy efficiency projects that will help them meet the Governor’s goal to use 20 percent less energy by 2010 than state government buildings used in 2005.
Campuses in the University of Wisconsin system will receive nearly 70 percent of the General Fund Supported Borrowing in the building program. It invests in improved education and expanded classrooms with projects like the new academic buildings at UW-La Crosse, UW-Oshkosh and UWParkside.

Separately, plans for a new academic building are moving forward at UW-Superior, as well. The building program also proposes to develop and construct projects that will house programs that promote public health and clean water. It provides funding for the Milwaukee Initiative to build facilities for research and teaching in the areas of public health, freshwater science, Great Lakes research and engineering.

At UW-Stevens Point, a new world-class water treatment lab and academic facility will be constructed. There is also an opportunity to improve public health and agricultural testing services and do it more efficiently by combining the services into one lab for the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene funded in the building program.

The Building Commission approved the Capital Budget today. It will be submitted to the Joint Finance Committee for their consideration and included in the state budget bill. A copy of the 2009-11 Capital Budget Staff Recommendations that were submitted to the Building Commission today can be found at: http://www.doa.state.wi.us/category.asp?linkcatid=771&linkid=96&locid=4.

Posted @ 8:00 a.m.

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