Calling for "urgent action" on climate change, Pope Francis released an encyclical last week. In it he urged a shift in energy policy around the world, including "substituting fossil fuels and developing renewable energy sources."

Wisconsin, however, remains behind other Midwestern states in dependency on renewable energy, according to University of Wisconsin-Green Bay scholar.

Michael Kraft, a professor emeritus in political science and public and environmental affairs, said the state "seriously lags" other comparable states in making the transition to renewable energy.

"We are about 29th in the country in terms of dependence on solar energy ... About 2.4 percent of electricity in the state comes from wind, as opposed to 62 percent from coal," said Kraft. "Clearly, we have a lot of distance to cover to go from our current use of coal and natural gas and nuclear power to where many other states are."

In comparison, Kraft said that other Midwestern states use a much higher level of wind energy than Wisconsin.

"Iowa (is) at 27 percent wind-generating power for electricity, Illinois about 5 percent, Minnesota 16 percent. Michigan and Wisconsin stand a far lower level," said Kraft. "That’s not because of different wind conditions. That’s because of incentives that the state makes available and public interest in seeing this kind of development."

Additionally, Kraft explained that other states have updated their renewable energy portfolios, or REPs, with the goal of increasing their reliance on renewable energy. Kraft said that Minnesota and Illinois have each set a goal of relying on renewable energy for 25 percent of their power by 2025.

"Wisconsin has not changed its REP. We’re at 10 percent and we reached that figure in 2013 ... California set a goal of 50 percent by 2030," said Kraft. "Wisconsin seriously lags other Midwestern states and the country at large in making this transition."

Kraft believes that in order to get Wisconsin on the same track as other states, there need to be shifts in policy.

"I think we need to have a state legislative debate and gubernatorial leadership that says Wisconsin wants to move from its present 10 percent reliance on renewable to more like 25 percent by 2025, and provide the incentives, the help, that industry needs to develop wind turbines, to develop solar power, to develop geothermal, to develop any alternative to fossil fuels," said Kraft.

However, he said he believes a change in the way energy is subsidized would be the most effective tool.

"I’m quite sure the fossil fuel industry would be reluctant to sponsor that. But every fuel source is heavily subsidized one way or the other. The information I find is that fossil fuels receive far more subsidies than do renewables, so maybe it’s time for a change," said Kraft.