Wied Helps Secure $30 Million Grant to Strengthen Wisconsin's Energy Production

October 27, 2026 Press Release DE PERE, WI – The U.S. Department of Transportation announced today that Wisconsin will receive a $30 million grant through its Port Infrastructure Development Program, following Congressman Wied’s advocacy for the funding. The $30,407,281 grant will fund the Lake Michigan Marine Highway Transportation Energy Project, which will extend a pipeline from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport to the U.S. Venture terminal at Port Milwaukee. The project will strengthen domestic energy production and help lower energy costs over the long term. “I am very pleased to see this funding come to Wisconsin to strengthen our ports, increase domestic energy production, and help lower costs for Wisconsinites. I contacted Secretary Duffy to advocate for this funding, and I thank him for investing in our great state. Continuing to unleash American energy is crucial to reducing our dependence on foreign countries, and this project will help support long-term efforts to lower energy costs for Wisconsin families,” said Congressman Wied. Background: Wisconsin relies on refined fuels to power our transportation network, making them a cornerstone of the state’s $450 billion economy. U.S. Venture, headquartered in Appleton, WI, has supplied Wisconsinites with gasoline and diesel fuel for more than 70 years. In 2016, a 110-mile pipeline that moved this fuel from Milwaukee to the Green Bay Terminal Complex was decommissioned, threatening the fuel supply for Northeastern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Since the pipeline closed, diesel-powered tanker trucks have hauled fuel from Milwaukee to Green Bay. On average, 75 tanker trucks per day travel the I-43 corridor in Eastern Wisconsin to supply the Green Bay terminal. Access to a reliable, refined fuel supply remains essential to our businesses and families. With support from the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Venture and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will extend a fuel line at the General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) six miles along I-794 to Port Milwaukee and add additional fuel storage at Port Milwaukee. This will allow fuel to be loaded onto barges at Port Milwaukee for transport across our underutilized Lake Michigan maritime highway to Green Bay. A single barge can carry approximately 4.2 million gallons of fuel, or the equivalent of 500 tanker truck loads. Barging fuel from Milwaukee to Green Bay would significantly reduce exhaust, noise, congestion, and road wear. This project would also bring in more revenue for both Port Milwaukee and the Port of Green Bay, in alignment with the goals and priorities of the ports and WisDOT. Further, it would increase the region’s access to domestically produced fuel and protect the reliability of our essential fuel supply from the weather disruptions that often occur in our state. Last year, Congressman Wied led Congressmen Bryan Steil (WI-01), Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), and Tom Tiffany (WI-07) in a letter to the USDOT to advocate for this grant funding. Read Congressman Wied’s letter in support of this project HERE. Issues : Energy