Central Wisconsin Renewable Energy

Citizen and business action groups help leaders form energy policy

2012-01-19T13:36:00.002-06:00

From a report by Alex Brasch on RENEW's Energy Policy Summit:

MADISON, Wis. - Can local governments work together with citizen action groups to effectively transition America away from reliance on fossil fuels? The answer in Wisconsin and Colorado seems to be yes.

Members of Wisconsin's renewable energy industry convened in Madison for the RENEW Wisconsin Energy Policy Summit last week. The diverse crowd of renewable energy manufacturers, installers, state utilities, environmental advocacy groups, university representatives, and government officials, including Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, came together to focus their efforts on retaking the initiative in the fight for a more sustainable energy future for Wisconsin.

Members heard from keynote speaker Leslie Glustrom, a biochemist who belongs to a similar organization in Boulder, Colo. - a group that recently led a successful ballot initiative to authorize creation of a municipal utility in that city.

Don Wichert, founder of RENEW and former chief of energy resources with the Wisconsin Department of Administration and current director of renewable energy services at the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation created the advocacy group more than 20 years ago to address government officials about clean energy development in the state.

Wichert said Wisconsin spends nearly $6 billion per year on imported coal, petroleum, and natural gas. "As a renewable energy advocacy group composed of concerned citizens, clean energy businesses, environmental organizations, and government employees, RENEW Wisconsin seeks to change the way people think about and consume energy through a combination of advocacy, education, and creative partnerships with state and local governments, businesses, utilities, and citizen groups," Wichert said.

Michael Vickerman, long-time executive director of RENEW, expressed optimism that, "despite current rollbacks of renewable energy policies, including the suspension of clean energy incentives and a weakening of state laws that leverage utility-purchased renewable energy, there is still a network of supportive local officials throughout the state." He challenged advocates to resist acquiescing to the current political situation, and instead, use the sum influence of the clean energy industry, including non-profits and concerned citizens, to drum up support for clean energy development. Vickerman provided three guiding principles as a springboard to start discussion on how to retake the initiative.

First, reframe the message by presenting the industry's true potential as a group of highly-motivated, dynamic organizations with a unifying business plan that will generate green jobs. Second, assert the fact that renewable energy is something intensely desired by businesses and citizens, because it gives customers more options, businesses increased market appeal, and a surefire pathway to more local jobs. And finally, pursue community-owned renewable projects that will keep energy production local and redirect investment into the area economy.

Only 20, not 200, years of coal; we have to move "so fast" to get to 100% renewables

2012-01-05T12:15:00.002-06:00

Leslie Glustrom is the featured speaker at RENEW's Energy Policy Summit, January 13, Madison. Read the report that she mentions about 11 minutes into the interview.

Register and get details about the Summit at the Summit Web page.

See who and what companies are coming to RENEW Energy Policy Summit

2012-01-03T20:23:00.002-06:00

It's 2012 and the world of energy is shifting fast. Will you be part of the conversation around the shape that will take in Wisconsin?

If you or your business plan to BUILD, BUY, or BE part of Wisconsin's renewable energy future, register NOW for RENEW's Energy Policy SUMMIT on Friday JANUARY 13th in Madison.

There are a LIMITED number of SPACES available for the RENEW Energy Policy Summit. REGISTER TODAY to make sure you have a seat in the room. Click here to register for the Summit.

Want to know who else will be at the Summit table? You can see which people and what companies are registered to participate in the RENEW Energy Policy Summit at the event home page Click here to see who's coming.

Set your clocks for 2012 and get to the table with RENEW Wisconsin.

RENEW Energy Policy Summit
Date: 1/13/2012 8:30 AM CST - 5:30 PM CST
Location: Pyle Center, UW-Madison Campus
702 Langdon Street
Madison, WI 53703

For more informations and questions email Ed Blume.

Biomass plant construction going full steam ahead

2011-12-21T13:43:00.002-06:00

From an article by Jake Miller in the Wausau Daily Herald:

ROTHSCHILD -- A $255 million biomass power plant under construction in Rothschild already has put more than 75 people to work full time, providing them with family-sustaining wages, officials said.

The workers -- mostly general laborers, iron workers and carpenters -- have spent recent months pouring concrete and erecting the 11-story steel frame for a building that ultimately will house the plant's boiler, said Randy DeMeuse, vice president of operations for The Boldt Co., the Appleton-based firm overseeing construction.

The plant, a We Energies and Domtar Corp. project, remains on schedule after crews began to build the facility this summer, We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said. The plant at Domtar's Rothschild paper mill will generate steam for the papermaker and electricity for We Energies and is expected to be complete by late summer of 2013.

The state Public Service Commission approved the project this past summer after neighbors of the site waged a fierce battle to block its construction. Opponents cited pollution and visual concerns, while supporters argued the much-needed jobs outweighed those issues.

The number of people working on-site during construction is expected to climb to 250 by summer. If the project hits any delays, that number could grow to 400 because project managers would need to add a second shift of workers, DeMeuse said.

The number of people working on-site during construction is expected to climb to 250 by summer. If the project hits any delays, that number could grow to 400 because project managers would need to add a second shift of workers, DeMeuse said.

"That's just staff on site; it doesn't include truck drivers at all," he said. "Chances are we may peak out higher than (250)."

Coal Critic Coming to Madison to Speak on Effective Renewable Energy Advocacy, January 13, 2012

2011-12-08T14:03:00.004-06:00

For immediate release
December 7, 2011

More information
Michael Vickerman
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Leslie Glustrom, research director of Colorado-based Clean Energy Action, and an unwavering critic of utility reliance on coal for electricity generation, will be the featured speaker at RENEW Wisconsin’s Energy Policy Summit.

The Summit will be held on Friday, January 13, 2012, at the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Pyle Center located on the UW-Madison campus. Summit attendees will spend the day discussing and selecting renewable energy strategies that make sense in the current political environment in Wisconsin. More information on the Summit can be found on the RENEW Wisconsin website at http://www.renewwisconsin.org.

As research director, Glustrom authored in 2009 an extensively referenced report on U.S. coal supplies titled, “Coal—Cheap and Abundant—Or Is It? Why Americans Should Stop Assuming that the US has a 200-Year Supply of Coal,” available for free at http://www.cleanenergyaction.org.

Since 2009, Glustrom has traveled to numerous states helping them to understand the likely constraints on their coal supplies.

Glustrom’s on-going research illuminates a future in which coal prices will likely continue to escalate, driven by a combination of less accessible coal supplies, increasing demand from Asian countries, and rising diesel fuel costs for hauling coal to distant markets like Wisconsin.

Clean Energy Action is spearheading a campaign to shut down Colorado’s coal-fired power plants and replace them with locally generated renewable electricity.

“Leslie’s experiences with Clean Energy Action can help Wisconsin renewable energy advocates formulate effective strategies for 2012 and beyond,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide sustainable energy advocacy organization headquartered in Madison.

“Even though Colorado is a coal-producing state, it has adopted some of the most aggressive policies in the country for advancing renewable energy,” said Vickerman. “Colorado’s commitment to clean energy is driving its economy at a time when its coal output is diminishing. For example, Vestas, the world’s largest manufacturer of wind turbines with four plants employing 1,700 people in Colorado, supplied 90 turbines this year to Wisconsin’s largest wind project, the Glacier Hills Wind Park in Columbia County.”

“Leslie will inspire us to reverse the retreat from renewables and retake the initiative going forward,” Vickerman said.

In Boulder, Glustrom was part of the team that led the successful 2010 and 2011 ballot initiatives allowing Boulder to move ahead with plans to municipalize and break away from the long term commitment to coal plants made by their incumbent utility, Xcel Energy.

-- END --

RENEW Wisconsin hosts Renewable Energy Policy Summit, Jan. 13, 2012

2011-11-25T13:05:00.002-06:00

REtaking Initiative - REframing Message REvitalizing Economy

8:30 am - 4:00 pm

Pyle Center, UW-Madison Campus

702 Langdon Street

Madison, WI 53703

Wisconsin's renewable energy marketplace is going through a tumultuous period. We need to chart a new course for 2012 to address the ongoing policy uncertainties and emerging marketplace realities.

RENEW WI invites stakeholders from around the state to join us in shaping the renewable energy community’s 2012 policy agenda.

If you want to build or buy any part of today's energy economy, this is a conversation you want to be part of. Join RENEW members, businesses, energy customers, and legislators to craft a robust policy platform for renewable energy in Wisconsin.

Breakout Groups will discuss strategies for:

Expanding Market Access for Customers and Generators;

Economics of Renewable Production;

Regulatory Environment for Renewable Production ;

How do we choose who we want to be customers of?

Summit Outcomes

Summit Statement for enacting an Energy Economy that works for Wisconsin, with RENEW Wisconsin facilitating working groups throughout 2012.

More information and registration at RENEW Wisconsin Renewable Energy Policy Summit.

Gen. Wesley Clark on wind, veterans and energy security

2011-11-11T13:10:00.002-06:00

State urged to beef up clean energy policies to create jobs

2011-10-26T15:19:00.002-05:00

From an article by Judy Newman in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Two reports show Wisconsin has a significant renewable power industry, but with a stronger state commitment, it could be saving more energy and creating more jobs.

Wisconsin has more than 300 businesses involved in wind or solar energy, providing more than 12,000 jobs, according to a study by the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago.

It found 171 Wisconsin companies that either produce, sell or install wind power equipment or plan wind development.

Another 135 companies are part of the solar energy industry. For example, Cardinal Glass makes solar panels in Mazomanie; Helios recently opened a solar panel factory in Milwaukee.

"These are real jobs; these are real businesses. Many are existing businesses that are branching out into new product lines," said Howard Learner, the center's executive director.

Ten years ago, Wisconsin was considered a leader on renewal energy policy, so companies located here, Learner said. "That policy support has now been eroding, and neighboring states —Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan — now have much stronger renewable standards than Wisconsin does and are exceeding Wisconsin in terms of jobs," he added.

Meanwhile, at a news conference Tuesday, representatives of clean energy businesses made a pitch for more money for Wisconsin's Focus on Energy program, saying it will save energy, cut consumers' costs and create jobs.

In the 10 years since it was created, Focus programs have saved utility customers 6.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, or 6.8 months of the total residential power use in the state, says the report by the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance in Chicago. It says the programs also have saved 278 therms of natural gas, or 1.8 years of statewide residential consumption.

Judge tosses suit challenging We Energies biomass project

2011-10-05T14:01:00.000-05:00

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A Marathon County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed this summer by opponents of the We Energies biomass power plant near Wausau.

The local group Save Our Air Resources and the Massachusetts-based Biomass Accountability Project had sued the state Department of Natural Resources challenging its approval of the project, which would burn wood waste and wood residues left over from logging operations.

The plant was proposed by We Energies along with the paper company Domtar, which will host the project at its Rothschild paper mill.

The $255 million project is needed to help We Energies comply with the state’s renewable energy target.

In a ruling Thursday, Marathon County Judge Michael Moran ruled in favor of the DNR that the lawsuit was filed late and by a lawyer

“It was filed late and it was filed by an out-of-state attorney,” Moran said, according to an audio recording posted online by the Wausau radio station WSAU.

Bicyclists don’t need no stinkin’ tax breaks

2011-08-29T11:08:00.000-05:00

From an article by Bill Berry in The Capital Times:

STEVENS POINT – As long as various groups are seeking relief from onerous and burdensome taxes, why don’t we have a tax break for bicycle commuters?

Many of us in this category have commuted to and from work for decades. OK, let’s be honest. We feel sorry for the poor souls trapped in motor vehicles. They look so forlorn and detached from the world around them. Bicycle commuters, on the other hand, have no choice but to be attuned and aware, with 2,000-pound monsters all around us.

Frankly, biking to and from work is the best part of the job. In a city like this one, a brisk morning ride through residential neighborhoods is a gift not to be underrated. There are birds and gardens and tidy lawns along the way. The bustling rail yards that bisect the city are full of sights and sounds. . . .

On second thought, forget it. We get enough benefits anyway. We’re not a bunch of fat-cat beggars looking to skirt our civic responsibilities. We’re doing our part, and we already know we’re getting a better deal by hopping on a two-wheeler. We already save money by biking. We arrive at work fit, awake and ready for the day’s tasks.

We don’t need no stinkin’ tax breaks. . . .

Rothschild biomass plant construction to begin

2011-08-26T13:35:00.000-05:00

From an article by Kathleen Foody in the Stevens Point Journal:

ROTHSCHILD -- Village residents and commuters on Business Highway 51 can expect traffic snarls as about 150 trucks hauling construction materials pour in and out of the Domtar paper mill today.

Rothschild Police Chief Dean Albrecht said Boldt Construction, the Appleton firm overseeing construction of a $255 million biomass power plant on Domtar's site, asked his department to help control traffic during today's work.

Officers will be at the intersection of Business Highway 51 and Weston Avenue from 5 a.m. until about 2 p.m. to help out, Albrecht said.

"We think traffic will go pretty smoothly; maybe some congestion during rush hour between 6 and 8 (a.m.)," he said.

We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said crews will spend today pouring the foundation for the large boiler that will burn material at the plant, requiring the procession of trucks carrying materials.

Manthey said the traffic will be spaced out, with two or three trucks carrying material from County Materials plant locations in Wausau, Weston and Merrill entering or exiting the construction site at a time.

Once complete, the plant will burn about 500,000 tons of the tops and limbs of trees to generate energy for sale by We Energies and steam for Domtar's paper-making process at the existing Rothschild mill. The plant is intended to help We Energies comply with state regulations requiring at least 8 percent of utilities' sales to come from renewable energy sources by 2015.

To qualify for federal tax credits, the facility must be operational by the end of 2013.

WP&L and WPS warn of higher rates because of pollution rules

2011-08-24T15:15:00.002-05:00

From an article by Tom Content published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on August 19:

Two state utilities said this week new federal pollution rules will lead to higher electricity costs come January.

Wisconsin Public Service Corp. of Green Bay said its residential customers can expect an increase of more than $4 a month next year, including about $2 linked to the new rules designed to limit air pollution from coal-fired power plants.

The utility said it would see higher costs of about $32.6 million in 2012 from the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule that was finalized recently by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That will result in rates going up by 6.8% instead of 3.4%, the utility said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month finalized stronger regulations for Wisconsin and 26 other states aimed at curbing air pollution from long-distance sources.

Environmental groups praised the new rule because it would reduce acid rain and air pollution as well as help curb health effects from dirty air linked to coal plants. The EPA projected the rule will save up to 34,000 lives a year and prevent more than 400,000 asthma attacks as well as 19,000 admissions to hospitals. . .

The new rule has been in development for several years but the first phase of compliance hits utilities in 2012. WPS said it won't have time to install pollution controls by next year at its plants, but will be able to comply by purchasing credits from other utilities that have cut emissions.

The utility also said it plans to operate its coal plants less next year than it otherwise would have, and will buy more power from the Midwest wholesale power market as a result, a move that it said is also a factor in higher costs for customers. . . .

On Thursday [August 18], Wisconsin Power & Light Co. [Alliant] of Madison said it would face an additional $9 million in costs linked to the air pollution rule. With the change, the utility is now seeking an increase in 2012 of $20 million, or 2%, utility finance manager Martin Seitz said in a filing with state regulators.

Todd Stuart, executive director of the Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, criticized the increases, and he noted that large energy users like paper mills will see higher than average increases, compared with homeowners and small businesses. Paper mills served by WPS could see a 9% hike, he said. . . .

"Industry always cries wolf whenever EPA tries to reduce air pollution," said Katie Nekola, lawyer with the conservation group Clean Wisconsin. "The fact is, the new rule will affect old, inefficient, unnecessary coal plants that should have been shut down long ago. The continued operation of those old units is costing ratepayers money, but you don't hear industry complaining about that."

Tomahawk resort recognized for clean energy

2011-07-21T16:04:00.000-05:00

From an article in the Ashland Current:

The Lakewoods Resort is receiving a clean energy award from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

Secretary of Tourism Stephanie Klett announced the $163,650 award on Wednesday. The award stems from the resort installing a bioenergy heating project, where the resort will use locally-produced wood pellets and wood chips from nearby forests to fuel its heating system. The resort is retiring an old propane boiler system and upgrading to a commercial-scale pellet boiler, which will be completed by December 2012.

According to the Department of Tourism, the project is expected to save the resort about $72,000 in fossil fuel costs in its first year of use.

"I am pleased that one of our most prominent resorts located in the Chequamegon National Forest will be investing in a local renewable energy source," Klett said. "The project will protect the natural beauty of northern Wisconsin, provide local jobs, and invest in Wisconsin's renewable resources."

The use of wood biomass can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of a commercial facility, the department reports.

Editorial: Wausau is the best choice for W Solar Group location

2011-07-20T15:18:00.001-05:00

From an editorial in the Wausau Daily Herald:

Mr. Chris Hamrin, president and CEO,
W Solar Group, Inc.
Chatsworth, CA

Dear Mr. Hamrin:

We here in Wausau are eager to learn where your company will build a manufacturing plant that will employ as many as 600 people making your high-tech solar panels. We were ecstatic to learn back in January that Wausau was one of the few Wisconsin cities -- along with Eau Claire and perhaps others that have shown interest since then -- being considered for the facility.

We won't disparage Eau Claire or any other city in this great state. We don't have to. We think what we have to offer in Wausau speaks for itself.

You already know some of our key assets. Your company spokesman, Evan Zeppos, was on target when he said this about Wausau in January: "It's a very good spot as it relates to a supply chain, geography, transportation. It has a well-known reputation for having a good workforce, and it's certainly very high on the quality-of-life scale."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

National Study Vindicates Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Policies

2011-07-18T15:38:00.003-05:00

Immediate release
July 18, 2011

More information
Michael Vickerman
Executive Director
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

National Study Vindicates Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Policies

Nearly a decade of forward-looking strategies propelled investments in Wisconsin’s clean jobs economy above other Midwest states, according to an economic study issued by The Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan public policy organization in Washington, D.C.

Reviewing data gathered between 2003 and 2010, the Brookings analysis pegged the number of clean economy jobs in the state at 76,858, a net increase of nearly 4,000. Measured as a percentage, Wisconsin’s clean economy accounted for 2.7% of all jobs in the state, compared with 2.5% for Iowa, 2.1% for Minnesota, 1.9 % for both Indiana and Michigan, and 1.8% for Illinois. Overall, Wisconsin ranked 8th among all states and the District of Columbia in the relative size of its clean economy.

The report categorizes clean economy jobs as those in energy efficiency and renewable energy; sustainable forestry products; recycling and reuse; waste management and treatment; organic food and farming; energy efficient appliance and building manufacturing; and more.

“Clearly, Wisconsin’s commitment to clean energy has paid dividends, attracting new businesses and creating high-paying jobs that could have easily gone elsewhere,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide organization advocating for public policies and private initiatives that advance renewable energy.

These policies and initiatives include the establishment of Focus on Energy, the region’s first ratepayer-funded energy efficiency and renewable energy program, attractive buyback rates offered by utilities for renewable energy, and innovative incentives to encourage customer installation of renewables.

In addition, Wisconsin’s adoption of a 10% renewable energy standard back in 2006 spurred new utility-scale installations built by skilled tradesmen employed by local contractors. During the study period, the number of wind-related jobs in Wisconsin doubled from less than 450 to 900.

As documented in the Brookings report, the wages for these clean economy jobs run higher than the statewide average ($37,931 vs. $35,906).

“Unfortunately, Wisconsin’s clean economy is in danger of losing a good deal of its steam as a result of policy rollbacks and funding cutbacks in the renewable energy arena,” Vickerman said. “The short-sighted attacks we’ve seen in 2011 could throw the state’s clean economy into reverse next year.”

So far this year, the Legislature has reduced funding for Focus on Energy, suspended the statewide rule regulating the permitting of wind turbines, and weakened the state’s renewable energy standard by allowing utilities to count Canadian hydropower toward their requirements.

“On top of that, We Energies, the state’s largest utility, announced that it will discontinue what had been an effective renewable energy initiative,” Vickerman said. “Among other accomplishments, it was instrumental in enabling Helios USA to build a solar-electric manufacturing facility in Milwaukee’s Menomonee River Valley.” The plant now employs 50 workers.

END

RENEW Wisconsin is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that acts as a catalyst to advance a sustainable energy future through public policy and private sector initiatives. More information on RENEW’s Web site at www.renewwisconsin.org.

Rothschild biomass project under way, Domtar announces

2011-07-14T16:26:00.000-05:00

From an article by Kathleen Foody in Central Wisconsin Business:

ROTHSCHILD -- The long public debate over a proposed biomass power plant in Rothschild came to an end Monday [June 20] when Domtar announced plans to move forward with the $255 million project.

The 50-megawatt power plant, a joint effort of Milwaukee utility We Energies and Domtar paper, is expected to burn 500,000 tons of the tops and limbs of trees left behind by traditional logging operations each year.

"(The final decision) puts ... everything behind us," Rothschild Village Board President George Peterson said. "We can move forward, We Energies and Domtar can move forward."

We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said crews will begin working this week at the site adjacent to the existing Domtar mill on Business Highway 51 in Rothschild.

Manthey said We Energies still hopes to have the plant completed by the end of 2013, the eligibility deadline for federal tax credits. The facility also is part of We Energies' plan to comply with state regulations requiring at least 8 percent of utilities' sales to come from renewable energy by 2015.

Wisconsin’s Widening War on Renewable Energy

2011-07-11T14:31:00.004-05:00

From a commentary by Michael Vickerman, Executive Director, RENEW Wisconsin:

Dramatic Slowdown in Market Activity Anticipated
What started out as an opening salvo from the Walker Administration to shackle large-scale wind projects has in six months turned into a systematic campaign to dismantle the state policies that support renewable energy development. Joining the executive and legislative branches in pursuing policy rollbacks and/or funding cutbacks against renewables are various utilities and, surprisingly, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s ratepayer-funded energy efficiency and renewable programs.

Since January 1st, Wisconsin has seen a series of assaults against utility-scale projects and smaller renewable systems serving both residences and businesses. These include the following actions:

The Legislature suspended PSC 128, the statewide rule developed by the Public Service Commission last year in response to a law passed by the Legislature in 2009 ordering the agency to establish uniform standards for permitting wind energy systems. Since the March 1 suspension vote, wind development in Wisconsin has slowed to a standstill.

The Legislature adopted SB 81, a bill that RENEW Wisconsin describes as the “Outsource Renewable Energy to Canada Act.” SB 81 allows Wisconsin utilities to meet their renewable energy requirements beginning in 2015 with electricity generated from large hydropower plants in other states and Canada. By allowing Wisconsin utilities to become even more dependent on energy imports than they are today, SB 81 turns Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Standard on its head. Importing large-scale hydropower exports the very dollars that could have been used to harness Wisconsin’s renewable energy resources.

We Energies, the state’s largest electric utility, abruptly decided in May to walk away from an agreement with RENEW to dedicate $60 million over a 10-year period in support of renewable energy development in its territory. The decision came in the sixth year of this program. We Energies plans to reallocate the unspent dollars (totaling about $27 million) to general operations.

Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) instituted in April a new net energy policy designed to discourage new customer-sited renewable energy systems. Until recently WPS had been paying its customers the full retail rate for electricity that flows back on the wires, which is now about 12 cents/kWh. But under the new rate, WPS only pays three cents/kWh for electricity exported to the grid. Moreover, the utility calculates the net each month, which penalizes customers whose loads vary significantly depending on seasonal factors. Right now, the new policy only covers systems installed after March 2011, but WPS has said that it plans to apply that rate to older systems effective January 2013.

In its deliberations on the biennial state budget passed in June, the Legislature appended a rider to tie Focus on Energy’s annual budget to a percentage (1.2% of gross utility revenues). This action will mean a cut of $20 million in the program’s 2012 budget relative to this year’s allocation of $120 million. The Focus on Energy program provides grants and cash-back awards supporting customer investments in solar electric, solar thermal systems, small wind, biogas and biomass energy systems.

Last, but certainly not least, as of July 1, Focus on Energy stopped accepting applications for business program incentives to help customers install renewable energy systems. These incentives, which average about $7 million per year, had been available since 2002 to businesses, farms, schools, local governments and other nonprofit customers. It is not clear when these incentives will be resumed and in what quantity.

Red Eye Brewing includes solar hot water to meet sustainability goals

2011-07-06T15:45:00.001-05:00

From a news release issued by Kolbe Windows and Doors:

Wausau, Wis. (July 2011) – Located in Wausau, Wis., Red Eye Brewing Company produces and sells craft beers complimented by dishes made from home-grown ingredients. The owners' preference for locally-sourced, environmentally-responsible materials, their attention to detail and their appreciation for quality, contributed to their selection of Kolbe's windows and doors.

"Red Eye truly believes that our success as a business is measured through our commitment to the community and the environment, paired with sound economic practices," says co-owner Brett Danke. . . .

Bringing this systematic, sustainable, whole building design to life, S.D. Ellenbecker served as a hands-on general contractor, including the installation of Kolbe's windows and doors. Opened in 2008, the 6,000-square-foot space's other green building features include:

location is a quick walk for downtown shoppers, near a designated bike route and one block from the bus terminal;

reclaimed Redwood fence, planed by hand, and re-used as wood trim;

waterless urinals, which save a combined 90,000 gallons of water per year;

spent grain from the brewing process is provided to a local farmer, which he uses as a supplement for his cattle, eliminating it from the landfill;

wood burning oven is fired with locally-sourced hardwoods, a renewable source of energy, which avoids the consumption of natural gas and electricity for primary cooking needs;

solar water heat, which further reduces the consumption of natural gas and electrical power, equating to nearly 35 years of "free hot water" for use in the brewery and its restaurant.

Funding Hiatus Darkens Outlook for In-State Renewables

2011-07-05T15:20:00.003-05:00

Immediate release
July 5, 2011

More information
Michael Vickerman
Executive Director
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Funding Hiatus Darkens Outlook for In-State Renewables

For the first time in its 11-year history, Focus on Energy is no longer accepting applications from Wisconsin businesses and nonprofit entities seeking to install renewable energy systems. This new policy took effect July 1.

According to Focus on Energy officials, this suspension of financial incentives is necessary to balance demand for renewable energy systems with available funds. In 2009, Focus on Energy allocated approximately $10 million to support customer-sited renewable energy systems. More than half of that allocation went to businesses, farmers, local governments, schools, and nonprofit organizations throughout the state.

“We recognize that Focus on Energy officials have a responsibility to ensure that outflows don’t exceed revenues. However, this suspension could not have occurred at a worse time for Wisconsin’s renewable energy contractors,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin.

“Unfortunately, this move coincides with Milwaukee-based We Energies’ decision to walk away from an agreement with RENEW Wisconsin to commit $60 million over a 10-year period to develop renewable energy within its territory,” Vickerman said. ‘We Energies disclosed its unilateral action in May, barely more than halfway into honoring its commitment.”

“Given the adverse environment for renewable energy right now in Wisconsin, we hope that the interruption amounts to nothing more than a brief timeout,” said Vickerman.

“Unless funding is restored quickly, 2012 will turn out to be a very lean year for contractors and installers,” Vickerman warned.

As of this moment, the renewable energy marketplace is bristling with new installations. Installations to be completed this summer with incentives from Focus on Energy include:
• Two small wind turbines serving a Monroe County cranberry grower;
• A solar hot water system serving a new apartment building next to the Hilldale shopping complex in Madison;
• Side-by-side solar hot water and electric installations atop a new classroom building at the UW-Oshkosh;
• An engine generator fed with biogas derived from the City of Appleton’s wastewater treatment plant.

However, without a fresh supply of Focus-funded projects, Wisconsin’s renewable energy development pipeline will slow to a trickle, forcing contractors and installers to either seek work in other states or lay off employees.

Wisconsin has more than 2,500 customer-sited renewable energy installations, the vast majority of which received either financial incentives or facilitation services from Focus on Energy. In total, these installations have a generating capacity of about 20 megawatts.

END

Merrill dairy farmer studies feasibility of wind energy site

2011-06-29T13:59:00.000-05:00

From an article by in the Karina Gonzalez:

MERRILL -- A local dairy farmer might soon take advantage of a windy hill on his property to generate renewable energy.

Hans Breitenmoser Jr. has a meteorological tower on his southwest Merrill property that measures wind capacity. In late July 2010, Madison's Seventh Generation Energy Systems installed the tower to begin a one-year study that would look into the feasibility of using the windy hill to power the farm.

"I've lived here all of my life and it's always been windy," Breitenmoser Jr. said. "And I've always had an interest in green energy."

Breitenmoser said he expects the study will help him determine what kind of wind energy equipment is the most suitable to offset traditional energy costs at his farm.

Ry Thompson, systems division manager for Seventh Generation, said the Northwoods is generally not a great area for wind turbines because of the vast number of trees that block and slow breezes. However, because Breitenmoser's property is elevated, it appears to be a good site for generating power.

Seventh Generation will have a report ready by late summer that will include a cost analysis and wind estimates, Thompson said.

Rothchild biomass opponents file lawsuit against DNR

2011-06-28T14:37:00.000-05:00

From an article in the Marshfield News Herald:

Rothschild residents seeking a second review of the wood-burning power plant in Rothschild filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the state Department of Natural Resources.

Opponents of the project hope to force the DNR to re-evaluate emissions expected to come from the facility.

Save Our Air Resources filed the suit in Marathon County Circuit Court one day after Domtar decided to go forward with the project and comply with state regulator's requirements.

State’s Hostility Toward Renewables Escalates; “Leaders” Lag Citizenry on Wind Support

2011-06-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

Two articles from Catching Wind, a newsletter published by RENEW Wisconsin with funding from a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy:

State’s Hostility Toward Renewables Escalates
At the urging of Wisconsin utilities, several lawmakers have introduced a bill to allow a renewable energy credit (REC) to be banked indefinitely. If adopted, this measure (AB146) would constitute the most devastating legislative assault yet on the state’s renewable energy marketplace, which is already reeling from the suspension of the statewide wind siting rule this March and the loosening of renewable energy definitions to allow Wisconsin utilities to count electricity generated from large Canadian hydro projects toward their renewable energy requirements.

“Leaders” Lag Citizenry on Wind Support
Public support for wind energy development has held strong against the attacks launched by Governor Walker and the Legislature’s new Republican majority, according to a poll conducted between April 11 and April 18 by the St. Norbert College Survey Center for Wisconsin Public Radio.

Asked whether Wisconsin should "increase, decrease or continue with the same amount" of energy supply from various sources, 77% favored increasing wind power, the highest of any option (60% favored increasing hydropower, 54% biomass, 39% natural gas, 27% nuclear, and 19% coal).

"Frac" sand for controversial natural gas drilling brings 3 companies to Marshfield

2011-06-24T12:27:00.002-05:00

From an article by Molly Newman in the Marshfield News Herald:

Three companies have their sights set on excavating a high quality sand that lies about 20 feet below Marshfield's surface.

The hard, round sand, called frac, is found only in older deposits in certain areas, including central Wisconsin. It's used in hydraulic fracturing, or breaking apart rock using sand and water to pump out oil and natural gas.

Several companies have popped up in the area recently because of increased interest from the oil industry, Completion Industrial Minerals President Tom Giordani said.

"There are shortages in the market for the sand -- that's why everyone's looking in Wisconsin," he said.

Completion, formerly TexSand, had some funding delay its business plan during the recession, but now is back on track to begin excavation this summer, Giordani said.

The company is in the process of grading its 57-acre site on 29th Street in Marshfield's Yellowstone Industrial Park and setting up the excavating equipment, including crushers, screens, dryers and belt conveyors. There will be some small control buildings and two 100-foot storage silos on the site, with an office building constructed later, Giordani said.

Some sand excavation is expected to begin in August and the system will be fully operational by September or October, he said. There is enough sand in the Marshfield area pits Completion is using to last at least 25 years, he said.

But it's been a contentious issue in some states that have fracking operations. Critics argue that chemicals used in fracking may be contaminating water supplies. And it's the subject of a documentary titled Gasland.

Domtar announces that Rothschild biomass project is under way

2011-06-23T13:21:00.000-05:00

From an article by Kathleen Foody in the Wausau Daily Herald:

ROTHSCHILD -- The long public debate over a proposed biomass power plant in Rothschild came to an end Monday when Domtar announced plans to move forward with the $255 million project.

The 50-megawatt power plant, a joint effort of Milwaukee utility We Energies and Domtar paper, is expected to burn 500,000 tons of the tops and limbs of trees left behind by traditional logging operations each year.

"(The final decision) puts ... everything behind us," Rothschild Village Board President George Peterson said. "We can move forward, We Energies and Domtar can move forward."

We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said crews will begin working this week at the site adjacent to the existing Domtar mill on Business Highway 51 in Rothschild.

Manthey said We Energies still hopes to have the plant completed by the end of 2013, the eligibility deadline for federal tax credits. The facility also is part of We Energies' plan to comply with state regulations requiring at least 8 percent of utilities' sales to come from renewable energy by 2015.

The Energy Fair begins June 17!

2011-06-10T15:48:00.001-05:00

Watch and learn about this year's keynote speakers: Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power; Chris Paine, writer and director of Who Killed the Electric Car?; and a panel from the Central Wisconsin Resiliency Project. Enjoy lively entertainment provided by Baba Ganooj, VO5, Banned Wagon and other stellar talent. Don’t forget about the great food and local beer!

See who comes to the Fair, why they come, and what you can expect by attending. Enjoy viewing this video and share it with your friends!

Now online: Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly

2011-06-06T16:19:00.002-05:00

The Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly, the newsletter of RENEW Wisconsin, features these article:

Siting Rule Suspension Rocks Wind Industry
In a move that sent shock waves through the wind industry in Wisconsin, a joint legislative panel voted on March 1 to suspend the wind siting rule promulgated by the Public Service Commission in December 2010.

Community Biogas Project Fires Up
Home to 400 dairy farms, Dane County recently dedicated a community-scale manure-to-methane generating system designed to reduce nutrient runoff into the Yahara Lakes.

Insty Prints: Mpower ChaMpion
But if I can help other businesses make some of the harder choices by being more vocal, then I’m willing to help.

Manitoba Hydro: A Washout?
On behalf of our members and the many businesses and individuals who support the continued expansion of Wisconsin’s renewable energy marketplace, RENEW Wisconsin is here to express opposition to AB 114 (and its companion SB 81), and urges the Legislature not to pass this bill.

Verona Firm Begins Work on “Epic” PV
With the commissioning of its 1,300-module solar electric canopy spanning its parking deck, Epic Systems joins an elite group of Wisconsin companies embracing on-site energy capture to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. At 360 kilowatts (kW), Epic’s new photovoltaic system is the largest solar array in Dane County and the third largest in Wisconsin.

Calendar of Renewable and Energy Efficiency Events
June 17-19, 2001 The Energy Fair. Custer, WI. The nation’s premier sustainable energy education event. Three days of workshops, demonstrations, and exhibits highlighting renewable energy and sustainable living. For details see www.midwestrenew.org.

July 8-10, 2011 EcoFair360. Elkhorn, WI. Join hundreds of exhibitors and presenters and thousands of attendees who will Make Green Happen for three days of education, exploration and inspiration. For details see www.ecofair360.org.

July 16, 2011 Western Wisconsin Sustainability Fair. Menomonie, WI, Dunn County Fair Grounds. Exhibitors from business, government, and non-profi t groups, speakers, workshops, music, energy effi cient vehicles, a photo contest, and a tour of the Cedar Falls Dam. See http://sustainabledunn.org for more information.

July 30, 2011 8th Annual Kickapoo Country Fair. LaFarge, WI. The Midwest’s Largest Organic Food and Sustainability Festival. Food, music, bike and farm tours, cooking demonstrations, theater, kids’ activities, dancing. More information at www.kickappoocountryfair.org.

October 1, 2011 Solar Tour of Homes and Businesses. All across Wisconsin. Owners open their doors to let people see how renewable energy is practical, reliable, and affordable in today’s economy. The homes and businesses often include other energy efficiency and renewable technologies. For details see http://nationalsolartour.org.

October 26, 2011 Wisconsin’s Solar Decade Conference. Milwaukee, WI. Now in its seventh year, the Wisconsin
Solar Decade Conference is your opportunity to see fi rsthand the latest developments in the world of solar energy. For details see www.solardecade.com.

Energy groups oppose bill to undermine Wisconsin's renewable energy commitment

2011-05-26T15:57:00.002-05:00

From statements issued by three groups in opposition to Assembly Bill 146:

"Clearly, this bill is a drastic step in the wrong direction for our state. The Wisconsin Energy Business Association therefore opposes this attack on renewable energy in our state." - Wisconsin Energy Business Association. Full statement.

We strongly recommend that this bill not be approved as it solves no known problem in Wisconsin and seeks only to roll-back policies on renewable energy that have served the state well and are otherwise benefitting Wisconsin residents with cleaner air and lower prices for electricity. - Wind on the Wires. Full statement.

Fresh attack on Wisconsin voters’ desire for a renewable energy standard would kill wind projects and sap state’s economy, say wind energy advocates - American Wind Energy Association. Full statement.

WI utility agrees to buy Canadian hydroelectric power

2011-05-25T15:56:00.002-05:00

While RENEW opposes counting hydro toward a utility's renewable portofio standard, Wisconsin Public Service agreed to buy 100 MW from Manitoba Hyrdo, according to an article in The Lac du Bonnet Leader:

Premier Greg Selinger announced today that Manitoba Hydro has signed agreements for a 250megawatt (MW) sale of electricity to Minnesota Power and a 100-MW sale to Wisconsin Public Service. Combined with a previously completed 125 MW sale to Northern States Power, these sales total 475 MW with an estimated value of $4 billion, Selinger said.

The premier said these sales will require the construction of new hydroelectric generating capacity in Manitoba. They will trigger the development of the 695-MW Keeyask (Cree for gull) Generating Station located on the lower Nelson River 175 km northeast of Thompson in the Split Lake Resource Management Area. Keeyask is to be developed by a partnership consisting of Manitoba Hydro and the Keeyask Cree Nations-Tataskweyak Cree Nation, War Lake First Nation, Fox Lake Cree Nation, and York Factory First Nation. The $5.6-billion project will provide some 4,500 person-years of construction employment, said Selinger. . .

The 250-MW power sale to Minnesota Power over a 15-year period from 2020 to 2035 requires an additional interconnection between Manitoba and the United States which will provide increased export capability and reliability benefits for Manitoba, said Selinger.

The 100-MW power sale agreement to Wisconsin Public Service covers the 2021-2027 period. Negotiations are continuing to expand the Wisconsin sale to 500 MW which would require construction of the Conawapa Generating Station, the premier said, adding with these sales, Manitoba Hydro and its partners are reviewing scheduling and other requirements for moving forward with Keeyask.

Central Waters Brewing gains recognition for renewable energy and sustainability

2011-05-23T12:18:00.000-05:00

From an article by B. C. Kowalski in the Wausau Daily Herald:

AMHERST -- Green beer can be quite common during St. Patrick's Day -- but the owners of Central Waters Brewing Co. had a different kind of green in mind when they began 13 years ago.

Central Waters was recognized for those green practices Friday as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources named the company to its Green Tier program, which celebrates environmentally friendly businesses in Wisconsin. It is the first brewery in the state to be added to the program.

The DNR presented the business with a plaque and welcomed it to the program in front of about 50 people at the brewery in Amherst.

Entry into the program came after an application and a public comment period in which residents could say whether they thought the brewery should be added to the program.

Not a single person said it shouldn't be added, co-owner Anello Mollica said.

The facility runs on radiant floor heat, and water is heated by 1,000 square feet of solar panels.

"It's a steep upfront ticket, but the payoff is remarkable," said Paul Graham, Central Waters co-owner.

Small Wind Conference, Stevens Point, June 14-15

2011-05-18T16:58:00.001-05:00

7th annual Small Wind Conference with an industry-leading lineup of 46 speakers and 7 poster presentations at the , June 14-15 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Keynote address by Randy Udall, Community Office of Resource Efficiency.

Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00am - June 15 at 6:00pm

More info http://smallwindconference.com

We Energies moves forward on biomass plant

2011-05-17T10:09:00.001-05:00

From an article in the Stevens Point Journal:

ROTHSCHILD -- We Energies said Monday it will move forward with the engineering and equipment orders for a planned biomass plant in Rothschild, a company spokesman said.

The decision came several days after state regulators from the Public Service Commission gave final approval to the $255 million project with orders that Milwaukee-based utility We Energies and Domtar Corp. come up with another $10 million either from the utility's shareholders or the paper company.

More from Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

State regulators lend support to biomass project

2011-05-09T15:02:00.001-05:00

From an article in the Stevens Point Journal:

ROTHSCHILD -- State regulators indicated support of construction plans for a biomass plant in Rothschild on Friday, a major step in a lengthy and often contentious debate over a $255 million project backed by Milwaukee utility We Energies and Domtar Paper.

Two members of the state's Public Service Commission pushed for and received more concessions from the project's sponsors, concerned that the utility's ratepayers still are taking the biggest risk. We Energies and Domtar either can contribute $10 million more toward operating costs or increase the rate Domtar will pay for steam produced by the plant.

The PSC also will have the authority to review future changes to the rate Domtar pays We Energies for steam, which is used in its paper-making process.

The plant is part of We Energies' effort to meet the state's renewable energy requirements for utilities by 2015, buoyed by federal tax credits available to facilities that are operational by the end of 2013. We Energies has promised the project will create about 400 construction jobs and 150 jobs in Central Wisconsin for industries supporting the plant, and Domtar argues the change will allow them to compete in an increasingly testy paper industry.

Biomass critics say We Energies project still costs too much

2011-05-06T14:58:00.000-05:00

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A proposed We Energies power plant at the Domtar Corp. paper mill in Rothschild is still too expensive for the utility's customers and should be rejected, critics of the plant said Thursday.

Groups that have raised questions or opposed the plant made filings with the state Public Service Commission Thursday, a day before regulators are scheduled to discuss the power company's bid to build a $255 million power plant that would burn wood.

The filings came two days after We Energies and Domtar revised the financial terms of the deal to raise Domtar Corp.'s financial stake in the project.

State regulators last week raised concerns about the project's price tag, but gave the utility a chance to revise the financial terms of the deal this week.

The changes announced by Domtar and We Energies weren't sufficient to address the concerns raised by the PSC, said the Citizens' Utility Board, a consumer advocacy group.

"It is unacceptable for (We Energies) ratepayers to bear the brunt of the costs and all of the risks for an uneconomical and unnecessary project for which they receive little to no benefits," wrote Kira Loehr, CUB's lawyer, in the filing.

Biomass plan revised after regulators object to cost

2011-05-04T11:44:00.000-05:00

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Domtar Corp. agreed to boost its financial stake in a proposed biomass power plant, as We Energies and the paper company revised the terms of their deal Tuesday to satisfy regulators' concerns.

The three-member state Public Service Commission last week raised objections about the cost of the $255 million biomass power plant that We Energies is seeking to build at the Domtar paper mill in Rothschild, just south of Wausau. The plant would burn wood chips and other forms of biomass to produce electricity for the energy grid and steam for the adjacent paper mill.

The PSC, however, said the plant's price tag was too expensive and was structured in such a way that too much of the cost would be borne by customers of the Milwaukee-based utility. Commissioners directed Domtar and We Energies to revise their proposal.

The filing by the companies Tuesday will be reviewed by the plant's critics, including the Wisconsin Citizens' Utility Board. The groups raising concerns about the project have until Thursday to respond to the revised financing plan.

Domtar on Tuesday said it would boost its contribution by $22 million, to $47 million, a move that increases the price of the steam Domtar would buy for the paper mill and reduce the cost for We Energies customers.

Both companies stressed the economic development opportunity from the project, linked to construction and paper mill jobs.

Businesses urge legislators not to cut investment in energy efficiency

2011-05-02T16:44:00.002-05:00

A news release from Clean Wisconsin:

Letters signed by nearly 100 businesses delivered to Capitol

MADISON – Letters signed by nearly 100 businesses as well as faith, low-income and environmental advocates were delivered to members of the Joint Committee on Finance today, asking them not to eliminatethe funding approved last year for Focus on Energy, a statewide program that helps homeowners and businesses reduce energy use.

“Focus on Energy is a successful program that creates thousands of family-supporting jobs and cuts energy bills,” said Keith Reopelle, senior policy director at Clean Wisconsin. “Cutting this funding would increase
electricity bills as homeowners and businesses would lose the opportunity to reduce their energy bills by a combined $2 billion.”

Joint Finance Committee co-chair Robin Vos has stated his intention to eliminate the funding approved last year several times. That move is likely to happen as early as tomorrow through the committee’s consideration of the state budget, despite the fact that Focus on Energy funding is unrelated to the state budget.

“We urge you to protect the PSC’s investment increase for the program and allow our businesses to grow, add new jobs, and strengthen the local economy,” reads a letter addressed to members of the Joint Finance Committee. “With a proven track record of delivering cost-effective energy savings and driving local business, Focus on Energy should be allowed to grow.”

To date, Focus on Energy has created 24,000 jobs and saved homeowners $2.50 for every $1.00 invested in the program, according to an independent evaluation. When the PSC issued its approval for the increased funding in November of last year, it referenced an energy efficiency-potential study that showed 7,000 to 9,000 new jobs would be created with a similar increase of Focus on Energy funding.

“The Focus on Energy program contributes significant resources to help businesses and residents save energy, create jobs and stay competitive in the marketplace,” said Randy Johnson, president of US Lamp, Inc. “Reducing or eliminating Focus on Energy funding would take away our state’s competitive energy advantage and position us in the bottom, not the top, of states to consider for residence or locating a business. I would urge legislators to keep the Focus on Energy funding in place for the vitality of
Wisconsin.”

Newly appointed Public Service Commission Chairman Phil Montgomery issued a statement two weeks ago, on Earth Day (April 22), lauding the program and pointing out that it saved Wisconsin ratepayers $380 million on their energy bills in 2010 alone.

Poll finds strong support for wind energy in Wisconsin

2011-04-29T13:53:00.000-05:00

From an article in the Chicago Tribune:

MADISON, Wis.— A poll of Wisconsin residents finds strong support for increasing the use of wind energy, even if doing so would raise electricity bills several dollars per month.

The Wisconsin Public Radio poll was released Friday. It shows that 77 percent of respondents want to see the state invest more in wind energy. Reasons included decreasing the nation's reliance on foreign oil and helping the environment.

A majority, 69 percent, wouldn't mind eight to 10 wind-energy machines being placed closed to where they live, and 79 percent favor placing the machines offshore in Lake Michigan.

Click here for poll results.

PSC says proposed biomass plant too costly for consumers

2011-04-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

From an article by Brian E. Clark on WisBusiness.com:

Citing what they described as high costs, members of the three-person Public Service Commission said We Energies and the Domtar Corp. paper company will have to bear more costs for a proposed biomass plant in Rothschild that would produce both electricity and steam.

The $250 million plant will use waste wood and sawdust to produce 50 megawatts of electricity, as well as steam for Domtar’s papermaking operations.

Phil Montgomery, the new PSC chairman, said at Thursday's PSC meeting that the state currently has adequate power supply reserves, but that We Energies needs to build the plant to meet state mandates that 10 percent of its power be produced from renewable resources by 2015.

Montgomery, a former legislator who chaired the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities, said he continues to support the renewable standard.

“But I don’t think anyone in the Legislature thought we would be experiencing this economic downturn we’re in now,” he added, noting that he hopes We Energies and Domtar can reduce costs to electricity ratepayers.

Commissioner Eric Callisto said he has trouble with the overall economics of the plan and how it has been structured between We Energies and Domtar.

Callisto said he is concerned with everything from the financing and operating costs to the rates that consumers will have to pay for the power generated by the plant. . . .

Commissioner Lauren Azar said she believes biomass may become Wisconsin’s best energy resource, but she said the Rothschild plant construction cost is approaching $5,800 per kilowatt hour, which she called “unacceptably high” and almost on par with the price tag for building a nuclear power facility.

Wind turbine construction costs are about half that figure, she said. But recent actions by the Legislature and governor over wind farm-siting rules have caused at least two companies to abandon projects because of regulatory uncertainty, she said.

Poll finds strong support for wind energy in Wisconsin

2011-04-27T16:33:00.003-05:00

How Wind Helped a Lodgeowner in Maine

2011-04-21T16:55:00.002-05:00

Wind energy development and jobs grow in the Midwest, but not Wisconsin

2011-04-20T16:23:00.001-05:00

From an article by Dan Piller in the the Des Moises (Iowa) Register:

State grants West Branch wind facility $3 million

The Iowa Power Fund on Thursday awarded Acciona Wind Energy a $3 million grant to help finance a $19.9 million demonstration project near Mechanicsville that will show off Acciona's new three-megawatt wind energy system.

"One tower will be steel and the other concrete. We've had requests for both," said Joe Baker, president of Acciona's plant at West Branch.

The four-year-old West Branch operation makes the nacelles, or the box behind the blade that houses the gears and generation capacity.

Acciona has focused on building 1.5-megawatt wind systems, but the larger units are becoming more standard in the industry, Baker said.

MidAmerican Energy's wind farms in west-central Iowa have three-megawatt turbines.

"Within seven to 10 years most of the wind turbines will be three megawatts," he said. A megawatt of electricity can power 200 to 500 standard-sized homes.

Iowa has 3,675 megawatts of wind generation capacity, ranking second behind Texas in total capacity and first as a percentage of its total electricity generation capacity

Acciona is a century-old Spanish company with roots in construction and water treatment. The West Branch facility, opened in 2007, is its only U.S. wind equipment factory, but Acciona operates five wind farms in Illinois, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Nevada and California.

From an article by Laurenne Ramsdell on Fosters.com:

Goss in Durham (MA) delivers first turbine to Chicago-area

DURHAM — Goss International unveiled its newly developed wind turbine components to area officials and state representatives on Thursday morning.

Goss, primarily a printing press company, has worked throughout the past year with Aeronautica Windpower, a Massachusetts-based licensing company, to cross train employees in order to produce the massive turbines.

According to Greg Norris, marketing communications manager for Goss, the first wind turbine that Goss has manufactured will be ready for shipment to Illinois next week. Norris said the eco-friendly equipment will be delivered to Testa Produce, a Chicago-based wholesale produce distributor.

Norris stressed the turbines are midscale electromechanical pieces of equipment that will be used for warehouses, farms, schools and universities, factories, small housing developments and an array of commercial sites.

Those who attended the update session had the opportunity to tour the area of Goss where the 750 kilowatt and 225 kilowatt machines are being manufactured. Wearing safety goggles, the representatives stood in awe at the size and power of the turbines being created.

As of Thursday, the 750 kilowatt turbine going to Illinois was in pieces for shipping purposes. Once the pieces are assembled, the machine is comparable in size to a small school bus.

Wisconsin Focus on Energy Debuts New Homes Program

2011-04-15T16:18:00.000-05:00

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

New program addresses energy-efficiency and quality-control needs specific to Wisconsin homes

(April 13, 2011) – Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities’ statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, recently debuted the Focus on Energy New Homes Program. The program pairs Wisconsin builders with leading energy experts in order to construct new homes that are safer, more durable, and are 10 to 100 percent more efficient than typical homes built to the state’s Uniform Dwelling Code. Builders throughout Wisconsin can enroll in the program, and prospective homebuyers can work with participating builders to choose one of four levels of efficiency.

ENERGY STAR® Roots – An Evolution for Wisconsin Homes
Focus’ New Homes Program is a natural progression from the national ENERGY STAR Homes Program that Focus sponsored locally in the past. When the ENERGY STAR Homes Program overhauled its criteria in 2010, Focus collaborated with state builders to determine if the changes were appropriate for Wisconsin.

“When the new ENERGY STAR requirements were released, we realized that while they provided some great general building standards, not all criteria addressed the unique needs of Wisconsin homeowners,” said Sara Van de Grift, residential programs director for Focus on Energy.

“A home in Wisconsin isn’t going to need the same features as a home in California. This is why we created the Focus New Homes Program, to provide a customized, cost-effective option for Wisconsin residents looking to build safe, smart, energy-efficient homes.”

With builder support, Focus decided to forego ENERGY STAR requirements that weren’t applicable to Wisconsin homeowners, and instead develop standards that could yield superior energy savings at a more affordable price. For example, the following are just a few of the Focus on Energy New Homes Program requirements that homeowners will benefit from:

Air tightness. Air leaking into and out-of a home is major source of energy loss and can make a home feel drafty and uncomfortable. Homes certified by Focus’ New Homes Program must meet a stringent air tightness standard, dramatically reducing uncontrolled air leakage.

Whole house ventilation. Because the home is air tight, it is important to manage its indoor air quality. This is why whole house ventilation is required in a home certified by the Focus New Homes Program. The program has adopted the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standard 62.2, allowing a homeowner the ability to manage their home’s indoor air quality.

Space heating and water heating design standard. Because homes certified by Focus’ New Home Program have such strict requirements when it comes to air tightness and ventilation standards, as a safety precaution, the program does not allow atmospherically ventilated space heating or water heating appliances. Reason, in a home that is more air tight the ventilation fans can cause an atmospherically ventilated combustion appliance such as a natural gas water heater or furnace to back draft, drawing carbon monoxide and other combustion by-products into a home.

The nuclear option: Safety concerns are only one big reason wind and solar better

2011-04-13T15:37:00.002-05:00

From a commentary by Mark Z. Jacobson in the New York Daily News:

The powerful earthquake and tsunami that caused reactors at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant to shut down - releasing radiation and endangering workers and evacuees - have many Americans asking whether nuclear energy is worth the investment and risk.

I say not. In fact, it should not have taken a disaster of this kind to move us decisively away from nuclear and toward safe, clean, renewable energy. . . .

If the world's energy needs were converted to electricity for all purposes - and nuclear supplied such energy - 15,800 large nuclear reactors, one installed every day for the next 43 years, would be needed. The installation of even 5% of these would nearly double the current number of reactors, giving many more countries the potential to develop weapons. If only one weapon were used in a city, it could kill 1 to 16 million people.

***

Why do we need nuclear energy when we have safer, cleaner options that can provide greater power for a much longer period and at lower cost to society? These better options are called WWS, for "wind, water and sunlight." The chance of catastrophe caused by nature or terrorists acting on wind or solar, in particular, is zero.

During their lifetimes, WWS technologies emit no pollution - whereas nuclear does, since continuous energy is needed to mine, transport and refine uranium and reactors require much longer to permit and install than do WWS technologies. Overall, nuclear emits 9 to 25 times more air pollution and carbon dioxide than does wind per unit energy generated.

***

Some argue that nuclear is more reliable than WWS systems. This is not true. A nuclear reactor affects a larger fraction of the grid when it fails than does a wind turbine. The average maintenance downtime of modern wind turbines on land is 2%. That of France's 59 reactors is 21.5%, with about half due to scheduled maintenance.

Wind energy project grounded by lack of policy, market

2011-04-11T09:45:00.001-05:00

From an article by Nathaniel Shuda in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:

More than two years after officials announced plans to build a wind-turbine blade manufacturing plant, the future of the Wisconsin Rapids-based company's project remains unclear.

Energy Composites Corp.'s plan to bring more than 600 jobs to the south Wood County area is on hold indefinitely while the city continues to negotiate a deal to buy back the land it sold to the company for the project, city and company officials said.

"We have nothing in final form," Mayor Mary Jo Carson said Friday. "We'll probably push it through sometime next week."

Company founder and President Jamie Mancl said a sharp decline in the wind-industry market and a lack of federal energy policy were the main reasons he was unable to secure investors for the 535,000-square-foot plant.

"We still are pursuing options, of course, but given the economic and political environment, especially here in the state of Wisconsin but (also) across the U.S., it has been very challenging at best," Mancl said Friday.

Scientists propose drilling for geothermal energy in Marathon County

2011-04-08T13:29:00.000-05:00

From an article by Chad Dally in the Wausau Daily Herald:

Wisconsin scientists hope to drill a well in Marathon County to determine the potential of using the earth's own heat to power homes and produce renewable energy.

The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey in October asked for permission to drill a geothermal well in one of three spots in the county: Mission Lake County Park, the Ringle Forest Unit and Leather Camp Forest Unit.

Those spots were chosen because the geology shows extensive granite deposits, which tends to hold more heat than other forms of rock such as sandstone or dolomite, said David Hart, the Geological and Natural History Survey's project manager.

The county's Forestry and Recreation Committee this week approved the request and opted for the Leather Camp site south of Kronenwetter because drilling there would have the least effect on recreation opportunities. The Environmental Resources Committee also will consider the request April 19.

If approved, the research well would be 6 inches in diameter and between 800 and 1,000 feet deep in Leather Camp forest, Hart said. There is limited information about Wisconsin's geothermal resources, and the Marathon County well is one of six planned to assess potential.

Researchers would measure how the temperature increases with depth.

"I view our study as basic measurements necessary to decide whether or not we should pursue enhanced geothermal energy in Wisconsin," Hart said. "The study will also benefit the heat pump or groundsource geothermal systems that many homeowners are installing."

Shortsighted energy plans just won't cut it; renewables needed

2011-04-07T16:20:00.001-05:00

From an editorial in the Sheboygan Press:

President Barack Obama has twice in the last year called for the nation to reduce its dependence of foreign oil by embarking on a multi-faceted plan on energy.

Obama's first call for energy independence was followed less than a month later by the Deep Water Horizon oil rig disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

We hope that the president's latest energy initiative is followed not by a disaster, but by a commitment from Congress to develop a national energy policy. A commitment from the American people to be receptive of alternative energy sources would be nice, too. . . .

Until recently, we thought Wisconsin was poised to become a leader in helping the nation reach that goal.

Wind power was one area where Wisconsin was setting the pace.

The state had sensible rules on where wind turbines could be located in relation to residential properties and the state was on its way toward making progress on using this renewable energy resource. But those rules are on hold and are likely to be changed to the point where it will be impractical for companies interested in locating wind farms to do business in Wisconsin.

This is not only shortsighted in development of renewable energy sources, it is also a job-killer because the companies that now make wind turbines in Wisconsin are already talking about relocating to states where wind power is welcomed.

The easy thing to do is to keep relying on oil and coal to power our cars and heat our homes. The wise thing is to develop a long-range plan that relies on renewable energy.

Open letter from former supporter rips anti-wind group

2011-04-05T16:00:00.001-05:00

A Fox Valley person provided a copy of the following letter to RENEW Wisconsin:

People of Glenmore Township:
PLEASE VOTE RESPONSIBLY!

Dear Fellow Townspeople,

Two months ago, I was a supporter of the BCCRWE [Brown County Citizens for Responsible Wind Energy]. I was actively opposing the wind turbines coming into any of the townships in our area, including Glenmore.

But then something happened.

As the March 7th meeting drew closer, I heard disturbing things from members of the BCCRWE. Things that scared me. Even before the meeting took place, there were threats being made towards our town board members if the vote did not go in the favor of the BCCRWE. There were “agendas” being planned, and conspiracies being formed, not only against the project, but against individual people.

On March 7th, I sat quietly through the meeting listening to barbaric accusations, foul language, curses and threats hurled at our town board. Members of the BCCRWE shouted inappropriate and belittling comments and became unruly and disruptive to the point that law enforcement needed to be called. Later, I read accounts of that same meeting, written by the BCCRWE, that were horribly distorted and inaccurate. Actually, they were straight out lies!

On March 16th, I sat through another meeting and watched the same unruly group, once again, disrespect our town leaders. As the members of the BCCRWE were chanting “Shame on you” to the town board, I was the one that was ashamed to have ever been a part of that group.

On April 5th, you have an opportunity to elect new town board members. Many of the candidates are the same people who threatened and disrespected our current board members for following the law. One candidate admitted, her only goal was to terminate wind turbines in the town and then she wants out. Is that the chairperson you want running the entire township? Even for one term?

The recent events of oil spills in the gulf and nuclear plant failures in Japan should make all of us take a second look at wind energy. I realized after the two meetings in March, that the only reason I didn’t want turbines, was because I couldn’t have on of my own. So, I’m a NIMBY.

It’s important, that we have “responsible” leaders in our township. The mob I witnessed at the last two meetings, did not fit that definition. It would be a disaster to have those people who demonstrated irrational, biased and disorderly behavior, become our new leaders. I was embarrassed to have ever been a part of that group.

Since I have seen how threatening and dangerous this group can be, I prefer to sign only as,

A Concerned Townsperson

Get Free Admission to the Energy Fair

2011-04-04T15:51:00.001-05:00

Last year, over 300 individuals volunteered at the nation's largest Energy Fair. From working the front gates to working in the MREA Café, the success of the Energy Fair depends greatly on our volunteers.

Sign up to volunteer 2 hours during The Fair and you’ll get free admission to that day of the Fair.

Sign up to volunteer for 12 hours or more during the week of The Fair and get free weekend admission and a Hardcore Volunteer t-shirt!

This year the MREA is partnering with the United Way Volunteer Center of Portage County to register volunteers for the 22nd Annual Energy Fair. Click here and register to volunteer for any of the 30 projects available from June 13-June 20.

PSC ruling is last hurdle Rothschild biomass plant must face

2011-04-01T11:18:00.001-05:00

From an article by Kathleen Footy in the Wausau Daily Herald:

ROTHSCHILD -- The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' approval Monday of a proposed biomass energy plant leaves just one obstacle in the way of the $250 million project.

The state's Public Service Commission, including new Chairman Phil Montgomery, is a three-member panel charged with regulating the state's utilities and vetting new construction projects. The PSC will rule on whether the power plant -- a joint project of Milwaukee utility We Energies and Domtar Paper -- would serve customers and residents well.

PSC regulators can schedule a meeting on the proposal at any time. The commissioners typically discuss cases at an open meeting in Madison, then finalize an order to be voted on at their next meeting.

Opponents of the Rothschild project, who feel out of options since comments to the PSC are closed, plan to push for the DNR to create a safeguard against emissions from the plant.

Rob Hughes, a member of the citizens group Saving Our Air Resources, or SOAR, said he was disappointed by the DNR's decision. Hughes said the DNR should move its air-quality monitoring station in Marathon County from Lake DuBay to Rothschild to guarantee residents' safety.

"It shouldn't be a big deal since they say the air will be safe," Hughes said. "That would reassure the community that 'Yes, the air is safe.' I think that's the best we can hope for."

Wind turbine blade plant on hold

2011-03-31T09:24:00.000-05:00

From an article by Nathaniel Shuda in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:

Wisconsin Rapids is ready to buy back land it sold to a local company that two years ago announced plans to build a wind-turbine blade manufacturing plant on the property.

Energy Composites Corp. faces a Friday deadline to either reach an agreement with Wisconsin Rapids or sell the nearly 94 acres of land back to the city at the original purchasing price, Mayor Mary Jo Carson said.

Carson said the sale doesn't necessarily mean the project is dead, but it won't happen right now.

"Obviously, ECC doesn't want to hold us up in reference to that land, which we thank them for," she said. "We appreciate their interest in their hometown."

Carson said City Attorney Sue Schill has been working with the company's attorney to reach a buy-back agreement.

On March 31, 2009, the company announced plans to build a 350,000-square-foot plant in the Rapids East Commerce Center that would create at least 400 local jobs. Since then, those plans expanded to 535,000 square feet and more than 600 positions.

To facilitate the project, the city later sold the Wisconsin Rapids-based company 93.7 acres of land in the Rapids East Commerce Center for $500 an acre -- a 90 percent discount from the typical asking price -- plus a $1,000 option fee, for a total price of $47,850.

Under the pending agreement, the city would buy back the land at the same price for which it sold it, Carson said.

Jobs and $1.2 million annually lost due to state's hostile regulatory climate sinks wind project

2011-03-29T12:23:00.003-05:00

More information
Michael Vickerman
Executive Director
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Less than a month after a 10-member legislative committee prevented a statewide wind permitting rule from taking effect, Invenergy, LLC, a Chicago-based wind developer that owns and operates the 86-turbine Forward Energy Center installation south of Fond du Lac, has ended efforts to install 100 turbines in southern Brown County.

In a March 21 letter to the Public Service Commission (PSC), Invenergy singled out the recent suspension of the agency’s wind siting rule as a significant factor in its decision to cancel the Ledge Wind Energy Center. “The absence of regulatory stability has made it imprudent for Invenergy to proceed with investments in a project which unknown regulations might make infeasible to construct,” the letter states. Invenergy’s application to build the 150-megawatt Ledge Wind project was filed in October 2009.

“The regulatory environment for permitting wind energy systems in Wisconsin is deteriorating rapidly,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin. “The rollback started with Governor Walker’s proposal to impose onerous and unworkable setback requirements on wind turbines, and continues with the Legislature’s assault on the PSC’s wind siting rule.”

“By all appearances, it seems that Governor Walker and the Legislature intend to close the door on wind development in Wisconsin once We Energies completes its Glacier Hills project later this year,” Vickerman said.

The PSC rule, which was scheduled to take effect March 1st, would have fulfilled the Legislature’s intent to create uniform siting regulations to replace what had become a restrictive and hodgepodge of local requirements. On that very day, the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules suspended the rule on a 5-2 vote that tracked along party line votes (Republicans in favor; Democrats against).

Had the 150 MW Ledge Wind Energy Center gone forward, it would have generated $600,000 annually in municipal revenues to Brown County and four host townships, and more than $600,000 annually to host landowners and their neighbors. On average, installing one turbine requires 1,325 hours of craft labor, and a 100-turbine wind project will support a payroll of over $10 million, according to figures provided by Boldt Construction.

“Invenergy’s cancellation of its Ledge Wind project should not come as a surprise,” Vickerman said. “It should be expected with a political leadership that treats windpower as a pariah energy source. Until the day the Governor and the Legislature put aside their ideological blinders and recognize the benefits that come with developing a clean, locally available and inexhaustible energy source, Wisconsin will remain a very unappetizing place to pursue utility- scale wind projects.”

“Wisconsin can ill-afford to export windpower-related jobs and local payments to other states,” Vickerman said.

-- END --

Focus offers competitive grants to businesses for large renewable energy projects

2011-03-16T16:36:00.001-05:00

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

Completed proposals due April 30, 2011

MADISON, Wis. (March 11, 2011) – Today, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities’ statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, announced that businesses can compete for incentives for large renewable energy systems. The Large Renewable Energy System Competitive Incentives allow Wisconsin businesses and organizations to apply for funds to help implement large renewable energy systems.

Businesses can receive an incentive of up to 30 percent of the project costs to complete a renewable energy project that is well-researched, documented, and justified. Eligible, large-scale renewable energy systems may include: solar electric, solar hot-water, wind electric, biomass energy, and anaerobic digestion (biogas).

“Renewable energy technology offers businesses deeper energy cost savings after energy efficiency measures are implemented.” said Ken Williams, Focus on Energy’s business programs director. “Focus’ large renewable energy competitive incentives help businesses defray some of the upfront investment cost of a renewable energy system, resulting in a quicker payback."

Any type of business, school, government entity, agribusiness, and apartments/condo facilities can apply for a Focus competitive incentive. The application and details are available online at focusonenergy.com/competitive_incentives. Applications are due by April 30, 2011.

Focus offers competitive grants to businesses for large renewable energy projects

2011-03-15T16:08:00.001-05:00

Suspension of wind siting rule endangers state’s economic future

2011-03-01T14:25:00.001-06:00

For immediate release:
March 1, 2011

More information
Michael Vickerman
Executive Director
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

(Madison) - The wind industry in Wisconsin suffered a serious setback when a joint legislative panel voted to suspend the wind siting rule promulgated by the Public Service Commission (PSC) in December, according to RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy group.

The five-to-two vote tracked along party lines, with all five votes to suspend coming from Republican members of the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR).

Many companies involved in windpower supported the PSC’s rule as a workable compromise that would have created a stable and predictable permitting environment for all wind energy systems regulated by local governments. The rule, which was scheduled to take effect today, would have fulfilled the Legislature’s intent to create uniform siting regulations to replace what had become a restrictive hodgepodge of local requirements.

“The committee gave the state of Wisconsin a black eye that, in the view of the wind industry, will linger well into the future,” Vickerman said.

“The suspension rolls the wind permitting environment back to the dark days when wind project developers routinely faced arbitrary and ever-shifting local regulations – the kind of chaos that will hasten their departure from Wisconsin to more business-friendly states.”

“As of today, Wisconsin utilities have placed more megawatts of wind capacity in neighboring states than in Wisconsin. As indicated in the following table, importing wind generation from other states deprives Wisconsin of a valuable source of employment, income for rural residents, and property tax relief,” said Vickerman.

The figures compiled by RENEW show that the 219 utility-owned wind turbines that will be operational by January 1, 2012, will yield nearly $2.7 million per year in potential property tax relief for towns and counties hosting wind projects. All told, these projects will be responsible for nearly 300,000 construction-related job-hours.

“We have a hard time foreseeing in-state utility-scale wind development going forward without statewide siting standards.”
“It’s a shame to see the end of bipartisanship that led to the passage of the rule requirement in 2009. What we are seeing here is a breakdown of governance that will rob the state of one of its brightest economic hopes for the future,” Vickerman said.

Click on table to enlarge.

RENEW Wisconsin is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that acts as a catalyst to advance a sustainable energy future through public policy and private sector initiatives. More information on RENEW’s Web site at www.renewwisconsin.org.

Final Rothschild biomass power-plant meeting set

2011-02-28T09:28:00.000-06:00

From an article in the Stevens Point Journal:

ROTHSCHILD -- Wausau-area residents will have their final opportunity Tuesday to weigh in on a controversial biomass power plant proposed in Rothschild.

The project, a joint partnership of Milwaukee-based utility We Energies and Domtar Paper, has generated strong opinions from supporters and opponents alike since it was announced in September 2009. Public hearings on the project held by local entities and state regulators have drawn crowds in the hundreds, and on Tuesday, those hearings will draw to a close.

Both the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Public Service Commission must approve permits for the project before construction can begin.

The utility initially pushed for confirmation of the project by both agencies before the end of 2010. We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said construction still can be completed before 2013, making the plant eligible for a federal tax credit.

The members of the PSC could rule on the project at any time. DNR regulators gave preliminary approval for an air permit earlier this month, a key step for We Energies.

The approval process has been incremental, first at the local level with height variances from the village of Rothschild and the city of Wausau. The PSC also gave preliminary approval for the project and rejected requests for a comprehensive study of its potential environmental effects by opponents and environmental groups.

The plant, located next to the Domtar Mill on Old Highway 51 in Rothschild, would burn woody biomass from tree tops and other collected wood, supplying Domtar with steam for its paper-making process and We Energies with energy to sell.

Committee sets March 1 to vote on suspension of wind siting rule

2011-02-23T14:53:00.001-06:00

From the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):

The Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) has now scheduled a special meeting on March 1st to consider suspending the PSC128 Wind Siting rule that our industry worked on in 2009-2010 that are scheduled to take effect on March 1st. If the JCRAR suspends the PSC128 rule, before it otherwise would take effect that same day, we will be back where we started two years ago on wind siting reform in Wisconsin.

Job openings likely in sustainable industries for executives, trades, scientists, engineers, planners

2011-02-21T15:10:00.001-06:00

From an article by Cara Spoto in the Stevens Point Journal:

Two years ago, Stevens Point resident Rob Peck decided to make a career change.

"My kids were grown ... and I thought I would really like to do something different," Peck, 50, said. "I wanted to get into something that would be good for the community and society in general."

So, after years of working in manufacturing and real estate sales, Peck applied to Mid-State Technical College to become a renewable energy specialist and energy-efficiency technician.

Now a design consultant at Northwind Renewable Energy in Stevens Point, which specializes in designing and installing renewable energy systems, Peck helps customers engineer the perfect solar energy system for their home or business.

Hired about a year ago, Peck was one of two MSTC students who interned with Northwind last summer. Josh Stolzenberg, one of Northwind's owners, said the business plans to take on three new interns this summer. If things work out with the interns, Stolzenberg and his partner, Craig Buttke, plan to hire two of them.

Peck is one of many Wisconsinites looking toward sustainable technologies to shape his next career move. According to Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development Chief Labor Economist Dennis Winters, sustainable industries and technologies have and will continue to play a key role in current and emerging job markets in Wisconsin.

The DWD projects that by the year 2018 "professional, scientific, and technical services" industry will be among the top 10 employers in the state.

"'Green,' as it were, actually permeates all industries and occupations," Winters said.

Rothchild biomass power plant gets draft air permits

2011-02-16T13:39:00.000-06:00

From an article by Lisa Gibson in Biomass magazine:

We Energies has received draft air permits for both the construction and operation of its 50-megawatt cogeneration plant to be co-located at a Domtar Paper mill in Rothschild, Wis.

Following the issuance of the draft permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is a 30-day public comment period and hearing, according Brian Manthey, We Energies media relations representative. The public hearing is scheduled for March 1, after which time, the WDNR will make the final decision on the permits. “It should be noted that all of our local permits and variances have passed governmental bodies unanimously,” Manthey said. “We have been pleased by the strong support in the community and we would expect that to continue at the hearing.”

Vickerman to speak at "Small Wind in Your Community"

2011-02-15T16:20:00.001-06:00

RENEW Executive Director Michael Vickerman will speak at Small Wind in Your Community a workshop for elected officials/decision-makers (plan commissioners, board/council members, etc.) as well as the planning/zoning community in Oshkosh, March 25.

If you are an elected official/decision-maker (plan commissioner, board/council member, etc.) or opart of the planning/zoning community, get more information by droppping an email to vjohnson@eastcentralrpc.org.

Dorms at UWSP hope to go green with envy

2011-02-14T16:14:00.001-06:00

From an article by by Nick Paulson in the Wausau Daily Herald:

STEVENS POINT -- The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point is using competitions as a way to engage students in plans to reduce energy use across the campus.

Students in residence halls currently are competing in two contests -- one in energy and one in recycling -- that, in addition to offering prizes, organizers hope will teach students sustainable practices that will stick long after graduation.

UWSP has been exposing students to green living for years through more passive measures such as a "greenest dorm room." But by appealing to students' competitive natures and bringing whole residence halls together, contest organizers hope to engage students who otherwise wouldn't care.

"Wherever there is that added support, you see an increase in participation," said Cindy Von Gnechten, facilities designer for UWSP Residential Living. "Obviously, we want to educate them, but the biggest thing is to carry that with you as you go beyond the residence halls."

One competition, created internally, will pit residence halls against one another to see which one can cut its February energy usage the most, compared with a baseline from November. The hall with the biggest reduction will win three grand prizes.

Students also can be caught doing something green to be entered into a weekly raffle for environmentally friendly prizes.

UWSP residence halls also are participating in a national recycling contest, RecycleMania, in which universities across North America compete to decrease trash and increase recycling.

Fond du Lac County, host of 168 wind turbines, supports PSC siting rules

2011-02-11T16:38:00.001-06:00

Testimony of Sam Tobias
Director of Planning and Parks
Fond du Lac County

Before the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules
February 9, 2011

(starts at 3:45:30 pm on Wisconsin Eye)

Thank you for the opportunity to speak before you today -- chairs and committee members as well.

I’ve been with Fond du Lac County for 25 years in a couple of different roles but at this point I’m with the county planning and parks director. You have to know just a bit about Fond du Lac County to understand where I’m coming from and what’s been happening in Fond du Lac. In our county we do not have county zoning, every town in our county, all 21, each has their own individual zoning ordinance. They administer their zoning ordinances. At times, with wind siting issues especially, they depend heavily on their attorney, and they all pretty much use the same attorney. They’ve come up with pretty much the model that’s being used in the PSC rule. And it’s worked very well, and that’s my point here today is we’ve been a test-bed so to speak in Fond du Lac.

The program has worked in Fond du Lac County. Why do I say that? The six town boards in Fond du Lac County that are the six towns that are host to wind turbine projects are all still in place. If this were truly a monumental issue, and truly had widespread health effects, and hazards, nature hazards, those types of things, I don’t think those six town boards would be in place today, but they are.

We’re home to three major utility scale wind turbine projects -- 168 turbines, 268 MW of electricity capacity. Again, the towns, the 8,000 to almost 9,000 town residents, that are involved in these facilities. We don’t have 8,000 to 9,000 people here today protesting against the rules. There are people with concerns, but it’s not the majority by any stretch of the imagination.

Town government took the lead, as I said previously. In permitting, in regulating wind farms in Fond du Lac County and I think they’ve done a very great job. Again, our setbacks are very similar in our towns as to what’s in our state rule. Utility-scale wind farm in Wisconsin mean a lot to local businesses -- from the sandwich supply lunch truck, that comes out to construction sites, to Michels Corporation in Brownsville that’s got 200 people that have been involved in developing wind projects in our county and elsewhere around the state. By their estimations, there are probably four projects out there that are being discussed and are in the works, 100 MW or more each, so there’s projects queued up that need some predictability in outcome, and that’s what this rule does.

I’ll go back to creating a level playing field. This is the same kind of thing that the Wisconsin Realtors Association asked for in ’99 and 2000 – the Wisconsin Smart Growth law. I’m a planner so I supported them in those efforts and that was a big thing that they really wanted. They wanted a level playing field. And I think in this situation, the same rule applies, the same situation applies. Let’s provide a level playing field. We’re not going to have turbines in every corner of the state of Wisconsin. These companies are going to go where the resource is. The resource is fairly limited in our area. . . .

(Q) Thank you for your testimony. You said that the standards that were in place when the wind turbines were put up in Fond du Lac were similar to what were in the PSC. So like a 1,250 foot setback? We’re dealing with something like that?

A) Yes, yes. Setbacks for municipal and civil structures are three times the maximum height of a wind turbine. Setbacks from participating residences can be 600 feet or 1.1 times the turbine height is allowable with written permission from the land owner. The setback from nonparticipating residences is three times the maximum height of the turbine. Setbacks from property lines are 1.1 times the height of the turbine. And setbacks from communications and utility lines is 1.1 times, so it’s similar. If there are some additional consideration to be given, look at what towns in Fond du Lac County have done.

Q) (Senator Leibham) I just want to clarify, are you here on behalf of the County or yourself as an individual?

A) I’m here on behalf of Fond du Lac County. This is an issue we’ve talked over, I’ve talked over with the boss, the county executive Allen Buechel and I’m here with his permission. So I’m speaking on behalf of myself and behalf of Fond du Lac County.

Committee takes no steps to ban wind turbines

2011-02-10T16:06:00.001-06:00

RENEW Wisconsin submitted the following statement at the public hearing of the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules on wind siting rules (PSC 128).

Governor Walker and legislative leaders reportedly will seek a change in the rule when the governor appoints a new chair of the three-person Public Service Commission when Commissioner Mark Meyer's term expires March 1. With no legislative action, PSC 128 will become effective on March 1, 2011, and will remain in effect until changed by the PSC.

Good morning, my name is Michael Vickerman. I am here to represent RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit advocacy and education organization based in Madison. Incorporated in 1991, RENEW acts as a catalyst to advance a sustainable energy future through public policy and private sector initiatives. We have over 300 total members, and more than 60 businesses around the state, including Biogas Direct (Prairie du Sac), Bleu Mont Dairy (Mount Horeb), Bubbling Springs Solar (Menomonie), Crave Brothers Farm (Waterloo), Convergence Energy (Lake Geneva), Emerging Energies (Hubertus), Energy Concepts (Hudson), Full Circle Farm (Seymour), Full Spectrum Solar (Madison), GDH, Inc. (Chilton), H&H Solar (Madison), Kettle View Renewable Energy (Random Lake), Michels Wind Energy (Brownsville), North American Hydro (Neshkoro), Northwind Renewable Energy LLC (Stevens Point), Pieper Power (Milwaukee), Organic Valley (LaFarge), Quantum Dairy (Weyauwega), Renewegy (Oshkosh), and Seventh Generation Energy Systems (Madison).

On behalf of all our members that have an interest in wind generation, RENEW Wisconsin took the lead in bringing together diverse groups and companies and forging a broad and bipartisan coalition to support legislation establishing statewide permitting standards for all wind generators in the state of Wisconsin. The fruit of that labor, 2009 Act 40, was signed into law in September 2009.

I am here today to encourage this Committee to take no action on the PSC 128 rule that is scheduled to take effect on March 1st. The Commission's rule is a good-faith compromise that balances the state's interest in promoting a preferred energy resource with the interests of neighboring landowners.

The PSC rule will provide wind energy developers with regulatory certainty -- a clearly defined set of requirements which they must comply with in order to obtain a permit. Such stability and clarity in the wind permitting arena has been absent from Wisconsin for the last 13 years, which, more than any other reason, explains why Wisconsin utilities own more wind generating capacity in Iowa and Minnesota (329 MW) than they do in Wisconsin (235 MW).

I would like this committee to consider the following points:

* The statewide rule promulgated by the PSC is the culmination of two uninterrupted years of agency involvement in wind siting proceedings. The record built on the major issues is nothing short of encyclopedic.

* A longer setback distance is not necessary given PSC 128’s strict regulation of sound propagation and shadow flicker duration. Both the maximum allowable nighttime sound threshold (45 dBa) and the maximum allowable duration of shadow flicker (25 hours a year) are very strict thresholds in comparison to what other states have adopted.

* Payments from wind generation facilities support rural economies. The counties and towns hosting Wisconsin’s four largest operating windpower installations receive more than $1.5 million in payments in lieu of taxes each year. Landowners hosting the 251 turbines in these projects receive more than $1.2 million per year combined. Not counting payments for transmission-related infrastructure, these four wind projects pump nearly $3 million annually to local governments, host landowners and neighboring residents. (See the January 12th, 2011, article in the Fond du Lac Reporter)

* There is no credible evidence that existing wind development in Wisconsin has depressed property values statewide. In 2008 and 2009, Poletti and Associates, an Illinois real estate appraisal firm, investigated the impact of the Lincoln and Rosiere wind projects on nearby land sales and home construction activity. Analyzing seven years’ of sales data, the Poletti study concluded that the 31 turbines in Kewaunee County have not an effect on area property values. Moreover, since 1999, when the turbines were placed in service, more than 10 houses have been constructed within one-half mile of a turbine there.

There is one sure way that Wisconsin leaders can demonstrate their commitment to nurturing wind energy-related businesses and the jobs that will emerge from their activities, and that is to allow the PSC 128 rule to take effect as scheduled on March 1st. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Scientists see no basis for turbine 'infrasound' health problems

2011-02-08T16:25:00.001-06:00

From an article by Jim Dulzo on the Web site of Michigan Land Use Institute:

. . . when they could not find an independent organization willing to underwrite such a study, they paid for it themselves. AWEA [American Wind Energy Association] and CanWEA [Canada Wind Energy Associaiton] assembled eight scientists and doctors to survey the available scientific literature on the known health effects of living near wind turbines.

Collectively, the eight have strong research or clinical experience in public health, otolaryngology, noise-induced hearing loss, balance and hearing disorders, clinical medicine, audiology, infrasound acoustics, industrial sound pathology, wind and turbine physics, and turbine sound measurement and siting.

Their review of 140 different studies and papers issued in 2009, largely from Europe, where wind farms are common and located quite close to residential areas, is called Wind Turbine Sound and Health Effects; An Expert Panel Review.

The panel points out that the environment and our bodies are awash in infrasound, much of it naturally occurring. It finds Dr. Pierpont’s list of maladies too poorly characterized to be medically useful. It finds a markedly stronger correlation between subjects’ claimed turbine syndrome symptoms and their initial attitudes toward turbines than between their symptoms and their level of exposure to turbine sounds.

Windpower opponents quickly attacked the industry funded findings as biased, something that Mike Klepinger, who formerly worked at Michigan State University Extension Service, where he wrote the agency’s wind turbine siting guidelines, says is not surprising.

“Of course, whenever you invite industry into a panel, the whole panel becomes suspect,” Mr. Klepinger said in an interview with Great Lakes Bulletin News Service. “They say, ‘It couldn’t possibly be operating scientifically.’ But you look at the who’s who on the [panel] list, and you kind of have to give the industry an A-plus for trying to make the panel objective.”

Their three major conclusions:

“There is no evidence that the audible or sub-audible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effects.
“The ground-borne vibrations from wind turbines are too weak to be detected by, or to affect, humans.
“The sounds emitted by wind turbines are not unique. There is no reason to believe, based on the levels and frequencies of the sounds and the panel’s experience with sound exposures in occupational settings, that sounds from wind turbines could plausibly have direct adverse health consequences.”

Renewable energy courses announced for 2011

2011-02-07T15:53:00.003-06:00

Custer, WI - The Midwest Renewable Energy Association, an ISPQ Accredited renewable energy education provider, has just released their 2011 workshop schedule.

Solar electric, solar water heating and wind electric are now forms of energy that can be installed at a residence to supply a portion or all the energy needs of a home and still be connected to the utility grid in the traditional manner.

MREA courses walk consumers and installers though basics to the installation.

To get find more information on how you can participate in this energy form, check out the MREA’s web site for a course near you or call 715-592-6595.

Gov. Walker's office to keep pushing new wind turbine rules

2011-02-04T16:47:00.002-06:00

From a story on WTAQ, Madison:

MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Governor Scott Walker’s office says it will keep trying to limit the locating of new wind energy farms in Wisconsin – even though his own Republicans in the Legislature are not going along with it for now.

Spokesman Cullen Werwie says Walker will try to get the state Public Service Commission to adopt his proposal. That’s after Republican legislative leaders said they wanted more time to review the impact.

Walker wants wind turbines to be at least 1,800 feet away from neighboring homes, instead of the current 1,250 feet. The Wisconsin Realtors Association pushed for the change.

Walker said it would help property owners who say the turbines cause too much noise and flickering light. But the wind energy industry says it would be the most restrictive setback in the nation – and they’re calling it a de-facto ban on new wind energy projects.

The group Renew Wisconsin says it could put up to $1.8 billion worth of future wind projects in jeopardy. And Denise Bode of the American Wind Energy Association said it would make a mockery of Walker’s claim that Wisconsin is “open for business.”

Conservation Voters respond to Walker's State of the State speech

2011-02-03T14:02:00.001-06:00

Madison – Kerry Schumann, Executive Director of Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters issued the following statement in response to Governor Walker’s State of the State address:

We couldn’t agree more with Governor Walker’s goal of leaving an even better Wisconsin to our children and grandchildren. As the nation as a whole has discovered, the key to accomplishing that goal lies in fully participating in the clean energy economy. Governor Walker’s failure to mention this opportunity paired with his actions in recent weeks speaks volumes.

In his short time as Governor, Governor Walker has introduced legislation to eliminate Wisconsin’s $400 million wind industry, rejected $800 million in mass transit funding (sending jobs to Illinois in the process), and prevented a coal power plant from transitioning to a plant run on homegrown, Wisconsin biofuels.

This week, understandably, we are taking a lot of advice from Vince Lombardi. Wisconsin would do well to remember this one, “We would accomplish many more things if we did not think of them as impossible.”

It’s time Wisconsin quit treating the clean energy economy as an impossibility. Instead, we must commit - with a “singleness of focus” - to creating the kinds of jobs that will sustain ours and future generations.

###

Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to electing conservation leaders to the state legislature and encouraging lawmakers to champion conservation policies that effectively protect Wisconsin’s public health and natural resources. More information can be found at http://conservationvoters.org.

Wind farm going up as scheduled

2011-02-01T15:49:00.001-06:00

From an article by Lyn Jerde in the Portage Daily Register:

What could be Wisconsin's largest wind energy project is going up as scheduled, despite a proposal from Gov. Scott Walker that could make future wind farms more challenging to build in the state.

The governor's proposal calls for a minimum setback of 1,800 feet between neighboring property and the turbine towers in a "large wind energy system" (300 kilowatts or more).

Glacier Hills is a We Energies project whose 90 turbines, on approximately 17,350 acres in the towns of Randolph and Scott, could generate up to 207 megawatts. Construction - including roads leading to the tower sites and a headquarters on Columbia County Highway H in the town of Scott - started in May, and continues this winter with the installation of underground connections that will eventually link each of the turbines to the power grid. The 400-foot towers are scheduled to be built starting this spring.

Andrew Hesselbach, We Energies wind farm project manager, said any new setback rules would not affect the construction of Glacier Hills, which received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin in January 2010.

And, he noted, "Glacier Hills is already half-completed."

Walker's proposal, as outlined in Assembly Bill 9, calls for "the setback distance of at least 1,800 feet," unless the owners properties adjoining the site where a tower is planned, or property owners separated from the site's land by a road, agree in writing to a setback of less than 1,800 feet.

Hesselbach was one of 15 members of a wind siting council that the PSC last March to advise the commission on statewide setback rules for wind turbine towers - rules that were scheduled to go into effect March 1.

Those rules set 1,250 feet as a minimum setback - the same setback specified in the PSC's "certificate of public convenience and necessity" that gave the go-ahead for construction of Glacier Hills.

"Pants on Fire!" says Truth-o-Meter to health problems from turbine shadow flicker

2011-01-31T16:18:00.001-06:00

From an article on Political Fact Check:

To some, spinning wind turbines are a majestic source of pollution-free energy. But when they're proposed for residential areas, opponents often portray them as a menace to healthy, safety, aesthetics and property values.

The rhetoric can get pretty extreme.

When one was proposed in Barrington in 2008, opponents claimed that unnamed "independent medical experts" had found that turbines can cause everything from headaches to heart problems, and that sunlight flashing through the blades can produce a stroboscopic effect that may lead to nausea, dizziness, disorientation and seizures.

So when a massive 427-foot turbine was proposed for Stamp Farm on Route 2 in North Kingstown, it wasn't surprising that the opposition would echo those claims. One opponent was state Rep. Laurence Ehrhardt of North Kingstown. He co-authored an opinion column published in The Providence Journal with former North Kingstown Town Council President Edward Cooney.

For one of their bullet points, they played the epilepsy card: "The health risk of 'flicker' impact created by shadows of blades of turbines poses real and significant health risks, particularly seizures. . . ."

We contacted two epilepsy experts who said the concern was ridiculous because it was so unlikely.

David Mandelbaum, a neurologist and pediatrician at Brown University's Alpert Medical School, said even if an epileptic is sensitive to light, the flicker has to be at just the right frequency, and that frequency can vary widely from person to person.

Dr. Gregory Kent Bergey, director of the epilepsy center at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said in an email: "The fact is, the great majority of people with seizures [probably greater than 95 percent] do not have this photosensitivity." Some patients may experience a brief spasm if they see the sun coming through the trees, "but these seizures are usually readily controlled by medication. I do not tell these patients not to drive in the forest!"

He said "the risk from sun coming through a wind turbine would be very small -- the person would first have to be looking at the sun, not just at a turbine, and most of us know not to look at the sun directly. . . . We cannot use this as a reason not to erect wind turbine farms."

Mandelbaum said he has never seen any reliable documentation that turbines can cause seizures, or any other health problems. "They're using the epileptic community. It's clever and it's nonsense, and I find it personally offensive," he said.

Coalition discredits realtors’ wind assessment

2011-01-28T15:58:00.001-06:00

A news release issued by the Wisconsin Energy Business Association:

A group of over 60 Wisconsin energy businesses and organizations distributed a memorandum to legislators today to respond to the factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations in a memorandum distributed by the Wisconsin Realtors Association last week, including the following points:
1. There is no credible evidence that existing wind development in Wisconsin has depressed property values in Kewaunee County.
2. There is no credible evidence that existing wind development in Wisconsin has depressed property values statewide.
3. The property value study cited by WRA contains several methodological errors and weaknesses that greatly reduce its value.
4. WRA’s discussion of windpower’s impacts on commercial and residential construction is wholly one-sided and overlooks the benefits from building energy-producing systems on rural land.
5. WRA’s characterization of the rule’s promulgation is inflammatory and untrue.
6. A longer setback distance is not necessary given PSC 128’s strict regulation of sound and shadow.

Obama visits Broadwind Energy to see clean energy job creation and innovation in action

2011-01-26T16:50:00.001-06:00

From a news release issued by Broadwind Energy and posted on Business Wire:

MANITOWOC, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--President Barack Obama underscored key themes from his State of the Union speech of job creation, innovation and global competitiveness when he visited Broadwind Energy, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: BWEN) wind turbine tower manufacturing facility today in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Broadwind Energy and its more than 800 employees are playing a critical role in powering up the clean energy industry, stimulating local economies like Manitowoc and driving innovation in the U.S.—innovation the President is calling for to maintain our global leadership position.

“President Obama is essentially asking the same of our country—bring together all of our best talents and solutions and help our country and other countries maximize their energy potential—sustainably, cleanly and profitably.”

Once a manufacturing plant for World War II-era submarines, the 250,000 square foot facility the President toured this afternoon was revitalized by Broadwind Towers (Tower Tech), stimulating the local economy through the hiring of 300 people. The company has become one of the largest employers in Manitowoc, is a leading producer of multi-megawatt (MW) wind turbine towers and is the first company in the U.S. to manufacture 100-meter towers. Currently the Manitowoc facility is running at near capacity and when combined with its tower manufacturing facilities in Abilene, Texas, and Brandon, South Dakota, Broadwind Towers has the potential to produce up to 1,500 MWs of wind turbine towers annually. Manitowoc is a great example of a U.S. community rebounding from economic hardship by applying existing talent to new problems, in this case tapping deep roots in steel fabrication to create the tall steel towers that enable wind turbines to capture maximum wind energy.

During the visit, President Obama was able to see how a wind turbine tower is manufactured - from raw plate steel through the process of forming, welding, painting and moving a completed tower section, which could weigh up to 200 tons. Broadwind Energy President and CEO Peter C. Duprey, Broadwind Towers President Paul Smith and plant manager Chris Wallander led the President through the facility where he stopped several times to talk with employees.

Wausau vies for 600 solar jobs

2011-01-25T09:42:00.000-06:00

From an article by Jake Miller in the Wausau Daily Herald:

A California-based energy company is interested in building a manufacturing plant in the Wausau area, adding about 600 jobs in a part of the economy that was especially hit hard by the recession.

W Solar Group, which will move its headquarters to Dane County this year, has narrowed its search for where to build its plant to several Wisconsin cities. A company spokesman said Wausau has several factors that make it appealing.

"It's a very good spot as it relates to a supply chain, geography, transportation," said Evan Zeppos, spokesman for W Solar Group. "It has a well-known reputation for having a good work force, and it's certainly very high on the quality-of-life scale."

W Solar has not finalized where it will build the manufacturing plant, and Zeppos declined to provide a list of cities Wausau is up against. Local officials, however, said Eau Claire is Wausau's biggest competition.
W Solar, founded in 2009 in Chatsworth, Calif., has an efficient technology that lets it produce solar panels on a large scale at a lower cost than its competitors.

If W Solar ultimately selects the Wausau area, the jobs could provide a huge boost to Marathon County's manufacturing sector, which has lost about 2,500 of its 17,700 jobs since December 2007, according to state data.

War on Wind: Land use fight, not energy fight

2011-01-24T15:39:00.002-06:00

From an article by Kari Lydersen in Midwest Energy News:

One of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s first actions in office was to declare the state “Open for Business,” vowing to lure industry and create a quarter-million jobs.

But legislation Walker proposed as part of this initiative could strangle a growing state industry – wind power – with a stringent siting rule likely to make major future development nearly impossible.

Why would a pro-business governor support a plan that wind experts say would likely shoot down 11 proposed projects representing a $1.8 billion investment?

Wind developers and advocates say it is because of the influence of the state’s powerful real estate industry, whose leaders say wind turbines significantly decrease property values and prevent agricultural and open land from being transformed into residential
developments . . . .

Wisconsin Realtors Association chief lobbyist Tom Larson said Realtors were “definitely” the driving force behind the wind siting portion of Walker’s bill. He and other prominent Realtors also lobbied against the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s new wind siting rule, set to take effect March 1, which created uniform statewide standards, including a setback of 1,250 feet from homes. . . .

“This is more of a land use fight than an energy fight,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin and a member of the state’s wind siting council. “The Realtors are afraid wind generation will slow down the conversion of agricultural land to residential land. They’re trying to drive a stake through the heart of wind development before the next project is permitted.”

Walker's wind ban proposal is jobs killer

2011-01-19T16:12:00.001-06:00

From a commentary by by Keith Reopelle, Senior Policy Director of Clean Wisconsin:

MADISON -- A special session bill recently proposed by Governor Scott Walker includes many provisions that could hurt Wisconsin’s economy and environment, but one of the most perplexing proposals in this package is a new regulation that would effectively ban wind energy projects in Wisconsin.

The regulatory reform bill proposed by Gov. Walker would close Wisconsin’s doors to clean, renewable wind power and cost our state thousands of jobs. Our state legislators â€“ who were elected on the promise of real job creation and economic recovery â€“ should reject Gov. Walker’s bill.

The proposed bill creates regulations that effectively prohibit wind energy developers from constructing a wind turbine within 1,800 feet of the nearest property line. If approved, this law will make siting a wind farm so difficult that no wind developer will even bother trying; especially when Illinois and Iowa are waiting with open arms, having no setback provision at all.

The bill will immediately jeopardize 11 proposed wind projects that are set to create hundreds of jobs and undoubtedly many others in the planning stages.

Beyond killing current projects, this law would ensure that no new wind development companies or wind turbine manufacturers locate in Wisconsin, and result in the loss of thousands more jobs constructing and maintaining wind turbines.

Wind energy production is one of the world’s fastest growing industries. In 2010, the industry employed over 85,000 people nationally. In Wisconsin, the wind industry supports thousands of jobs at businesses like Tower Tech in Manitowoc and Renewegy in Oshkosh. Both companies produce parts for wind turbines. Tower Tech produced its first turbine in 2005 and now employs over 250 people at its plant where it offers competitive wages and good benefits.

By effectively banning wind energy construction in the state, this law would leave manufacturing companies like Tower Tech with far less incentive to develop in Wisconsin.

These more restrictive regulations would replace rules that the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) recently approved after two years of study, six rounds of public comments, and input from all major stakeholder groups.

Walker’s Wind Siting Proposal Strips Local Control

2011-01-18T11:04:00.002-06:00

For immediate release:
January 18, 2011

More information
Michael Vickerman
Executive Director
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Walker’s Wind Siting Proposal Strips Local Control

Mandating by statute an extreme setback distance for commercial wind turbines, Governor Scott Walker’s wind siting proposal would strip local governments of their ability to negotiate lesser setback distances with wind developers, according to RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy group.

Walker’s proposal would require a setback distance between a turbine and neighboring property line of 1,800 feet, which can be shortened only by an agreement between the project owner and owners of adjoining properties, entirely bypassing towns and counties.

Walker’s proposal would eliminate the ability of local governments to attract wind developments that would generate revenues in lieu of taxes to help buffer the expected cuts to local governments in the upcoming state budget.

A story in the Fond du Lac Reporter on January 12 quoted town and county officials as saying the wind project revenue helped save on property taxes by filling the gap between rising municipal expenses and declining state-paid shared revenue dollars.

“We’ve seen five towns in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties enter into joint development agreements specifying reasonable setback distances because town officials wanted to capture the economic benefits of hosting wind projects larger than 50 megawatts,” Vickerman said.

The statewide siting rule, approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and set to take effect March 1, preserved local government authority to specify less restrictive conditions.

“This unreasonable proposal is a steamroller driven by anti-wind special interests, like realtors, bent on denying local governments the ability to decide what’s in their best interests,” said Vickerman.

Walker proposal would torpedo $1.8 billion in new wind power investments

2011-01-14T15:26:00.002-06:00

From a news release issued by RENEW Wisconsin:

The window on new wind power developments is likely to slammed completely shut by the end of 2011 under a proposal released by Governor Scott Walker, according to RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.

“As part of a larger proposal ostensibly to create jobs, Governor Walker unveiled new restrictions on wind energy development that, if adopted by the Legislature, would drive development activity worth $1.8 billion out of state,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin.

Governor Walker’s proposal would mandate minimum setbacks of 1,800 feet between a wind turbine and the nearest property line, a dramatic increase from the setback distance of 1,250 feet from a neighboring residence approved by the Public Service Commission in a rule that would otherwise take effect on March 1.

“There are very few locations in the entire Badger State that are windy and large enough, and located near transmission lines, to overcome such extreme constraints,” said Vickerman.

This setback requirement, which would be more stringent than any other statewide regulation in the nation, would also apply to permitted projects that have not begun construction, such as the two-turbine project in a Village of Cashton industrial park that was ready to begin construction this spring. A 99-megawatt project near Darlington in Lafayette County would also be blocked, said Vickerman.

“Because construction has commenced, We Energies’ 90-turbine Glacier Hills Wind Park in Columbia County will avoid these extreme restrictions,” said Vickerman. “Adoption of Walker’s proposal will draw the curtain on projects that would follow Glacier Hills, which will be able to power up to 45,000 homes.”

Walker seeks to halt wind projects, cut property tax relief, send jobs to other states

2011-01-12T16:18:00.000-06:00

From an article by Colleen Kottke in the Fond du Lac Reporter:

Local municipalities are profiting from the wind. While many residents in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties live nowhere near the turbines dotting the landscape, the revenue stream from the towering towers is helping to offset increases in property taxes.

Last year, owners of Wisconsin’s four largest wind energy projects paid out nearly $2.8 million in rent to landowners hosting turbines and payments in lieu of property taxes to local governments, according to figures compiled by RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.
Fond du Lac County, which is home to 166 wind turbines, received a revenue payment of $625,000. Dodge County received $296,000 in payments for hosting 85 wind turbines.
“While we didn’t designate the income for anything in particular, we did use it to pay the bills of the county. Ultimately, it saves on property tax,” said Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel.

Formula
Towns and counties do not collect property taxes from wind turbines but instead receive payments based on the generating capacity of each turbine, allocated under a formula adopted by the state Legislature in 2003.
Of the total revenue paid out to local governmental entities, counties retain two-thirds of the payments while townships hosting the turbines receive one-third. Payments to those local governments in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties will reach almost $1.6 million for 2010.

Wind energy developers negotiate lease agreements with landowners to host turbines on their property. Payments can be as high as $7,000 per turbine each year. Estimated rental payments to all Fond du Lac and Dodge county landowners will total slightly more than $1.2 million for 2010. Property owners hosting the 88 wind turbines in the Blue Sky Green Field wind farm in townships of Marshfield and Calumet divvied up a total of $440,000 paid to them by WeEnergies.

Marshfield Township Chairman John Bord said the $121,000 received from WeEnergies was used to keep rising property taxes in check in the town.

Rapids aims to be green jobs 'epicenter'

2011-01-06T15:56:00.000-06:00

From an article by Nathanial Shuda in the Stevens Point Journal:

Leaders of a Wisconsin Rapids-based company planning to build a wind-energy components plant hope the project will invigorate local growth and revolutionize the industry.

On Tuesday, Wisconsin Rapids agreed to sell 54 acres of undeveloped land in the Rapids East Commerce Center to Energy Composites Corp., the parent company of Advanced Fiberglass Technologies. Company leaders, who announced plans March 31 to build a 350,000-square-foot facility, want to break ground on the project by the end of July. The plant, which will produce blades for wind turbines, is expected to add at least 400 local jobs.

"I am confident Wisconsin Rapids will be the epicenter of 'green' jobs and the wind-energy sector in Wisconsin," said Energy Composites President Jamie Mancl, a Wisconsin Rapids native.

Other wind-energy companies and potential customers from around the globe already have expressed interest in Energy Composites' future products and the training models it's designing, said Sam Fairchild, the company's chief executive officer. Officials continue to work with Mid-State Technical College and accreditation agencies to develop a global training standard for the industry.

Within the next several years, the need for alternative energy will expand and the Midwest provides the ideal location, with easy access and close proximity to the Great Lakes, Fairchild said.

Energy efficiency can reshape Wisconsin’s energy future

2011-01-06T15:55:00.000-06:00

From a news release issued by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission:

MADISON - A report, commissioned by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) and prepared by the Energy Center of Wisconsin (Energy Center), shows that by 2012 the state could generate $900 million in net energy cost savings for each year energy efficiency program investments are made. The report addresses opportunities for electricity and natural gas savings across the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors.

The report states that annual reductions in electricity usage could reach 1.6 percent per year by 2012 while meeting needs of economic growth. Electricity usage in the state has grown roughly 1.2 percent per year since 2000. Annual reductions in natural gas usage could reach 1.0 percent by 2012. Natural gas consumption has declined since 2000 by 0.1 percent per year.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Wisconsin to grow the economy,” said Governor Doyle. “When energy costs are low, it frees up money for consumers to spend elsewhere and helps businesses to save money and so they can grow.”

“The study shows that it is possible to generate economic growth and change the trajectory of our energy use,” said PSC Chairperson Eric Callisto. “This study showcases the multi-faceted benefits of energy efficiency as a strategy.”

Savings from efficiency efforts for both electricity and natural gas would generate between 7,000 and 9,000 net jobs in Wisconsin. Susan Stratton, executive director of the Energy Center, agrees. Most important, she noted is the compounding effect of the economic benefits over time. “Each year that we invest in efficiency programs the dollars saved continue to accrue, economic development and job opportunities grow and greenhouse gas emissions drop further.”

Solar panel company to bring 600 jobs to Wisconsin, possibly Wausau

2011-01-03T14:57:00.003-06:00

From an article by Judy Newman in The Capital Times:

W Solar Group, a privately owned company with technology for manufacturing solar panels, said it will move to Wisconsin and set up its corporate headquarters and a separate research and development center in Dane County. No specific locations were given in the announcement Thursday by Gov. Jim Doyle’s office.

The state Department of Commerce will provide up to $28 million in enterprise zone tax credits for the Chatsworth, Calif., company, which says it plans to invest more than $300 million in facilities in Wisconsin and create more than 600 jobs by 2015.

“W Solar Group was attracted to Wisconsin early in our search for a project location,” said Chris Hamrin, president and chief executive officer. “We are impressed with the high-quality work force, extensive supply chain and the commitment to producing world-class products.”

Established in 2009, W Solar has fewer than 20 employees, and all are involved in research and development, company spokesman Evan Zeppos said.

Plans call for opening the headquarters and research and development operations in the first half of 2011 and starting manufacturing in 2012.

Hamrin said the company is still considering sites for the headquarters, research and development center and manufacturing plant. A search online produced a location for the company in Wausau. Zeppos said Wausau is “one of several possibilities for manufacturing.” He said the bulk of the company’s jobs will be in production.

Wisconsin utilities continue progress toward renewable energy standard

2010-12-22T16:36:00.013-06:00

From a news release issued by the Public Service Commissiion of Wisconsin:

MADISON – Two reports released today by the Public Service commission of Wisconsin (PSC) indicate that Wisconsin’s electric utilities and cooperatives continue to make steady progress in adding renewable energy to the state’s energy supplies. All of the electric providers meet or exceed state requirements and many offer incentives to customers who want to generate their own renewable electricity.

Renewable Portfolio Standard Compliance
Wisconsiin’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) law requires retail electric providers to produce 66 percent of the state’s eelectricity from renewable resources by the year 2010, and 110 percent by 2015. each year, Wisconsin utilities and cooperatives are required to report to the PSC their progress in meeting thee renewable milestones. Today the PSC released the 2009 RPS compliance Report which indicates:

All 118 Wisconsin electric providers met their RPS requirement for 2009;
113 providers exceeded their requirements for the year, creating excess renewable resource credits that can be banked and used for compliance in future years; and,
In 2009, 6.29 percent of the electricity sold by the state’s utilities and cooperatives was generated from renewable resources, up from 4.90 percent in 2008.

Distributed Renewable Generation
PSC also released a status report on its investigation into “advanced a term renewable tariffs,” a term used to describe long-term contracts whereby utilities and cooperatives offer to purchase electricity at premium prices from customers who generate electricity from small, renewable systems such as solar panels. Highlights of the status report include:

More than 300 of Wisconssin’s electric providers, representing about 90% of the state’ s electricity market, have voluntarily offered this kind of incentive;
Customers have responded by installing more than 10 MW of small, distributed capacity utilizing biogas (from manure digesters on farms), solar panels, and wind turbines; and,
An additional 8.2 MW off generation capacity, mostly from biogas projects, is under construction and will soon be generating electricity.

State grant to fund green training for workers

2010-12-16T10:18:00.001-06:00

From an article by Nathaniel Shuda and Nick Paulson in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:

A Wisconsin Rapids manufacturer will serve as a pilot site for a statewide clean-energy training center, the state's top workforce official said this week.

Energy Composites will host the Pre-Engineering Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Innovation Academy, supported by a nearly $95,000 state grant, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development announced Monday.

"We hope to see these kinds of investments get the right kinds of skills to Wisconsin workers, so our businesses can thrive here as they have access to skilled workers," DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman said.

The academy will provide about 15 workers with entry-level skills training and career exploration in the engineering field for potential employment in the bio-refining industry, as well as a certificate program that recognizes math, science and technology skills, including project management, she said.

Distributed through the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, the grant is one of several statewide, totaling $430,385, to help train workers in central Wisconsin for careers in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, health care and information technology.

Though officials announced the grants less than a week after NewPage Corp. announced it will close its Whiting mill, the timing is a coincidence, Gassman said. The program has been in the works for a while.

But the training, especially in advanced manufacturing, could benefit workers who lose their jobs at NewPage.

PSC approves final wind siting rule; improves clean energy outlook

2010-12-09T13:55:00.001-06:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 9, 2010

MORE INFORMATION
RENEW Wisconsin
Michael Vickerman
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Final Wind Siting Rule Improves Clean Energy Outlook

With the changes made at the Public Service Commission’s (PSC) open meeting today, wind developers in Wisconsin can look forward to a set of workable statewide permitting standards that will facilitate the development of well-designed wind projects.

At the meeting, the Commission adjusted the requirements on two issues of critical importance to the wind industry: set back distances and compensation to neighboring residents.

“Today’s decisions culminate a four-year effort to set Wisconsin’s permitting house in order,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.

“The final rules strike a reasonable balance between protecting public health and safety and advancing wind energy generation, a proven pathway for creating well-paying jobs and increasing revenues to local governments,” Vickerman said.

Initially, the rule did not specify a definite setback distance between turbines and residences and community buildings neighboring the host property.

“By setting a maximum setback distance of 1,250 feet, the rule would not impose economic burdens on wind developers seeking to install newer and larger wind turbines now available in the market, such as the 2.5 megawatt turbines being erected at the Shirley Wind Farm in Brown County,” according to Vickerman.

Regarding compensation to non-participating residences, the commission decided to uncouple the annual compensation level instead of linking the size of the payments to the payment received by the host landowner. The commission’s move resolved the most problematic feature that had been in the rule.

“We thank the Commissioners for their hard work and their willingness to work through a number of very complicated and thorny issues that do not lend themselves to easy resolution,” Vickerman added.

The rules promulgated by the PSC are a product of landmark legislation adopted in 2009 to establish statewide siting standards for wind energy siting. Legislative committees will have 10 days to review the rules after formally receiving them. If they take no action, the rules take effect on January 1, 2011.

No evidence of health impacts from wind energy

2010-12-07T16:31:00.002-06:00

From a column by Robert J. McCunney, Robert Dobie and David M. Lipscomb in The Oregonian, Portland, Oregon:

While opponents of wind energy have attempted to use self-published reports to block projects, the science is clear. Independent studies conducted around the world consistently find that wind farms have no direct impact on physical health. In fact, with no air or water pollution emissions, wind energy is essential to reducing public health impacts from the energy sector.

A minority of residents living near wind projects may sometimes find the turbine sounds annoying and the same is true with any environmental sound. Annoyance is a subjective effect that varies among people and circumstances. Many residents in Oregon and across the United States find wind turbines to be a non-intrusive neighbor.

In 2009, we participated in an international multidisciplinary scientific advisory panel to review current literature on the perceived health effects of wind turbines. The panel found no evidence that the audible or sub-audible sounds emitted by wind turbines have any direct adverse physiological effects. It is important to note that while this effort was funded by the American and Canadian Wind Energy Associations, we are independent scientists who had no involvement with the wind industry prior to this engagement.

The Australian National Health and Medical Research Council also conducted peer-reviewed research on the issue: Its findings: "There is currently no published scientific evidence to positively link wind turbines with adverse health effects."

Robert J. McCunney is a research scientist in occupational and environmental medicine at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Biological Engineering. Robert Dobie is a clinical professor of otolaryngology at both the University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of California, Davis. David M. Lipscomb is president of Correct Service Inc. in Stanwood, Wash.

300 years of fossil fuel addiction explained in just FIVE MINUTES!

2010-12-03T16:00:00.003-06:00

Wisconsin Cannot Afford to Ignore Rising Coal Prices

2010-12-02T15:42:00.003-06:00

For immediate release

More information
RENEW Wisconsin
Michael Vickerman
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Wisconsin Cannot Afford to Ignore Rising Coal Prices

Long-considered an inexpensive and reliable fuel source, coal has become subject to market and regulatory pressures that threaten to make it an expensive and risky way to generate electricity, according to national news reports and pertinent utility filings with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC).

“The expectation of continued increases in coal prices reinforces the value of relying on Wisconsin’s own energy resources. If there’s an effort to find savings for utility customers, the logical move would be to shutter antiquated coal plants before they become more of a liability,” said Michael Vickerman, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide, nonprofit renewable energy advocacy organization.

A key driver behind coal’s rising cost is China, which has moved from an exporter to an importer of coal. The New York Times (NYT) reported last week that Chinese coal imports will hit all-time highs for November and December of this year. Some of this coal is coming from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, the coal field that also supplies many Wisconsin power plants.¹

In the New York Times story, an executive from Peabody Energy, the world’s largest private coal company, predicted that his company will send larger and larger quantities of coal to China in the coming years.

Further adding to the upward price pressure on coal is the rising cost of diesel fuel. The PSC has estimated that half of the delivered cost of coal in Wisconsin is attributable to rail shipment, that is highly sensitive to the price of diesel fuel, which sells for 38 cents more per gallon than it did a year ago, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.² Tom Whipple, editor of the Peak Oil Review, expects diesel fuel supplies to tighten in 2011 as a consequence of flat production volumes and increasing demand from Asia.³This phenomenon could affect Wisconsin electric utility rates as early as January 2011, according to Vickerman.

We Energies’ coal costs have escalated by $57 million, of which transportation costs account for almost $33 million, according to the utility’s most recent rate filing with the PSC. On top of that, We Energies expects to pay an additional $8 million in oil surcharge costs.4

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Most at hearing support biomass; those opposed to facility continue to voice opinions, too

2010-12-01T10:54:00.000-06:00

From an article by Jake Miller in the Wausau Daily Herald:

ROTHSCHILD -- Union leaders, village officials and small business owners were among the overwhelming majority who spoke Tuesday in favor of a proposed -- and highly debated -- biomass plant.

Only four of the 43 speakers opposed the plant during the first of two public hearings held by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, which will assess the comments when deciding whether it will approve the project in mid-January, said Administrative Law Judge Michael Newmark.

We Energies and Domtar first proposed the plant, which will burn a woody biomass as fuel, in September 2009. It has been at the center of public debate for nearly as long.

At the afternoon hearing attended by about 200 people -- another hearing was held Tuesday evening -- supporters continued to argue that the biomass plant is critical to keep Domtar competitive and that it will create both temporary and permanent jobs.

Opponents stood strong, saying the plant, which is expected to burn 500,000 tons of biomass each year, will adversely affect air quality despite We Energies data that say emissions would be cut by 30 percent.

Jeff Morzenti, an employee at the Domtar Mill in Rothschild for more than 25 years, said he is one of those responsible for monitoring what exits the mill's smoke stacks.

Not just as an employee, but as a longtime resident of Weston, the 51-year-old Morzenti said he wouldn't support the plant if he didn't believe it was safe.

Domtar biomass power plant at juncture

2010-11-29T10:49:00.001-06:00

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

As a new administration prepares to take office in Madison, with a different attitude toward renewable energy than the Doyle administration, We Energies is pressing forward with plans to build a wood-burning power plant in north-central Wisconsin.

The state Public Service Commission will hold a hearing on the project this week, with a decision expected early in 2011.

Concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, the cost of the project and even competition for biomass are all being reviewed as the proposal makes its way through the state approval process.

We Energies is optimistic, as it has won all the local approvals it needs from officials for the Village of Rothschild and the Village of Weston, utility spokesman Brian Manthey said.

"We believe we've answered every question that has come up, and we are pleased that we've gotten unanimous support from the municipal boards for the project," he said. "We'll continue to supply the information needed to move the project forward at the state level."

The $255 million project at the Domtar Corp. paper mill in Rothschild, south of Wausau, would generate 50 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 40,000 typical homes. It also would provide steam for the Domtar mill. . . .

The $255 million cost of the Domtar project is also raising concerns.

An analysis by auditors at the PSC found that building a wind farm would be less expensive for customers than building this project. The commission suggested that We Energies explore the possibility of burning wood in conjunction with coal at some of its existing coal-fired power plants, such as its older coal plant in Oak Creek.

An estimate by the customer group Citizens' Utility Board found the plant would be twice as expensive as a similar-sized wind farm, executive director Charlie Higley said.

While the cost may be higher, We Energies said the utility wants to diversify its renewable energy sources beyond wind. And unlike wind and solar projects, biomass power plants have the added benefit of being able to run round the clock.

In addition, Allan Mihm, We Energies director of generation projects, said the project is more efficient because it's supplying electricity and steam. It would cost the utility $20 million more to build a power plant separate from the paper mill, he said.

PSC to hold Public Hearings on We Energies Proposed Biomass Facility

2010-11-22T12:06:00.001-06:00

From a news release issued by the Public Service Commission:

MADISON -- The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (Commission) will hold public hearings in Rothschild on Wisconsin Electric Power Company’s (WEPCO, doing business as We Energies) application to construct a Biomass-Fired, Cogeneration Facility in the village of Rothschild, Marathon County, Wisconsin. The public hearings will be held Tuesday, November 30, 2010, at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites, Crystal 1 Room at 1000 Imperial Avenue in Rothschild. Administrative Law Judge Michael Newmark will preside over the hearings.

We Energies filed an application with the Commission on March 10, 2010 for approval to build and operate a 50 megawatt, Biomass-Fired, Cogeneration Facility in the Village of Rothschild.

Prior to acting on the application, the Commission will seek and consider public comments.

Public comments offered at the public hearings on the proposed biomass plant will be included in the record the Commission will review to make a decision. Attendees at each hearing will be able to provide testimony to the Administrative Law Judge presiding at the hearing. Citizens are encouraged to attend. If you cannot attend the public hearings, but would like to provide comments, you can do so on the PSC’s website through November 30, 2010. Click on the Public Comments button on the PSC’s homepage and click on the case title.

How loud is a wind turbine?

2010-11-19T11:21:00.001-06:00

From GE Reports, a blog that is sponsored by GE but created by a group of tech bloggers and editors. The content covers topics from aviation to alternative energy to healthcare -- virtually everything in the "innovative technology" space.

Amherst's Artha Bed and Breakfast earns green recognition from state

2010-11-12T15:30:00.001-06:00

From an article by Nick Paulson in the Stevens Point Journal:

AMHERST -- Since 1971, Marguerite Ramlow and her husband, Bob, have renovated their rural property seven miles south of the village of Amherst, making it more sustainable and eco-friendly with every step.

And since they opened Artha Bed and Breakfast almost four years ago, that process has accelerated.

Solar panels provide electricity and heat water. The wood paneling comes from maple trees felled in a windstorm. Even the sheets, towels and cleaning products are organic.

"We want to show people they can live sustainably and be very comfortable," said Marguerite, who, along with Bob, runs the Artha Sustainable Living Center, which includes the bed and breakfast.

This week, the couple were rewarded for their commitment. Artha, 9784 County Road K, was named honorable mention on a list of the top "eco-elegant" B&Bs by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

The department's Travel Green program showcases top destinations for ecotourism, and being featured so prominently should be a boon to an already sound business.

"Just having our name out there will make people aware there is a place like this nearby," Marguerite said.

A blurb by Travel Green describing the center mentioned the renovated farmhouse, solar heat and other information the center offers B&B guests.

"Guests come for the hands-on workshops and retreats on solar water heating, gardening and yoga," the blurb states.

Top 10 things a Wisconsin voter should know for Election Day

2010-10-29T16:25:00.001-05:00

From a news release issued by the Government Accountability Board:

MADISON, WI – The Government Accountability Board today released its list of the top 10 things a Wisconsin voter should know for Election Day, Tuesday, November 2.

The number one thing voters should know is that they can register at the polling place on Election Day.

“Election Day registration ensures that everyone who is qualified to vote will get to vote,” said Kevin Kennedy, director and general counsel of the G.A.B. “Unlike many other states, Wisconsin has registration at the polls, so very few voters will likely be forced to vote on a provisional ballot.”

To register on Election Day, Wisconsin voters must provide proof of residence, which includes a current utility bill, lease, university ID card or other official document showing the voter’s name and current address. Voters who have a valid Wisconsin driver’s license or state ID card will be required to use their license number to complete the registration form. Otherwise, they may use the last four digits of their Social Security number.

Number two on the list is that voters can check their registration status with their municipal clerk, or on the state’s Voter Public Access website: https://vpa.wi.gov.

Dining services feature meatless Mondays

2010-10-25T16:12:00.000-05:00

From an article by Nate Enwald in The Pointer, Stevens Point, WI:

Students at the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point are in for a few changes in their dining routines at DeBot Dining Center; some may have noticed a change in the Oct. 11 Monday menu and what it served, or lack thereof.

The University Dining Services department has taken to the “Meatless Monday” movement that has been a spreading trend in other schools across the country. The new meatless menu that began on Oct. 11 is scheduled to take effect for the Mondays of Nov. 8, Feb. 7, and April 11.

The Monday Campaigns originally started the “Meatless Monday” movement in association with the Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health, with the goal of reducing the consumption of meat by 15 percent. This movement hopes to ultimately better public health and reduce the carbon footprint left by the production, transportation and cooking of meats.

“We are doing this [Meatless Monday] to raise awareness about the program and the benefits of lowering meat consumption,” said Kathleen Gould, the Public Relations representative and Marketing Coordinator of University Dining Services.

At meatlessmonday.com, the organization promotes going meatless at least once a week to aid in efforts of reducing the public health issues of cancer, diabetes and obesity along with the inevitable ecological benefits that go with a meatless diet.

Turbine-blade manufacturer shifts course on new plant

2010-10-20T16:15:00.000-05:00

From an article by Nathaniel Shuda in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:

A Wisconsin Rapids-based manufacturer recently revised its plan for a wind-turbine blade manufacturing plant, making it a three-phase project, instead of a one-phase project, the company's top executive said.

At one time, Energy Composites officials hoped to break ground on a 535,000-square-foot facility about a year ago, but a difficult bond market led to project downsizing, President Jamie Mancl said.
"Now we're talking about ... a smaller portion of that plan to get the shovel in the ground and started with something," Mancl said Tuesday evening during a presentation to the Wisconsin Rapids Common Council. "We're taking a more prudent approach to get this thing off the ground."

The company, which includes the former Advanced Fiberglass Technologies, already retained Stern Brothers & Co., a private financing firm, to help secure $25 million from investors for the first phase, Mancl said.

"With the financing issues we're experiencing in the country, it's hard to put a timeline on it, but ... within six months or less, they're hopeful they'll be able to secure (investors)," he said, declining to say how much money the company has raised.

Paper mill fears not enough wood after biomass plant opens

2010-10-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

From an article by Jake Miller in the Wausau Daily Herald:

The operator of a Tomahawk paper mill said Wednesday that a proposed Rothschild plant's insatiable demand for fuel would endanger other plants that rely upon wood products.

In a motion sent to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, Packaging Corp. of America said a planned biomass plant by Domtar Paper and We Energies would lead to a shortage in biomass fuel -- waste wood left behind when timber is harvested.

The Tomahawk mill currently operates two biomass boilers as part of a pilot program it entered in 2002 with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to reduce fossil fuel use, according to the motion.

Company officials initially believed that the proposed plant would not create a shortage in fuel, but at an Oct. 1 meeting with Domtar they "came to the realization that the project would in fact seriously redistribute local biomass resources," the motion said.

Therefore, Packaging Corp. requested a motion to intervene, which -- if allowed by the PSC -- means company officials could speak about the impact the new plant would have on the Tomahawk operation at a Dec. 2 meeting in Madison. The company missed the Sept. 8 filing deadline.

More energy efficiency could create 9,000 jobs in Wisconsin

2010-10-18T16:19:00.000-05:00

From an article by Larry Bivins in the Wausau Daily Herald:

WASHINGTON — In the absence of a national policy that puts a cap on carbon emissions, some environmental activists see an opportunity to place more emphasis on efficiency as part of the solution to climate change.

Advocates say the potential benefits to the environment, the economy and individual pocketbooks cannot be ignored.

One 2007 study estimates the U.S. could reap $1.2 trillion in electricity savings by investing $520 billion in energy efficiency measures by 2020.
In Wisconsin, a 2009 report by the Energy Center of Wisconsin said the state could create 7,000 to 9,000 jobs by 2012 and generate $900 million in savings by tripling its investment in energy efficiency.

President Barack Obama's administration set aside $16.8 billion in economic recovery act money for research and development, building retrofits, renewable energy projects and weatherization, among other things.

Wisconsin was awarded a $20 million grant in April for its Wisconsin Energy Efficiency (WE2) program to retrofit commerical, industrial and residential buildings.

"Wisconsin has made big steps forward in recent years through energy conservation, energy efficiency and by investing in a clean energy economy," Gov. Jim Doyle said in a statement declaring October to be Energy Awareness Month. "Through greater awareness we can continue to increase our energy independence, save money for families and businesses and create thousands of new clean-energy jobs in Wisconsin."

Wisconsin's green economy offers 15,100 jobs

2010-10-11T15:33:00.002-05:00

From a report published by the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council, The Green Tier Porgram at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the Wisconsin School of Business:

By 2007, 68,203 businesses in the United States had generated more than 770,000 jobs in the green economy (Pew Charitable Trust, 2009). Every state has a piece of America’s green economy. The leading states include Oregon, Maine,California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Minnesota. Wisconsin is not currently among the leading states:

SOURCE: PEW Charitable Trusts, 2009, based on the National Establishment Time Series 2007 Database; analysis by Pew Center on the Statesand Collaborative Economics

Green job growth in Wisconsin through the 2001 recession (where WI lost 100,000 manufacturing jobs that were never recovered) was anemic. Wisconsin has lost an additional 70,000 manufacturing jobs (through July, 2010) because of the recession of 2008 (Center on Wisconsin Strategy, 2010).

While Wisconsin ranks either first or second in the nation in manufacturing jobs per capita, there is still a great deal of idle capacity in Wisconsin.

In 2007, jobs associated with the green economy accounted for 0.49 percent of all jobs nationally. WI was slightly below the national average with 3,150,000 total jobs and 0.48 percent of them being green.

A closer look at the data reveals that Wisconsin ranks as a top ten state in energy efficiency jobs. Energy efficiency is one of the five types of green jobs identified in the Pew report. Wisconisn ranked sixth in energy efficiency with 2,801 jobs. Midwestern states generally did well in all sectors, with Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois appearing among the top 10 states in multiple sectors.

In 2007, jobs associated with the green economy accounted for 0.49 percent of all jobs nationally. WI was slightly below the national average with 3,150,000 total jobs and 0.48 percent of them being green.

A closer look at the data reveals that Wisconsin ranks as a 2,801 jobs. Midwestern states generally did well in all sectors, with Minnesota, Michigan, and Illinois appearing amongthe top 10 states in multiple sectors.

The report concludes:

The United States, and Wisconsin, will be focused on job creation over the next five to ten years. Creating green jobs has to be a part of the future if we hope to maintain our roleas a manufacturing state. Green jobs will gravitate towards states that are the most attractive, or to states that actively increase their attractiveness relative to competing states. The states that actively recruit green businesses will prosper in the longer run.

Wisconsin has a long history of manufacturing strength, and we are increasingly attracting manufacturing companies that are creating green jobs. But we can do more. We have only to look at our neighboring states of Iowa or Minnesota to see the benefit of establsihing Wisconsin as a hotbed of green expertise.

New green businesses can create jobs, generate revenues, and help Wisconsin re-emerge as a bell-weather state in the heartland of America.

Meet Butler Ridge, Wisconsin’s Newest Wind Project

2010-10-05T16:19:00.004-05:00

By Michael Vickerman
September 30, 2010

On September 23, Alex DePillis and I hopped on board a tour bus filled with natural resource professionals and gave an overview of wind development in Wisconsin as we headed to the 54 MW Butler Ridge Wind Facility. The project is located in the Town of Herman in southeast Dodge County, a few miles west of State Highway 175. Most of the project’s 36 turbines are located south of State Highway 33.

The project was developed by Midwest Wind, which also developed the Cedar Ridge project owned by Alliant Energy. The project was sold to Babcock & Brown’s U.S. division, which then constructed the facility. The general contractor for that project was RES Americas. Butler Ridge was placed in commercial operation in March 2009. Right now, it is the newest utility-scale wind project in Wisconsin, but that distinction will only late this year, when Shirley Wind comes on-line.

In December 2009, NextEra Energy (formerly FPL Energy) bought Butler Ridge from Babcock and Brown. NextEra is also the owner of the Montfort project in Iowa County.

It turned out to be an excellent day to see wind generation in action. Thanks to a strengthening low pressure system to the west, there was a steady southerly air flow sweeping over southern Wisconsin that morning. Every flag we saw that morning was stiff as could be and pointing due north. Wind speeds at hub height ranged between 20 and 25 mph. The GE turbines were producing at about 75% of their rated capacity.

We stopped at Butler Ridge’s operations and maintenance center on Illinois Road. From the vantage point of the facility, we could see wind turbines in every direction. The closest turbine, at about 1,100 feet away, was audible but barely so.

Full article here.

Seek assistance before heating moratorium begins

2010-10-04T16:18:00.001-05:00

From a news release issued by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin:

Heating moratorium begins November 1

MADISON – The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) urges energy consumers to contact their local utility if their heat is currently disconnected. The PSC also encourages residents to take advantage of energy-efficiency programs and the state’s low-income bill payment assistance programs to reduce the burden of utility bills this winter.

Wisconsin law states that consumers cannot be disconnected during the heating moratorium period from November 1 to April 15, if they are connected at the start of the moratorium. Consumers who are currently disconnected must make arrangements with their local utility to pay outstanding bills in order to have service restored. If a consumer has not made arrangements to pay an outstanding bill, the utility is not required to reconnect the service until payment arrangements have been made.

Consumers who need to set up a payment agreement should call their local utility. Phone numbers for the largest utilities in Wisconsin are listed below. If consumers cannot reach an agreement with their utility, they may contact the PSC at 1-608-266-2001 or 1-800-225-7729.

Alliant Energy, 1-800-862-6222
Madison Gas & Electric, 1-608-252-7144
Superior Water, Light & Power, 1-715-394-2200
We Energies, 1-800-842-4565
Wisconsin Public Service Corp., 1-800-450-7260
Xcel Energy, 1-800-895-4999

Energy Assistance
Due to recent changes in program eligibility, many more households across the state may be eligible for heating assistance this winter. Consumers may qualify for assistance in paying their heating bills through the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP), which provides financial assistance to low-income residents. WHEAP is part of the state’s comprehensive Home Energy Plus program which provides assistance with emergency energy needs, emergency furnace repairs, conservation service, and weatherizing for low-income households.

Don't fall for the myths about CFLs; now is the time to start saving

2010-09-30T16:14:00.001-05:00

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

When you install ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) there are financial and energy savings to be realized; however, there are a few misconceptions about CFLs that have kept some homeowners on the fence. Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, is tackling those myths in an effort to educate Wisconsin residents and help them switch to CFLs. Starting Oct. 1, 2010, and for a limited time, Focus on Energy is offering CFLs for a discounted price at participating retail locations throughout the state.

"We are thrilled with the number of residents throughout Wisconsin who have reduced their energy use and utility bills by installing ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs, but there are still many who have not made the switch," said Linda Mae Schmitt, program manager for Focus on Energy. "It's my hope that by exposing common misconceptions about CFLs, we can encourage more people to take advantage of the many benefits of energy-efficient lighting. And now is the perfect time get on board. Why wouldn't you want to save money while also helping Wisconsin's environment?"

The release goes on to present the facts about the following myths:
Myth #1: CFLs are expensive.
Myth #2: CFLs won't fit in my fixtures.
Myth #3: CFLs are hazardous.
Myth #4: CFLs are hard to find.

Open house of solar homes and businesses, Oct. 2

2010-09-28T14:19:00.001-05:00

Visit homes and businesses around the state to see renewable energy up close. In addition to showcasing solar and wind power, houses will feature energy efficiency, green building techniques, and sustainable living ideas. Speak with home and business owners and find out how renewable energy works for them. Self selected driving tours will be available throughout the state.

Tours are FREE and open to the public between 10 am and 4 pm. To view the locations and details of the sites in your area, go to http://www.the-mrea.org/solartour.php.

The Wisconsin solar tours are part of the National Solar Tours of the American Solar Energy Society that are happening in states across the country on the same day.

Stevens Point's environmentalism impresses visitors from Russia

2010-09-27T14:12:00.001-05:00

From an article by B.C. Kowalski in the Stevens Point Journal:

As visitors from Stevens Point's Russian sister city, Rostov Veliky, leave today, they'll take with them a message of environmentalism.

That was the focus of a weeklong stay for Rostov Veliky Mayor Yuri Aleksandrovitch Boiko and four others as they traveled through Stevens Point.

Boiko said Stevens Point could serve as a good example of environmental consciousness for Rostov Veliky.

"The one thing that is really unique is the way Stevens Point residents respect nature, the way they relate to the environment," Boiko said through an interpreter. "What is really cool is that everyone seems to care about nature, from the young and old."

The Rostov Veliky delegation met with various groups related to the environment, including Trout Unlimited, a number of farms, a lake management roundtable and a watershed group from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Boiko said he will take a number of environmental ideas back to Rostov Veliky. Of the 14 he listed in his journal, Boiko mentioned installing a solar panel at Liberty Park, buying an electric car for Rostov Veliky's stadium and creating an environmental youth group that would focus on Nero Lake.