Gov. Tony Evers announced a new state film office in his State of the State speech, along with a tax credit program aimed at boosting the industry in Wisconsin.
With less than 11 months left in office, Evers yesterday delivered his final State of the State, which referenced the new Film Wisconsin office within the state Department of Tourism.
The guv’s office also released details for the new film tax credit, which will make up to $5 million available to support the production of film, TV, documentaries, broadcast advertisements and production infrastructure in the state.
“I’m excited to announce we’re launching the new program this week, which will help bolster our travel and tourism economies and bring exciting, creative endeavors right to Wisconsin’s doorstep, how about that,” Evers said.
Productions will need to spend at least $100,000 for projects 30 minutes or longer, and at least $50,000 for projects shorter than 30 minutes, to be eligible for tax credits under the new program. Projects can get up to $1 million in tax credits per fiscal year, and credits are retroactive to eligible costs from Jan. 1 onward.
Eligible expenses include wages for cast and crew, accommodations, the cost of set construction and operations, buying or renting facilities and equipment, location fees and other related goods and services. The newly formed office will review tax credit applications monthly.
Evers yesterday also offered several new initiatives, though he didn’t give many details in his speech. They included the purchase of 225,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy every year for the next two decades, which Evers said was enough to power more than half a million homes.
According to Evers’ office, the initiative will include requesting bids for the state to purchase renewable energy credits from Wisconsin-based projects. The credits are issued when electricity is generated and delivered to the grid by a renewable source.
Since 2007, the state has purchased more than 1.8 million such credits, and the request for proposal will seek options capable of delivering the credits starting in January 2031 for a 20-year term.
The guv also announced a partnership with UW-Madison’s Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics to study nuclear energy opportunities in Wisconsin. Touting it as a safe source of carbon-free power, he said it could “be a game-changer for our state.”
See more coverage here and see the guv’s prepared remarks here.
