Gov. Jim Doyle has announced the kick-off of the $15,000,000 Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund, a loan and grant program for businesses and researchers developing products, processes and technologies in clean and renewable energy. It is a very important part of Gov. Doyle’s efforts to make Wisconsin less dependent on foreign sources of energy and to boost our state’s capacity to produce its own clean and renewable energy. Never has such a program been more needed than now. Rising petroleum and electricity prices have created a serious hardship for the people of our state and our country.