Forward Wind, Fond du Lac County

Photo by Barger Photography (courtesy of Michels Corporation)

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Waukesha home opens for Solar Tour

A press release issued for the Wisconsin Solar Tour:

A Waukesha home will be one of more than 150 sites in the state open for the 2008 Wisconsin Solar Tour on October 4.

The home of Julie and Vince Toman, 2105 Parkview Court, features 30 roof-mounted solar panels following the second story roofline in the rear of the house.

“It produces more electricity than we need for much of the year. We’ve only paid 6 electric / gas bills in the last 15 months,” according to Julie Toman.

“In fact, we get a credit for the amount of excess electricity it generates,” she added.

Businesses with solar installations will welcome visitors on October 3, the first day of the two-day Solar Tour, organized by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), located in Custer, Wisconsin.

Tour destinations will showcase advances in energy efficient construction, new products, sustainable landscaping, and renewable energy technologies.

“The tour demonstrates that renewable energy is practical, reliable, and affordable in today’s economy,” said Amy Heart, Program Director for the MREA.

“Tour participants have the chance to talk with people who live and work with renewable energy and green building features,” Heart added.

Full details on the Solar Tour and all the open businesses and residences are online at www.the-mrea.org/solartour.php.

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Webinars: Building Communities Educational Series

From the UW-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development:

Today’s society is complex and challenging. There are myriad social, environmental and economic opportunities and challenges facing communities and businesses of all types and sizes. How do we engage each other in ways that benefit more than just a few special interests? How do we proceed so that we can achieve important objectives, but not do so at the expense of other ones that we also value? Is there a way of balancing a healthy economy, a healthy ecosystem and a healthy community? If we find that balance, can we sustain it?

This year’s Building Communities Webinar Series tackles these important questions. We address global, regional and local issues and challenge ourselves as both a community and as individuals. Join us in discovering some of our constraints and uncovering the limitless potential we possess to overcome them. If you care deeply about the economy and the viability of our businesses … if you care deeply about the ecological health of our planet … if you care deeply about the quality of life of our community – this webinar series is for you. Join us to be enlightened, to be informed, to be challenged, and to be called to action!

Who Should Attend:
Extension educators along with local elected and appointed officials working with communities on economic development and quality of life issues, including local business leaders, economic development professionals, and environmentalists.

Co-sponsors:
University of Wisconsin-Extension Center for Community and Economic Development and Sustainability and Energy Teams. . . .

The registration fee is $40 per program/$275 for the series per site (You can invite as many people as you would like to participate at your site).

Programs will be held on the third Tuesday of the month from 11:30 A.M. - 12:30 P.M. (Central Time) from October 2008 - June 2009.

This year, the series will focus on Sustainability:

October 21, 2008, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Setting the Stage: Sustainability and Sustainable Community Development

November 18, 2008, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Energy Efficiency

December 16, 2008, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Renewable Energy

January 20, 2009, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Sustainability and Comprehensive Planning

February 17, 2009, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Sustainable Business Practices and Strategies

March 17, 2009, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Green Collar Jobs: Sustainable Work in a Low Carbon World

April 21, 2009, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Local Food Networks: Food Localization as a Sustainability Strategy

May 19, 2009, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Sustainability Indicators and Measurement

June 16, 2009, 11:30 - 12:30 P.M., C.T.
Community Organizing for Sustainability

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Kettle Foods gets it

From the Green Racine blog:

Salem, Ore.-based Kettle Foods says that it has yielded environmental and economic benefits by adopting measures that include offsetting all of the electricity used to operate both its Salem and Beloit factories with wind power. Additionally, the Beloit plant is home to 18 rooftop wind turbines.

"When we decided to go for green - or in this case, gold - with LEED certification of our new factory, we knew it was the right thing to do," says Tim Fallon, president of Kettle Foods' North American division.

The company also recycles of 2,300 gallons of waste oil with conversion to biodiesel used to power a company fleet of diesel-engine cars called BioBeetles, and reduces more than three million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually resulting from the elimination of shipping lines between Oregon and the Midwest.

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Milwaukee gets high marks for sustainability, energy, water

From an article by Jeff Sherman posted on OnMilwaukee.com:

According to a story today from sustainlane.com, Milwaukee is the 12th most sustainable city in the country. It is first in a ranking of "water supply" and second in one of "natural disaster risk."

The health and sustainable living Web site says, "America's 50 biggest cities are thinking green and the 2008 SustainLane U.S. City Rankings-topped by Portland, Ore.-reveal which cities are increasingly self-sufficient, prepared for the unexpected and taking steps toward preserving and enhancing their quality of life."

Sustainlane.com said this about Milwaukee, "Since Milwaukee inaugurated its first office of sustainability in 2006, green momentum in the Midwestern city has picked up steam. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee has invested in New Urbanist redevelopment, consciously folding sustainability into it's planning and design (one green public housing development nabbed a Sierra Club honor in 2005). It has also taken great care to manage storm water and reduce runoff into the lake and area rivers. And that's not all: In 2006, five percent of its fleet vehicles ran on alternative energy. A year later, more than 40 percent of the city's fleet are powered by alternative fuel. A 2006 energy audit of the City Hall complex led to power-saving measures that reduced energy use there by nine percent and saved the city $35,000 in one year. The city also has public outreach campaigns for recycling, composting, and water conservation. The city's updated bike plan may help get the near-75 percent of car commuters heading out to work...riding their bikes instead!"

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Summer/fall newsletter now online

RENEW Wisconsin's summer/fall edition of Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly is now online, including the following articles:

Peak Oil Spices Meeting with Cong. Baldwin
Countdown to Solar Tour
Solar H2O on Madison Fire Stations
Global Warming Task Force Report
Wisconsin’s Newest Wind Projects
PHEV+Wind=Clean Air
Small Wind Conference Wrap-up

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Ethanol fuel and cars

Ethanol fuel is ethyl alcohol - ethanol, the same type of alcohol as in alcoholic beverages. Ethanol fuel is one of two basic types of biofuels: biodiesel and bioethanol (some people like to call ethanol bioethanol - it sounds better from environment point of view). When used as a fuel, ethanol is commonly mixed with normal gasoline. Most standard cars can run on an up to 10% mixture of ethanol

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WPPI wants to fund zero energy homes

From a media release from Wisconsin Public Power, Incorporated:

Homeowners looking to build or remodel in communities served by WPPI member utilities have an opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint through WPPI’s GreenMax Home program. WPPI is now soliciting competitive proposals for grants to help fund the construction of up to three net zero energy homes within WPPI member utility service areas.

As part of WPPI’s overall efforts to encourage public and community support for renewable energy, energy conservation and energy efficiency, the GreenMax Home program will help customers build highly efficient, environmentally friendly homes. Grants will be awarded to cover part of the incremental cost of designing and building a GreenMax Home over the cost of constructing a conventional Upper Midwest house. Incremental costs will include the design elements and technologies directly related to reducing energy use or producing energy through renewable resources.

“We are pleased to present another opportunity for homeowners in WPPI member communities to build and live in homes with net zero energy use,” said Senior Vice President of Customer Services and Administration Tom Paque. “The GreenMax Home program allows homeowners to take advantage of renewable energy technologies and demonstrate practical approaches to the efficient use of energy.”

WPPI’s GreenMax Home program supports the design and lifestyle choices that move a home from “highly efficient” to “net zero.” Net zero homes combine state-of-the-art green and environmentally friendly technologies and practices with renewable energy technology to ensure that the homes produce as much energy as they consume. To the greatest extent possible, the energy consumption (heating, cooling and electrical) of the homes will be provided by renewable energy sources.

WPPI's member utilities are
Alger Delta, MI
Algoma
Baraga, MI
Black River Falls
Boscobel
Brodhead
Cedarburg
Columbus
Cuba City
Eagle River
Evansville
Florence
Gladstone, MI
Hartford
Hustisford
Independence, IA
Jefferson
Juneau
Kaukauna
L'Anse, MI
Lake Mills
Lodi
Maquoketa, IA
Menasha
Mount Horeb
Muscoda
Negaunee, MI
New Glarus
New Holstein
New London
New Richmond
Norway, MI
Oconomowoc
Oconto Falls
Plymouth
Prairie du Sac
Reedsburg
Richland Center
River Falls
Slinger
Stoughton
Sturgeon Bay
Sun Prairie
Two Rivers
Waterloo
Waunakee
Waupun
Westby
Whitehall

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Gov. Doyle announces $7.3 million in clean energy funding

From a media release issued by Governor Doyle:

MILWAUKEE – Governor Jim Doyle today announced $7.3 million in grants and loans from the Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund (WEIF) for research and development and commercialization or adoption of new technologies. These awards will leverage $44.2 million in investments and create new jobs for Wisconsin families on farms, in forests, in research labs and for manufacturers.

“From manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels to retro-fitting fuel pumps and exploring the latest clean technologies, our future lies in seizing green opportunities that will create good jobs for our citizens and add billions of dollars to our economy,” Governor Doyle said. “Today we are awarding more than $7 million in grants and loans to companies that are committed to expanding Wisconsin’s clean energy industry. “

Governor Doyle made the announcement today at Eaton Corporation in Milwaukee. Five Milwaukee-area projects totaling $1,692,000 are receiving funding. Eaton is using $229,000 to develop a power conversion and energy storage system that manages the energy from a renewable source. Eligible applicants for the grants and loans include businesses and researchers. Governor Doyle will announce the remaining statewide grants in the coming days.

The Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund is an integral part of Clean Energy Wisconsin, Governor Doyle’s strategy to strengthen Wisconsin’s energy future. This comprehensive plan moves Wisconsin forward by promoting renewable energy, creating new jobs, increasing energy security and efficiency, and improving the environment. . . .

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Two solar workshops, MATC - Oak CreekSept. 27

From the Milwaukee Area Technical College:

MATC is proud to host two seminars in partnership with We Energies and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association on Saturday, September 27, in our ECAM facility (Room E-114) on the Oak Creek campus. We urge you to take advantage of these outstanding opportunities!

These Seminars provide information about generating renewable energy for your home or small business. Seminars include demonstrations and print materials. The Seminars have no prerequisites, and you may attend one or both Seminars.

PV (solar electric) Systems for Residential Applications covers solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, site selection, system sizing, available financial incentives and installer selection.
Sept. 27
10:00 am
Milwaukee Area Technical College, Oak Creek Campus
E-1146665 S. Howell Avenue, Oak Creek, WI 53154-1107

Solar Water Heating for Residential Applications covers solar water heating technology, site selection, system sizing, available financial incentives, and installer selection.
Sept. 27
1:00 pm
Milwaukee Area Technical College, Oak Creek Campus
E-1146665 S. Howell Avenue, Oak Creek, WI 53154-1107

Seminars are scheduled for two hours. For more information, call 715-592-6595. To register for a seminar go to the Midwest Renewable Energy Association registration page for We Energies Renewable Energy Seminars at http://www.the-mrea.org/we_seminars.php.

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Family enjoys wind turbines

From an article by Rick Vanderlinde in The Alliston Hearld(central Ontario, Canada):

SHELBURNE — As Andria Hutchinson watched the giant wind turbines being erected around her home two years ago, she grew uneasy.

The windmills, with their massive concrete columns and large fiberglass blades, were beginning to dominate the flat farmland of Melancthon Township, just west of Shelburne.

“We didn’t know what to think when they were going up,” she says, gazing at the blades of a turbine spinning in the brisk breeze last Thursday. “They sat there all winter and we thought, ‘Gee how loud are these things going to be?’”

Two summers later, Hutchinson and her young family have grown to enjoy the 45 windmills built by Canadian Hydro in this Dufferin County township.

“We don’t mind them at all. There’s no real noise from what we can tell,” she says. “You basically have to stop walking along the gravel to hear them because your footsteps are louder than they are.”

Hutchinson, who lives on a farmstead but doesn’t have any of the windmills on her land, even enjoys the striking display of the white windmills.

“I found they actually relax you. They have a calming effect as the blades spin around,” she says. “It’s kind of nice.”

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Non-Profits Renewable Energy Grants Workshop, Sept. 23

From the Web site of We Energies:

If you are interested in our renewable energy grants but not sure how to get start, attend our free Renewable Energy Grant Workshop on Sept. 23, 2008, at the Milwaukee Marriott West from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pre-registration required.

According to the Web site, We Energies offers "Prescriptive and Custom Incentives to non-profit, charitable organizations that implement electric or natural gas-saving measures at their facilities. This guide, along with a conversation with a program representative, can assist you in determining your eligibility."

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Wind farm open house, Saturday, Sept. 13

The Blue Sky Green Field Wind Energy Center, located in the towns of Calumet and Marshfield in northeast Fond du Lac County, is designed to generate 145 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and is capable of powering approximately 36,000 average residential homes. The site consists of 88 wind turbines.

Construction of the project began in June 2007. On May 19, 2008, Blue Sky Green Field was placed into commercial operation. The turbines are capable of generating more than 328 million emission-free kilowatt-hours annually.

Saturday, Sept.13
9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Blue Sky Green Field Office
N9470 County Highway W
Malone, WI 53049

Tours will be given approximately every 30 minutes. WE Energies invites you to stop by at your convenience during the tour hours listed above. No reservations required.

The turbine is located a short walking distance from the parkingarea. Please wear sturdy shoes suitable for walking on a graveled surface.

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Alternative fuels, ethanol and vehicles

Alternative fuels are not the brand new topic as many people think they are. There is a long history of different researches by different organizations and individuals that have been constantly researching and hoping to find brand new ways to power vehicles.When we think about the main differences between the alternative fuels and fossil fuels we mainly think about our environment, as fossil

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Webinar on renewable energy for green communities

WHAT:
Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, is proud to sponsor a Webinar on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008 titled Sustainable Energy for Green Communities.

The Webinar is designed for individuals who envision a greener future for their communities. Participants will be presented an overview on how to create a community energy plan with energy sustainability as a key component. This plan focuses on areas such as carbon emissions and environmental quality, energy efficiency strategies to apply at the community level and a discussion on renewable resources such as solar, biomass and wind energy.

Participants will also learn how Focus on Energy can assist communities in implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. In addition, other community energy resources will be presented from the University of Wisconsin Extension Service, and the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence through its Energy Independent Communities Program.

WHEN:
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008
12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

REGISTRATION and COST:
Those interested in participating in the Sustainable Energy for Green Communities Webinar can register online at www.ecw.org/sustenergy. The cost is $29.00.

WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE:
Local government officials and planners, private planning consultants, plan commissioners, and other professionals and volunteers involved in sustainable community planning issues. (1.25 AICP Certification Maintenance credits, AICP approval pending)

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Green Vision for Milwaukee

The Green Vision statement of the Milwaukee Office of Environmental Sustainability:

It's about our economy.

It's about our environment.

It's about a New Milwaukee.

Milwaukee will be a livable city where our rivers and lakes are clean;
where our beaches are crowded with families enjoying the sand and water;
where our political leaders do not hesitate to innovate;
where our air is clear and our children can safely play outside on summer days;
where shopping and entertainment are within walking distance of our homes;
where employers in the hottest green technologies come to do business;
where our workforce is qualified and ready to work for these businesses;
where our city is known to young professionals around the country as a progressive place to live;
where we consider the future when we make decisions today;
where the story when it rains is how green and our streetscapes are, not that our sewerage plants have overflowed;
where citizens, businesses, and governments come together to find practical solutions our shared challenges;
and where we do the hard work to make this vision a reality.

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Vickerman responds to anonymous "Greenie"

RENEW's Executive Director wrote the following response to a post by "Greenie" in a forum of the Wisconsin State Journal:

Forumite Greenie writes: “The biggest problem with the federal production tax credit for renewable energy is that it only covers wind and solar. In the state of Wisconsin where our wind resource is low, the production tax credit is what's driving wind developers to put turbines where they don't belong.”

Inaccuracies abound in that statement. One, the federal production tax credit covers wind and closed-loop biomass and biogas from livestock manure. Two, it does not cover solar. There is a 30% investment tax credit specific to most solar energy systems (not solar pool heaters). Three, the wind resource in Wisconsin is pretty good in certain locations, like along the Niagara Escarpment. At the two recently completed wind projects—Blue Sky Green Field and Forward—capacity factors should average 30%. The same should be true of the two wind projects under construction, Cedar Ridge and Butler Ridge. Fourth, the tax credit is based on output. The greater the amount of kilowatt-hours produced at a particular site, the greater the value of the tax credits. Furthermore, the tax credits are good for 10 years. After that, the turbines on their own, Since they are built to last 25 to 30 years, there had better be a decent resource where they are located, which is the case with every wind turbine operating in Wisconsin

Greenie continues: “They [manure digesters] would take nitrates out of the water, help farmers with their high electrical bills and provide power to the surrounding community. The Crave Brothers who produce excellent cheese on their farm put in a manure digester that not only took care of their $6,000 a month electrical bill, but also supplies electricity to the 126 homes around them. The nitrates no longer go into the ground water. They're left with very clean compost material which can be used for many things. So why won't they get any production tax credit money?”

Not only are manure digesters eligible for the federal production tax credit, they are also eligible for State of Wisconsin financial incentives through the Focus on Energy program. A manure-to-methane electric generation system can receive up to $250,000 in financial support from Wisconsin utility ratepayers. Generally, these incentives account for 10% to 25% of the installed cost of these systems, depending on their size.

RENEW Wisconsin strongly supports generating electricity or renewable natural gas from livestock manure. In several rate cases, RENEW argued that the utility should provide a higher buyback rate for manure-to-methane electric generation system. Several utilities have raised their buyback rates, though they still fall short of what is needed to cover installation costs. Having said that, Wisconsin has more livestock biogas generation systems than any other state. And several companies that are active in this market, including Clear Horizons, the company that installed the system at the Crave Brothers farm, are RENEW members,

More from Greenie: “For Wisconsin, industrial scale wind farms will always depend on coal burning power plants to operate.”

This is simply false. As any utility grid operator can confirm, a new wind farm does not need new baseload capacity to back it up. There is an abundant amount of reserve generating capacity in Wisconsin to absorb many new windpower installations.

Greenie again: “The production tax credit makes it so developers turn profit on inefficient and inappropriately sited turbines which are destroying so many Wisconsin communities.”

Name one Wisconsin community that has been “destroyed” by wind turbines.

We Energies, which owns the 88-turbine Blue Sky Green Field installation, is hosting an open house this Saturday. At the open house you’ll have the opportunity to see and hear the turbines with your own sensory apparatus. While you’re in that part of Fond du Lac County, ask the locals for their opinion of the installation. You’ll discover that the project is quite popular with Marshfield and Calumet township residents.

Greenie’s on a roll: “ If you feel like looking deeper into this if you follow the roots of the wind industry, state mandates for renewable energy standards (almost all of it going to WIND) the production tax credit (almost all of it going to wind) and the green credits (Wind again) you'll end up at ENRON -- once one of the biggest wind developers in the country.”

There is a simple reason why wind has become the dominant resource among renewable resources—it’s the only one that can produce power in bulk. Let’s compare the scalability of wind with dairy cattle manure. A Vestas V-82 turbine at Blue Sky Green Field has a capacity of 1.65 MW and will average about 4 million kWh/year (probably more), which is 28% of its rated capacity. How many cows does it take to produce the same amount of energy? Biogas producers agree that the energy value of dairy cow manure equates to 0.2 kW. It takes five cows to constitute one kW of generating capacity, 5,000 cows to constitute 1 MW. If you take the manure from one cow and put it into a digester/generation system that operates 90% of the time, it will produce an average of 1,577 kWh/year. Divide four million into that number and you’ll see that it takes 2,536 dairy cows to produce the same amount of energy as one commercial wind turbine. There are perhaps a dozen dairy operations in Wisconsin that have 2,500 cows, as compared with the 88 wind turbines at the 10,000-acre Blue Sky Green Field project, which should produce about 350,000,000 kWh/year. By my calculations, one would need 223,168 dairy cows to produce enough livestock manure to equal the output from Blue Sky Green Field. To put number that in perspective, we’re talking about nearly 20% of the state’s entire population of dairy cows (currently estimated at 1,252,000, according to the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board [[www.wisdairy.com]), all located in specialized dairy operations where their manure is captured and fed into anaerobic digesters.

How many residential solar electric systems is needed to produce 4,000,000 kWh. About 1,700.

By the way, Enron’s wind division was one of the few divisions in the company that generated a profit, which is why GE bought it after Enron filed for bankruptcy.

Greenie closes with this gem: “Why do lobbying groups like Renew Wisconsin carry the flag for wind and almost nothing else? Where is their money coming from?”

In addition to the wind industry, RENEW Wisconsin advocates on behalf of solar energy (electric and hot water), hydro, biomass, and biogas. We do this in many forums: at the Public Service Commission, at the State Legislature, in schools and at numerous county board and town hall meetings. We count among our members such companies as North American Hydro, H&H Solar, Full Spectrum Solar, GHD, Inc., Pieper Power, Lake Michigan Wind and Sun, and Lake Breeze Dairy. Our 330 members contribute about 20% of our revenues in a typical year. The other 80% of our funding comes from foundation grants and Focus on Energy work.

Allow me to ask a question of you, Greenie: Where do you get your misinformation from?

Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin

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General energy facts

Energy is the ability to do work. It comes in different forms thermal (heat), radiant (light), mechanical, electrical, chemical, and nuclear energy. Energy is in everything.Internationally accepted unit of measurement for energy is the SI unit of energy, the joule. Power is the rate at which energy is transferred and it is usually measured in watts.Energy is most often used in the context of

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Can Milwaukee become a solar city?

From an article by Ken Reibel in the Sheperd Express:

Can the red-hot market for solar panels generate green jobs for Milwaukee? Some city officials are hoping so. “We’ll be looking into whether we can build them locally,” says Ann Beier, director of environmental sustainability for the city of Milwaukee.

Beier and others want to use part of a $200,000 federal Solar City grant to fund a feasibility study. “It’s worth exploring,” she says.

The numbers are enticing. The U.S. solar market grew 57% in 2007, and worldwide demand has grown 20%-25% per year over the past 20 years. But barriers to entry are steep, and investment risky. Four manufacturing behemoths currently produce 50% of the solar energy products, or photovoltaics, sold on the planet, and the pace of innovation could leave some investors out in the cold.

“Not the U.S.A., but Germany, Japan and China are the major manufacturers,” says Niels Wolter, solar electric program manager for the Madison-based Focus on Energy Renewable Energy Program. “But solar electric technology has significant room for innovation, so there are opportunities for new businesses to enter the market.”

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Urge Congress to extend credit for renewable energy

An editorial from the Wisconsin State Journal:

America's effort to develop cleaner, more sustainable energy sources is threatened by the looming expiration of federal tax credits that boost renewable energy production and use.

Congress should respond this month by extending and enhancing the credits, which encourage investment in solar, wind, biomass and other renewable power sources.

A significant risk exists that at the end of this year Congress will let credits worth $500 million a year lapse, as it did three previous times. In those cases, investment in renewables fell dramatically before Congress revived the credits. Investment in wind power production, for example, fell 93 percent following the expiration of tax credits in 2000.

This year the vast majority in Congress supports extending the credits, available to homeowners, businesses and investors for buying equipment to use or produce renewable energy. But legislation extending and improving the credits is stalled by a dispute over what to do about the impact on the federal budget deficit.

The credits are part of a larger package of tax breaks scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Extending the breaks would cost the treasury $50 billion over 10 years.

Plans call for Congress to offset the lost revenue by raising fees or taxes or by cutting other programs.

Many senators and representatives are balking at the offsets.

Congress deserves praise for making sure the credits do not exacerbate the already-enormous budget deficits. But its members should also recognize the value the renewable energy tax credits have to an economy weighed down by the high cost of fossil fuels and to an environment threatened by pollution from burning fossil fuels.

With Congress scheduled to adjourn for the year at the end of this month, it's time for its members to compromise on a package of tax credits that can be offset with reasonable fee or tax increases and program cuts.

Wisconsin has much at stake. The state has great potential to become a national leader in renewable energy.

Tax credits spur the industry by making it more cost-effective to invest in equipment to use renewable energy in homes or businesses. The credits also make it more cost-effective to invest in starting or expanding renewable energy production plants.

Allowing the credits to expire would be a setback with costly consequences.

Wisconsin's congressional delegation should help engineer a resolution that extends the credits without enlarging the budget deficit.

The American Wind Energy Association makes it easy to contact your U.S. representatives and senators, through a page dedicated to urging members of Congress to act.

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Two Rivers may erect wind turbine

From an article by Cindy Hodgson in the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter:

TWO RIVERS — Two Rivers Water & Light is considering erecting a wind turbine near the high school on Highway 42. It would be a joint project of the utility, the school and Wisconsin Public Power Inc., according to electric utility director Tom Bushman.

“We’re in very preliminary talks at this point,” Bushman said.

He said he has been in contact with the school regarding the idea for a couple of years, but “price has always been the issue.”

Now Wisconsin Public Power Inc., which is owned by 49 utilities including Two Rivers Water & Light, has indicated it is willing to provide funding, perhaps as much as 75 percent, according to Bushman.

WPPI would like to see at least one alternative energy demonstration project in each of its member cities, he said. Solar projects have been undertaken, and WPPI wants to see some wind projects implemented.

Two Rivers is a suitable location for a wind project, Bushman said, because it has open spaces and offshore winds from Lake Michigan in the afternoon.

If a wind turbine is set up near the high school, the power it generates will offset a small portion of the school’s electric bill, Bushman said.

Eggers Industries, on the other side of Highway 42, also has expressed interested in having a wind turbine, and the company has some vacant land to its south, he said.

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MATC, MSOE have sunny outlooks

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

The largest solar power project in downtown Milwaukee is up and running at Milwaukee School of Engineering.

144 solar panels sit on the roof of the school's student union building and are visible to office workers in nearby downtown buildings. That's by design, said Chris Damm, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MSOE.

"It's a statement to show that MSOE is leading the way in terms of sustainability and engineering, to attract students who are interested in emerging energy technologies and sustainable engineering," he said.

But the project is more than just a showcase for the university. It's part of a training ground for students to engage in research in the growing fields of renewable energy and more efficient energy use.

Already, students did research to help determine the best spot on the downtown campus to place the solar panels - to ensure they wouldn't be blocked by shadows from nearby buildings and generate too little power.

The solar project is the largest in downtown Milwaukee and one of the biggest at the state, though larger projects may be in the works.

The state's largest solar systems are at GE Healthcare in Waukesha and Kohl's Corp. in Menomonee Falls.

The downtown Milwaukee project, with a price tag of $235,000, was paid for through a combination of internal funding, a $100,000 grant from We Energies and a $35,000 grant from the state energy efficiency and renewable program, Focus on Energy.

A side note to the story says:

The future of solar power will be discussed during a conference next month at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee. The Solar Decade conference is planned for Oct. 23-24. For more, go to www.solardecade.com or call (800) 762-7077.

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