Solar panels installed at 3 Milwaukee Public Library locations

MILWAUKEE -- Reading and renewing energy -- it was all happening Wednesday, June 12 at three Milwaukee Public Library locations with solar installations.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the Environmental Collaboration Office (ECO), and the Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) officials celebrated the installation of new solar panels at the Tippecanoe and Center Street branches, as well as the expansion of the solar panels at the Central branch.

Librarian Paula Kiely said 710 solar panels would be installed in total, providing 209 kilowatts of power -- enough to power 32 homes in one year!

It was part of a plan to reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

"We have set a goal of reducing our dependency on fossil fuels by 25% for our city buildings by 2025. That's a goal that we think we can attain by using the approach of all of the above, and what I mean by that is, by using every source we can," said Mayor Barrett.

Mayor Barrett also discussed another initiative to make it easier for homeowners and businesses to go solar. The "Solar Group Buy" program allows people to pair with the city, making it cheaper to purchase and install solar panels.