Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle, who championed the establishment of alternative power sources in his state, has earned himself a shout-out from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance.

The MEEA made Doyle the recipient of its 2009 Inspiring Efficiency Leadership Award for his efforts in encouraging using wind turbines and solar panels to generate power, and for retrofitting fuel stations. 

Doyle signed the state's Energy Efficiency and Renewables Act, which requires state agencies and university campuses, among the largest energy consumers in Wisconsin, to obtain 20 percent of their power from renewable energy sources like wind or solar power. They must reach this goal within three years.

Doyle also published Clean Energy Wisconsin, his plan for a greener future for the state. In it, he sets a goal of obtaining 25 percent of the needed electricity and transportation energy from renewable supplies by 2025. He expects to achieve this by using grants and loans from the Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund to invest in R&D and the commercialization of greener, cleaner power.