FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 6, 2025
Contact: Cassie Steiner, Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter
(262) 930 3963, cassie.steiner@sierraclub.org
Sierra Club awards Kathy Kuntz with environmental leadership award
Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change Director receives Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter’s 2025 Torchbearer Award
Madison, WI – Today the Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter awards Kathy Kuntz, the director of the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change, the Torchbearer Award for her environmental leadership.
The Sierra Club’s Torchbearer Award is given to individuals or organizations external to the Sierra Club, such as decisionmakers that consistently promote legislation, regulations or practices that protect the environment. The award ceremony is being held virtually today, November 6, online.
“Kathy Kuntz leads with both passion and purpose, and Dane County is a better place because of her,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard. “Her ability to turn big ideas into real-world progress has made us a statewide leader in clean energy and climate action. From securing millions in federal funding to cutting emissions across county operations, Kathy’s work is shaping a healthier, more sustainable future for everyone who calls Dane County home. I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition.”
“Kathy Kuntz is one of Wisconsin’s true champions on climate and energy. She has a long history of this work, and now she is the right person in the right place at the right time with the right experience and knowledge to head up the Dane County Office of Energy and Climate Change. She not only has been a leader on climate, but she has uplifted other climate champions in the region. She has been a torchbearer for a long time, so it is definitely fitting that she is receiving this award,” said Don Ferber, Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter Co-chair.
Kuntz’s consistent leadership has helped Dane County implement its Climate Action Plan including:
- Achieving 100% renewable offset electricity for the County’s electricity use in 2023 (two years ahead of the Plan’s goal!)
- Decreasing the county’s building and vehicle emissions by 60%.
- Securing $13.2M in federal funding to expand affordable EV charging infrastructure in Dane County.
- Supporting policies that help decrease greenhouse gas emissions county-wide. Dane County’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 were 3% lower than the 2017 baseline emissions, despite a 7% growth in population. (The largest cause of the reduction in emissions from 2017-2022 was the utility-level transition away from coal-powered electricity to renewables and natural gas; looking forward to 2030 the County anticipates other innovations, like the City of Madison’s Bus Rapid Transit system and ongoing Home Energy Rebates via Focus on Energy, to further cut emissions.
Kuntz’s leadership on climate and environmental sustainability began before she joined the County. Prior to working at Dane County, Kuntz led Cool Choices, which helped local governments, businesses and individuals adopt sustainable practices in a fun and approachable way. Before that, she led Focus on Energy, the state’s energy efficiency program.
Other Sierra Club - Wisconsin award winners who reside in Dane County include Noah Wong and Heather Brooks. Wong is awarded the Liz Wessel Wildflower Award, which is given to leaders within the organization who exemplify all that is wonderful within the Sierra Club and the environment. Brooks is awarded the new Keystone Volunteer award, which is given to volunteers whose efforts create the foundation that the rest of the organization’s activities are built on.
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The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. The Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter represents thousands of Wisconsinites on climate and environmental issues in the state. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
Established in 2017, the Dane County Office of Energy & Climate Change leads climate action both within county operations and countywide, working closely with municipalities, school districts, businesses and nonprofits. Learn more at https://daneclimateaction.org.