A delegation of Ukrainian officials visited this past weekend’s Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s Energy Fair looking for ideas to help break their country’s dependence on Russian fossil fuel.
The group included Oleksii Karmazin, who designs solar and wind power stations for Ukraine’s Institute of Renewable Energy. Speaking through an interpreter, Karmazin said he was surprised that solar and wind energy is not a priority for Wisconsin’s current political leaders.
“Here in the state of Wisconsin, my understanding was that the government is not supporting renewable energy that much,” he said. “At the same time, when looking around, I saw a number of solar panels and windmills, which proved to me that your people here are still interested in those renewable sources.”
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Karmazin said renewables are a national security concern for his country. The Energy Fair was one of several stops in central Wisconsin this week for the Ukrainians.
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