A safe investment in 2010: Hot water

Though written in 2007, an analysis by RENEW's executive director Michael Vickerman may be even truer today an a few years ago, given the risk involved in "traditional" investments. The analysis shows that an investmnet in a solar hot water system generates a better rate of return than putting money in the bank:

I wrote a column which was highly critical of using payback analysis to figure out whether installing a solar hot water system on one’s house makes economic sense. In almost every example you can imagine, the payback period for today’s solar installations ranges between long and forever. For my system, which started operating in January 2006, payback will be achieved in a mere 19 years using today’s energy prices, though by the time 2025 rolls around, half of Florida might be under water and the rest of the country out of natural gas.

But there’s no reason to let payback length rule one’s ability to invest in sustainable energy for the home or business, especially if there are other approaches to valuing important economic decisions. One way to sidestep the gloomy verdicts of payback analysis is to do what most companies do when contemplating a long-term investment like solar energy -- calculate the internal rate of return (IRR) on the invested capital. The definition of IRR is the annualized effective compounded return rate which can be earned on the invested capital, i.e. the yield on the investment.

By using this familiar capital budgeting method, I’m able to calculate an IRR of 6.1%for my solar water heater if natural gas prices rise a measly 3% per annum. That yield exceeds anything that a bank will offer you today. It will likely outperform the stock market this year, which is due for a substantial downward adjustment to reflect the slow-motion implosion of the housing market now underway. And, unless you live in a gold-rush community like Fort McMurray, Alberta, your house will do well just to hold onto its current valuation, let alone appreciate by six percent.

While all investments pose some degree of risk, the return on a solar energy system is about as safe and predictable as, well, the rising sun. Fortunately for the Earth and its varied inhabitants, the center of our solar system is situated well beyond the reach of humanity’s capacity to tamper with a good thing.

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Keep working toward energy independence

From an editorial in the Sheboygan Press:

Gov. Jim Doyle's 2006 campaign promise of having four University of Wisconsin campuses completely "off the grid" by 2012 and get their energy needs from renewable sources was an ambitious one.

Unfortunately, it has turned out to be an impossible task.

Doyle said that campuses at Oshkosh, River Falls, Green Bay and Stevens Point were to work toward energy independence as a way to show that it can be done. Doyle has pushed hard for Wisconsin to research and implement alternative energy sources, especially renewable sources — wind, solar and biomass. The goal is to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, especially oil bought from foreign countries.

The four schools were to start producing their own electricity or buy it from utilities using the renewable sources of energy, Doyle said in 2006. The challenge also would spark energy conservation on the four campuses.

But with just two years to go, the promise far outshines the reality.

Still, there has been significant progress.

UW-Green Bay, which specializes in environmental education, has reduced its energy use by 26 percent since 2005.

UW-River Falls is studying the use of wind turbines on the campus farm to generate electricity. . . .

If the governor deserves any criticism for his promise, it is that he set an unrealistic timetable and did not ensure that there was adequate funding.

But Wisconsin must continue to do the research and find the technology that will not only reduce reliance on fossil fuels, but also ensure that energy in the future will be less costly.

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Doyle Announces $190,000 to Roundy's for energy projects

From a news release issued by Governor Jim Doyle:

OCONOMOWOC – Governor Jim Doyle announced today a $190,570 grant for Roundy’s Supermarkets to help complete energy efficient lighting projects at its facility in Oconomowoc. The funding through the state’s Focus on Energy program builds on Governor Doyle’s efforts to make Wisconsin a national leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

“Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in clean energy,” Governor Doyle said. “With this funding, we will be able to help Roundy’s become more energy efficient, so they can retain their competitive edge, reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, and create jobs.”

The project will save Roundy’s nearly $400,000 annually in energy costs and conserve enough energy to power 450 homes each year. It will also significantly reduce carbon emissions. Roundy’s recently replaced nearly 2,000 metal halide fixtures with high bay fluorescent fixtures. Nearly 1,600 of them have occupancy sensor controls to dim when the area is not in use.

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Muskego company saves $95,000 annually from green building measures

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

(December 21, 2009) — Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy, in partnership with We Energies, awarded Ace Industrial Properties $77,300 after it completed several major green building initiatives at its new 484,000 square-foot Muskego warehouse.

Together the projects will save more than 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually compared to a conventional building of its size – saving enough energy to power 125 Wisconsin homes for a year. Ace Industrial Properties will also benefit from saving approximately $95,000 on its energy bills at the warehouse each year. . . .

The cash incentives from Focus were used to install major energy savers including:
· More than 1,000 high-performance T8 electronic fixtures, which can save up to 40 percent more energy, last 4,000 hours longer, and provide a better light quality than standard systems.
· Motion-controlled occupancy sensors installed on all light fixtures, which can reduce the lighting system operating time by up to 50 percent.
· High-efficiency cooling was also installed in a few areas throughout the building.

Not only do these upgrades save the property management company money, but they are also environmentally-friendly. The annual environmental benefits are equivalent to offsetting more than 2,400 barrels of oil from being burned – eliminating 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere.

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Teachers' publication features Jenny Heinzen

An article on RENEW's president Jenny Heinzen from the Wisconsin Education Association:

Jenny Heinzen’s job isn’t a breeze – though it does rely on it. As a Wind Energy Technology instructor at Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland, Wis., Heinzen not only teaches about harnessing an alternative form of energy, she’s been part of the push for new wind farms in Wisconsin.

In September, Governor Jim Doyle signed into law a bill calling for uniform standards for wind farms. The bill will create a set of rules overruling any local ordinances on wind farms, potentially setting up a boon for wind projects in the state. Heinzen is part of a group called Wind for Wisconsin, which spurred the legislation. Heinzen said she wants to create wind farms to move Wisconsin forward and keep wind energy technology students in the state.

“The bill, and consequently the new law, was absolutely necessary in order to move forward,” Heinzen said. “The last thing I want is to ship all of my graduates to other states. I want them to have jobs available here at home. And I want Wisconsin to start using more renewable energy, as we have no coal, gas, oil or uranium. But we’ve got wind, sun, water and agricultural wastes that can be used to produce electricity. . . .”


Heinzen is also the president of nonprofit clean energy organization RENEW Wisconsin, and said a state set of standards for wind farms is crucial for their development.

“This has been one of our main topics for the past two years,” she said. “The bill was created in response to a plethora of local ordinances that ultimately restricted, and sometimes killed, wind power projects in this state.”

Heinzen said the best part of her job is watching her students learn and climb, as well as setting them up for success later in life.

“Even better is when they get their job as a technician after, and sometimes before, graduation,” she added.

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Manitowoc council approves Orion wind turbine

From an article by Steve Prestegard on Marketplace Magazine:

The Manitowoc Common Council Monday [December 21] approved Orion Energy Systems’ request to build a wind turbine at the power technology enterprises’ Woodland Drive world headquarters.

Orion’s wind turbine is expected to generate 20 kilowatts of electricity that will be used to help power the company’s technology center and manufacturing facility. The electricity generated by the wind turbine is enough to regularly power the equivalent of four to five homes a year. The turbine, manufactured by Oshkosh-based Renewegy LLC, will be 115 feet tall.

“We’re excited to be bringing the first urban wind project to Manitowoc County,” said Orion CEO Neal Verfuerth. “By installing this technology adjacent to our facility where the electricity will be used, we are demonstrating how renewable generating sources can be connected directly to the customer load.

“At the same time, we’re supporting a Wisconsin-based company — investing in Wisconsin workers and investing in our state’s economy.” The wind turbine will be erected in early spring 2010 just north of Orion’s technology center.

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Telkonet, Inc. restructures, including relocation of headquarters to Milwaukee

From a news release issued by Telkonet:

GERMANTOWN, MD--(Marketwire - December 21, 2009) - Telkonet, Inc. (OTCBB: TKOI), a Clean Technology company that develops and manufactures proprietary energy management and SmartGrid networking technology, is conducting a restructuring which includes the relocation of its offices from Germantown, Maryland to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This transition is part of an ongoing focus to competitively position the company within the $50 billion SmartGrid and Clean Technology industries while achieving favorable cost reductions. . . .

Jason Tienor, President and CEO, commented, “The decision to consolidate Telkonet’s operations demonstrates our continued commitment to realign our business and operations, helping us achieve our growth and expansion goals. With this relocation strategy, we’re able to optimize our resources, positioning the Company to more effectively address the needs of the growing Clean Technology market. In addition, we look forward to becoming a significant part of the Clean Technology landscape in Wisconsin. This transition demonstrates our dedication to Wisconsin and further meets the conditions of our funding with the State to increase employment within
Wisconsin.

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RTA votes to stop rental car fee to pay for planning KRM

From an article by Joe Potente in the Kenosha News:

A fee on rental car transactions in southeastern Wisconsin is going away — at least for a while.

The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority voted Friday not to reinstate a $2 fee that had been charged to help pay for planning of the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter rail proposal.

That was after the new board voted narrowly to appoint Kenosha County designee Karl Ostby as its chairman.

Created by the Legislature as part of the 2009-11 state budget, the authority is enabled to levy up to $18 per rental transaction to support the local costs of KRM’s development.

Debate over fee

Maintaining the $2 fee for now was discussed, but a majority of the board favored holding off on any fee until a KRM grant plan is finalized, Antaramian said in a phone interview Friday. Antaramian said nobody on the board has shown an interest in levying the full $18.

“I think certain members of the board felt that there wasn’t a need until we actually saw a proposal,” said Antaramian, who supported continuing the $2 charge.

However, Ostby said the question of the fee is likely to arise again next month, after the authority has a clearer idea of KRM’s costs.

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Don't weaken state's nuke law

From a commentary by Jennifer Nordstrom, coordinator of the Carbon-Free, Nuclear-Free campaign for the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research and a member of Carbon-Free, Nuclear-Free Wisconsin, in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Weakening Wisconsin laws regulating new nuclear reactors should not be part of a climate change bill. The Clean Energy Jobs Act, unveiled in the state Legislature recently, is a significant step toward addressing global warming while strengthening our state economy. Although much of the bill is a positive step to addressing global warming, it weakens Wisconsin's current law on building new nuclear reactors.

Wisconsin's current law is common sense and protects citizens and the environment from radioactive nuclear waste, which poses considerable risks for tens thousands of years and contains plutonium, which can be used to make nuclear weapons if separated. Available renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies are faster, cheaper, safer and cleaner strategies for reducing greenhouse emissions than nuclear power.

Nuclear energy is also expensive and financially risky. Nuclear projects are large, take a long time to plan and build (eight years at a minimum and often more) and require a great deal of capital. This means a lot of money gets locked up in a single project - sometimes more than the companies seeking to build the reactors are worth. Wall Street has refused to provide capital for new nuclear reactors.

The nuclear industry wants either taxpayers or ratepayers to subsidize these projects, via taxpayer loan guarantees and/or ratepayer interest-free advance cash. Even before the current financial crisis, the CEO of General Electric said if he were a utility CEO, he would not build nuclear but natural gas or wind power plants because "I don't have to bet my company on any of this (wind or gas) stuff."

Wisconsin's law was partially designed to protect its citizens from the financial risk and expense of new reactors. It was also put it in place because of the serious, unsolved problem of nuclear waste.

Every reactor produces radioactive nuclear waste, which contains elements that last for hundreds of generations. No country in the world (including France and the United States) has a repository for storing this radioactive waste. The problems with Yucca Mountain, the proposed site in the United States, are technical as well as political; the Obama administration has rightly declared it unsuitable. Wisconsin residents should remember that in the last round of looking for a national nuclear waste dump, Wisconsin was high on the list.

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State DA surcharge now hitting We Energies bills

From a Tom Content blog post on JSonline:

The state-authorized surcharge on electric bills to pay for district attorney salaries is now hitting utility bills of We Energies customers.

The Milwaukee utility is the last of the investor-owned utilities in the state to begin collecting the surcharge. The increase took effect with bills processed on Thursday, utility spokesman Brian Manthey said.

For residential customers, the fee amounts to 47 cents a month. The fee will drop to 26 cents a month for the fiscal year that starts in July.

Small businesses will be assessed $1.07 a month beginning now and 57 cents a week beginning in July. Factories can expect to pay $29.53 a month starting this week, and $15.83 a month beginning in July, the utility said.

Wisconsin legislators included the surcharge among a host of fee increases aimed at helping balance the state budget. Other fee increases adopted as part of the state budget include surcharges imposed on cell-phone bills.

We Energies will end up collecting about $8 million for the state from its customers across the state over the next 19 months, Manthey said.

Prosecutors are being paid from a fund originally designed to help poor people pay their utility bills and weatherize their homes. The extra fee is the latest in a series of budget maneuvers that have sent a total of $166 million from electricity ratepayers to non-energy-related state government purposes since 2002.

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Litany of errors mars analysis of bill to enact recommendations of global warming task force

From a news release issued by the coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE):

(MADISON, Wis.)—The coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE) on Tuesday released a fact sheet detailing the errors with the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute’s (WPRI) November 12th report on the adverse economic effects of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming recommendations.

“The WPRI report is so wildly flawed that it has no place in any legislative debate on the task force recommendations,” said Thad Nation, executive director of CREWE. “Not only does the report analyze many policies that aren’t even included in the Clean Energy Jobs Act, but it takes a piecemeal approach, failing to analyze the cumulative effect the policies will have on our state.”

Among the errors included in the report, titled “The Economics of Climate Change Proposals in Wisconsin”:
• 8 of the 13 policies analyzed aren’t included in the Clean Energy Jobs Act
• Models policies that would impact the state’s general fund, despite the fact that the Clean Energy Jobs Act includes no tax increases
• Ignores the fact that low carbon fuels will be produced in Wisconsin and other
Midwestern states, while conventional gasoline is largely imported from overseas
• Fails to take into account decreased electricity demand due to energy efficiency and conservation investments outlined in the recommendations.

In addition, the authors of the report used a “black box” economic model to come to their conclusions – meaning the reader is only given the inputs and outputs, without any knowledge of how the statistical analysis was done. In order to allow others to properly analyze the report’s conclusions, the model that was used should be made publicly available for review.

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Report: Wind Turbines Cause No Human Harm

From a news release issued by RENEW Wisconsin:

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 15, 2009

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

Report: Wind Turbines Cause No Human Harm
Consistent with 10-plus years of commercial wind generation operations in Wisconsin, a national report issued today concluded that the sounds produced by wind turbines are not harmful to human health, according to the state’s leading renewable energy advocacy group.

Comprised of medical doctors, audiologists, and acoustical professionals from the United States, Canada, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, the panel of reviewers undertook extensive analysis and discussion of the large body of peer-reviewed literature, specifically with regard to sound coming from wind turbines.

The panel was established by the American Wind Energy Association and the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA).

“This report corroborates testimony that RENEW presented in the ongoing Glacier Hills Wind Park hearings at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission,” according to Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin. In that proceeding, We Energies is seeking approval to construct a 90-turbine 162 megawatt wind park in northeast Columbia County.

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We all have a stake in curbing warming

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Even if a global deal can't be reached in Copenhagen, actions by states such as Wisconsin can make a big difference in the fight to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

When Gov. Jim Doyle arrives in Copenhagen this week to address the international conference on climate change, he can and should stress the need for action on an international scale, but he can also show the importance of states, countries and individuals doing what they can - acting locally - to reduce the human impact on global warming.

Wisconsin has been moving forward, largely under the leadership of Doyle, several key legislators and others, such as Tia Nelson and Roy Thilly, co-chairs of the Governor's Task Force on Global Warming, which made 63 policy recommendations when it concluded its work last year. The next step is to implement some of those recommendations in the form of a bill, a draft of which was unveiled last week.

The bill seeks to curb greenhouse gas emissions in the state while at the same time growing a green economy through investments in energy conservation and alternative fuels.

Doyle made the right point recently when he said, "States that stick their head in the sand and pretend this isn't happening are states that five, 10, 15 years from now are going to be looking around saying, 'How come we don't have a piece of that economy?' "

As Journal Sentinel reporters Tom Content and Lee Bergquist noted in an article Friday, the draft released Thursday calls for greater use of renewable power, opens the door to construction of nuclear power plants and lays the groundwork for how Wisconsin addresses global warming.

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Noise from wind turbines - Big problem in U.K.

Wind energy definitely has more advantages than disadvantages but as one of the main problems with win energy installations could be the noise coming from wind turbines. The U.K. Government has for instance asked for local authorities to urgently update the guidance and the impact of noise from wind turbines, campaigners.Wind turbines, as wind energy sector is developing, are becoming larger and

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Global warming bill sets stage for debate

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

A draft of major legislation released Thursday calls for greater use of renewable power, opens the door to construction of nuclear power plants and lays the groundwork for how Wisconsin addresses global warming.

The legislation sets the stage for a major debate in Madison, with proponents touting the promise of thousands of new jobs and opponents warning that new controls will damage the state's already weak manufacturing sector.

The bill would dramatically change the state's sources of energy, mandating that 25% of electricity come from wind, solar, biomass and other renewable sources by 2025.

Wisconsin is heavily dependent on coal, a key source of greenhouse gases that most climate scientists say is a leading contributor to rising global temperatures.

The legislation also would tighten building codes to increase energy efficiency, impose restrictions on engine idling of freight trucks and adopt vehicle emissions standards similar to California and other states.

These link connect to:
+ Index to the bill
+ Short overview
+ Detailed summary

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Fed grants will help Milwaukee companies create green jobs

From an article in the BizTimes Daily:

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle announced today that three Milwaukee area companies have been granted a total of $3.1 million in federal funding to help them invest in manufacturing equipment and create 276 new green jobs.
“Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in clean energy,” Doyle said. “With these funds, we will help these companies not only create hundreds of new green jobs in Milwaukee, but also manufacture renewable energy and energy efficient products.”

The companies receiving the federal funding are:

+ Helios USA - $1 million. The Milwaukee start-up is a manufacturer that will produce solar panels for residential and commercial applications. It is leasing 40,000 square feet in an existing facility and will invest more than $8 million for equipment and working capital. Helios expects to create 54 new clean energy jobs.

+ Nature Tech LLC - $800,000. The company is a Milwaukee start-up manufacturer of energy efficient cellulose insulation manufactured from recycled newsprint. It is leasing a vacant facility and will invest more than $3 million in the project. The company plans to create 47 new clean energy jobs.

+ ZBB Energy Corp. - $1.3 million. ZBB of Menomonee Falls is investing $4.5 million in equipment and working capital to expand its advanced battery products manufacturing. The company will retain 26 jobs and plans to create 175 additional jobs.

Doyle has launched a plan calling for the state to achieve energy independence by generating 25 percent of its electricity and 25 percent of its transportation fuels from renewable resources by 2025.

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Study: Wind farms have no effect on property values

From a news release issued by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory:

Home sales prices are very sensitive to the overall quality of the scenic vista from a property, but a view of a wind energy facility does not demonstrably impact sales prices.Over 30,000 megawatts of wind energy capacity are installed across the United States and an increasing number of communities are considering new wind power facilities. Given these developments, there is an urgent need to empirically investigate typical community concerns about wind energy and thereby provide stakeholders involved in the wind project siting process a common base of knowledge. A major new report released today by the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory evaluates one of those concerns, and finds that proximity to wind energy facilities does not have a pervasive or widespread adverse effect on the property values of nearby homes.

The new report, funded by the DOE, is based on site visits, data collection, and analysis of almost 7,500 single-family home sales, making it the most comprehensive and data-rich analysis to date on the potential impact of U.S. wind projects on residential property values.

“Neither the view of wind energy facilities nor the distance of the home to those facilities was found to have any consistent, measurable, and significant effect on the selling prices of nearby homes,” says report author Ben Hoen, a consultant to Berkeley Lab. “No matter how we looked at the data, the same result kept coming back - no evidence of widespread impacts.”

An expert witness on real estate voiced the same conclusion during hearings on We Energies proposed Glacier Hills Wind Park.

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Energizing Fort Atkinson’s schools from the sun and earth

The solar water heating systems serve Fort Atkinson high school and the middle school. The radiant energy striking the rooftop panels year-round is efficiently collected and taken inside to preheat the swimming pools inside each structure. Except during the winter months, the incoming solar energy is sufficient to maintain pool temperatures at 84°F. Even in January, however, the savings that a solar hot water system yields simply by preheating a pool to 70°F is substantial when multiplied over several decades.

From a story by Michael Vickerman, RENEW's executive director:

As a result of educating themselves on the connection between energy use and atmospheric pollution, several school districts in Wisconsin are taking increasingly aggressive steps to conserve energy as well as produce a portion of what they use on-site. Some have embraced ground source heat pump systems (Fond du Lac High School), while others have installed solar hot water systems (Osceola Middle School) and solar electric systems (Paul Olson elementary school in Madison). Not to be outdone, Wausau East High School recently installed a 100 kW Northwind turbine, which is now the largest wind generator attached to a school building in Wisconsin.

Yet if one measures success by substantial reductions in energy expenditures and emissions reductions, there is one school district in Wisconsin that stands head and shoulders above its peers: Fort Atkinson. Serving 2,700 school-age children in a community of 12,000, the Fort Atkinson School District operates six buildings: four elementary schools, one middle school and a high school. School officials have made no secret of their aspiration to make Fort Atkinson the most energy-efficient and self-sufficient K-12 district in the state.

Since 2005, Fort Atkinson has rigorously pursued a sustainable energy agenda that integrates, in a systematic and complementary fashion, continuous monitoring of consumption, aggressive building efficiency measures, and renewable energy capture. As articulated in its 2009 energy plan, the district, the district’s principal goals for 2010 are nothing if not ambitious:

+ Pare energy costs by 20% from 2005 levels;
+ Lower carbon emissions by 25% from 2005 levels;
+ Obtain EnergyStar certification for all six schools; and
+ Install on-site renewable production at all six schools.

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Energy audits help stop home heat loss

From an article by Julie Lawrence posted on OnMilwaukee.com:

The temperatures outside are plummeting. It's winter in Wisconsin and the cozy comfort of our homes becomes our refuge after hours of shoveling and ice scraping. What we're forced to endure in the Midwest could be considered criminal in other parts of the country, but the real crime Wisconsinites face is not adequately preparing their homes for the seasons.

Kent Borden has been an energy audit consultant for Five Star Energy Corp. for close to three years and he's seen homes at just about every level of efficiency. Interestingly, it's not that most people aren't willing to work to limit energy loss, it's that they don't fully understand its source.

Wisconsinites often misinterpret old windows as the major culprit. Borden says not necessarily. While windows are a very visible part of the home, Borden says our notion that they are leaking like sieves is largely thanks to window manufacturers who like to portray that message.

"I don't want to completely refute what they're saying; windows certainly can be a factor."

But, he says, a homeowner planning to drop $10,000 to $15,000 on new windows will never see the payback in energy savings.

So if the windows aren't the biggest energy loss offenders, what are?

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Kohl’s pledges net zero emissions by 2010

From a news release issued by Kohl's Corporation:

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis., December 2, 2009 – Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE: KSS) today became the first retailer to announce a commitment to reach net zero U.S. greenhouse gas emissions as part of its ongoing partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Climate Leaders program. To achieve this goal of being carbon neutral, Kohl’s will continue to invest in projects to reduce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions that the company emits into the atmosphere.

The goal accounts for U.S. emissions at all Kohl’s facilities, including stores, distribution centers and corporate offices, as well as emissions resulting from business travel. Kohl’s goal, once realized, will be equivalent to removing more than 130,842 vehicles from the road for a year or offsetting the annual emissions from electricity used by more than 99,084 homes. . . .

Initiatives central to Kohl’s achievement of its Climate Leaders goal include a continuation of the company’s five environmental strategies: maximize energy efficiency, minimize waste, improve new building design, reduce emissions and encourage environmental values. Highlights include:

• Commitment to green power: Kohl’s strongly supports the development of renewable energy and was named one of EPA’s 2009 Green Power Partners of the Year. The company currently ranks as the no. 1 retailer on EPA’s list of Green Power Purchasers in its Green Power Partnership. In 2009, Kohl’s purchased 851 million kilowatt-hours in renewable energy credits – enough to meet 71 percent of the company’s purchased electricity use. Kohl’s plans to reach 100 percent green power by the end of 2010.
• Leading solar program: Kohl’s is currently the world’s largest retail host of solar power with 79 solar locations in six states – California, Wisconsin, Oregon, Connecticut, Maryland and New Jersey. The company aims to expand the program into additional states in 2010 to reach more than 100 solar locations.
• Central Energy Management Systems: As of 2008, all Kohl’s locations are operated by a system that controls most interior and exterior lighting, as well as heating and cooling systems. Last year, even while adding more than one million square feet of retail space through new and existing store expansion, Kohl’s reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 12 percent.
• ENERGY STAR: The EPA ENERGY STAR national energy performance rating system provides a score on a 1 to 100 scale relative to similar buildings nationwide, with 50 as the average score. Buildings with a score of 75 or higher are eligible to receive EPA’s ENERGY STAR label. To date, more than 350 Kohl’s stores have earned the ENERGY STAR label – this is more than one third of all Kohl’s stores and more than 70 percent of retail buildings to date that have earned the ENERGY STAR. As a whole, Kohl’s stores average an ENERGY STAR score of 72, well above industry standard.

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Handbook on financing community wind projects

From the newly released handbook on "Community Wind Financing," published by the Environmental Law & Policy Center:

. . . community wind [i]s any project up to 20 MW which was “initiated and (at least partially) owned locally.”

Community wind power projects represent a relatively small, but growing, share of the wind energy market. As of July 2008, community wind projects accounted for at least 736 MW of the total installed wind energy projects in the United States, primarily in the Midwest, and more have been developed in the last year. These projects are largely owned by farmers and other local investors, schools, tribes and municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. Such local ownership generates powerful economic and social benefits for rural areas. . . .

This updated Handbook provides the latest information on financing community wind projects, including ownership structures, roles of financial intermediaries, and sources of federal and state financial support. Although building these projects has become easier over time as landowners have benefited from the experiences of the community wind pioneers, understanding and accessing financing opportunities remains perhaps the most important requirement for a successful project.

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Renewable energy advantages

Since gas and home heating prices are very likely to be soaring in years to come, it is really a logical choice to explore renewable energy not only to save some money that would otherwise be spent on huge energy bills but also to help our environment that is being heavily polluted with fossil fuels. These days, the more and more people realize that our large dependency on fossil fuels is causing

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Regional Transit Authority stuck in transit funding tangle

From an article by Larry Sandler in the Milwaukee Jounral Sentinel:

The Milwaukee area's newest government body started work this week with the realization that it doesn't have the power to accomplish its only mission.

In essence, the members of the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority were told that the state had put them in an impossible position, and only the state can get them out of it.

The 2009-'11 state budget created the new RTA to oversee the planned KRM Commuter Link rail line. It did not give the new body any power to fund or coordinate local bus systems.

Yet Federal Transit Administration officials have said they won't approve the $207.5 million commuter railroad until the financial problems of the Milwaukee County Transit System and its Racine and Kenosha counterparts are solved, Ken Yunker, executive director of the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, told RTA members.

Therefore, the RTA and the KRM will be doomed to fail without additional help from Madison, said Milwaukee County Supervisor Michael Mayo, an RTA member.

Lawmakers are working with Gov. Jim Doyle to draft new legislation that would create more transit authorities with the power to levy various taxes to support the bus systems, said Dan Kanninen, Doyle's legislative director. Kanninen said the bill could be introduced by the end of the year, for action when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

This isn't what Doyle wanted, Kanninen stressed. In his recommended budget, the governor proposed a single body that would oversee both the KRM and public buses in Milwaukee, Kenosha and eastern Racine counties, funded by a 0.5% sales tax.

But legislators shot down that idea in the face of heavy sales tax opposition from Racine County.

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PSC should approve the settlement with We Energies

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The state Public Service Commission [PSC] appears to have taken a reasonable approach to We Energies' request for an increase in rates for electricity customers, granting some but not all of what the utility was asking. While any increase hurts consumers during a time of recession, the reality is that We Energies needs to cover costs related to building power plants, transmission lines costs and employee pensions.

Wisconsin needs reasonable power costs to attract and retain businesses, but it also needs reliable power. The PSC is striving to make sure the state has both.

But commissioners delayed making a decision on one aspect of the rate request. That delay could hurt Wisconsin consumers and the environment. Commissioners should reconsider, and grant the request without any delay.

At stake is a settlement We Energies reached in 2008 with environmental groups involving cooling methods for its new coal plants in Oak Creek. The settlement was a victory for all sides, allowing the utility and its partners to complete the plants in a timely manner, providing help for Lake Michigan in the form of funds for restoration initiatives and expanding renewable energy in Wisconsin.

The $105 million settlement will be paid for mostly by electric customers, but that price tag will be far less than it could have been under a protracted legal battle over the plant's cooling system. The utilities involved and the environmental groups who fought the plant worked hard to reach a compromise that serves everyone.

But that compromise could be put in jeopardy if the PSC rejects the portion of the rate hike request designed to cover the cost of the settlement. The environmental groups could decide that their work was wasted if there is a significant delay in getting the restoration money for Lake Michigan. And re-opening the lawsuit could mean more costs to ratepayers if the groups prevail.

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Biofuels given boost in United States

Many people see biofuels as one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels, as United States is trying to become greener by developing its renewable energy sector. Biofuels, together with wind energy and solar energy, are becoming leaders in U.S. renewable energy sector, and U.S. government is also doing their part to promote these renewable energy sources. One of the best examples of what U.S.

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RENEW brief supports We Energies' wind park

From RENEW Wisconsin's brief filed with the Public Service Commission in support of the Glacier Hills Wind Park:

The design of the proposed Project is in the public interest first and foremost because it will be powered by wind rather than fossil fuels. Wind energy is a locally available, self-replenishing, emission-free electricity source. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, must be imported, are available in limited quantities, and emit pollutants. Moreover, using wind energy furthers the State’s policy goal that all new installed capacity for electric generation be based on renewable energy resources to the extent cost-effective and technically feasible. Wis. Stat. § 1.12(3)(b).

In his direct testimony, RENEW Wisconsin witness Michael Vickerman outlined a number of other public policy objectives that would be advanced by the construction of Glacier Hills. These include:
1. Helping Wisconsin Electric Power Company (“WEPCO”) meet its renewable energy requirements under Wis. Stat. § 196.378(2)(a)(2)d;
2. Securing adequate supplies of energy from sustainable sources;
3. Protecting ratepayers from rising fossil fuel prices;
4. Reducing air and water emissions from generation sources;
5. Preserving working farms and pasture land;
6. Generating additional revenues for host towns and counties;
7. Reducing the flow of capital out of Wisconsin for energy purchases; and
8. Investing Wisconsin capital in a wealth-producing energy generating facility within its borders.

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Port Washington OKs 'green' homes

From a post on Tom Daykin's blog at JSOnline:

A proposed nine-lot subdivision, showcasing homes with solar energy panels, geo-thermal heating and cooling systems, and other features designed to save energy, has received conceptual approval from the Port Washington Plan Commission.

Developer Mike Speas told me this morning that he plans to build homes with around 1,200 square feet, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and sell them at around $200,000.

The houses won't have finished basements, granite kitchen countertops and other amenities featured in comparably priced houses. But they will appeal to people looking to save a lot of money on their energy costs, Speas said.

The houses also will have a traditional arts and crafts bungalow design.

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Sierra Club & U.S. Green Building Council laucnh Cool Cities project

From a news release issued by the Sierra Club and the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance:

Milwaukee--Wisconsin Green Building Alliance (WIGBA) and Sierra Club’s Cool Cities program today announced the launch of the Green Building for Cool Cities collaboration. The partnership will leverage Cool Cities more than 200 local campaigns and USGBCs national network of 78 chapters to encourage new and retrofitted energy-efficient buildings, a key solution to global warming and to achieving the transition to a clean energy economy.

The organizations released a step-by-step green building policy guide for communities of all sizes. The recommended policies range from basic to more advanced plans of action to address energy-efficiency and environmental sustainability through the built environment.

Highlighted policies include leadership standards for government buildings that serve as models for the community; financial and no-cost incentives to build green for the commercial and residential sectors; and improved minimum efficiency standards through energy code adoption and enforcement. The Green Building for Cool Cities policy guide is available online at www.coolcities.us and www.usgbc.org. . . .

The Wisconsin State Building Commission has already been utilizing the guidelines. The new academic building at UW-Oshkosh, designed to incorporate renewable energy sources and sustainable principals to meet a gold LEED rating, is expected to save the University more than $182,000 annually. Energy design elements include:
+ Roof-top solar collectors will provide 70 percent of domestic hot water demand.
+ Radiant concrete slab flooring for heating and cooling — the first of its kind in the Wisconsin.
+ Day-lighting of more than 90 percent of regularly occupied spaces, reducing electric energy for lighting by more than one third.
+ Heat recovery system that exchanges the heat of warm exhausted air with the fresh air intake.

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How does nuclear power produce energy?

Many people are still not aware that nuclear power is one of the most important energy sources, second after the dominant fossil fuels. In fact a significant amount (nearly 17%) of the electricity produced for the world's energy demand is generated by nuclear power in nuclear power stations. There are even some countries (like for instance France) where the majority of the electricity comes from

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The staggering cost of new nuclear power

From an article by Joseph Room on Center for American Progress:

A new study puts the generation costs for power from new nuclear plants at 25 to 30 cents per kilowatt-hour—triple current U.S. electricity rates!

This staggering price is far higher than the cost of a variety of carbon-free renewable power sources available today—and 10 times the cost of energy efficiency (see “Is 450 ppm possible? Part 5: Old coal’s out, can’t wait for new nukes, so what do we do NOW?”

The new study, “Business Risks and Costs of New Nuclear Power,” is one of the most detailed cost analyses publically available on the current generation of nuclear power plants being considered in this country. It is by a leading expert in power plant costs, Craig A. Severance. A practicing CPA, Severance is co-author of The Economics of Nuclear and Coal Power (Praeger 1976), and former assistant to the chairman and to commerce counsel, Iowa State Commerce Commission.

This important new analysis is being published by Climate Progress because it fills a critical gap in the current debate over nuclear power—transparency. Severance explains:

All assumptions, and methods of calculation are clearly stated. The piece is a deliberate effort to demystify the entire process, so that anyone reading it (including non-technical readers) can develop a clear understanding of how total generation costs per kWh come together.

As stunning as this new, detailed cost estimate is, it should not come as a total surprise. I detailed the escalating capital costs of nuclear power in my May 2008 report, “The Self-Limiting Future of Nuclear Power.” And in a story last week on nuclear power’s supposed comeback, Time magazine notes that nuclear plants’ capital costs are “out of control,” concluding:

Most efficiency improvements have been priced at 1¢ to 3¢ per kilowatt-hour, while new nuclear energy is on track to cost 15¢ to 20¢ per kilowatt-hour. And no nuclear plant has ever been completed on budget.

Time buried that in the penultimate paragraph of the story!

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Transition Wisconsin seeks board members

From an announcement from Transition Wisconsin:

Transition Wisconsin is looking for individuals who would like to serve on the board or be a director for the Incorporation of "Transition Wisconsin" as a non-profit in the State of Wisconsin.

Transition Wisconsin is currently a part of the Transition Movement looking to formalize it's involvement. It is currently involved, through its web presence, in providing people information on Peak Oil and Climate Change as well as opportunities for people to help make a positive transition to a world in which petroleum will become terminally in decline. Similarly, providing as much factual information concerning Climate Change is another priority. It is hoped that the infrastructure created would allow Wisconsin neighborhood, Town, Village or City communities as Transition initiatives with the benefits of tax exempt financial benefits working as an umbrella organization.

Anyone interested or have questions should email Rees Roberts.

Individuals have until December 31, 2009 to respond. It is hoped a diverse cross section of Wisconsin be represented.

This message will be repeated and shared widely.

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Milwaukee to get $5.8M in energy efficiency grants

From a news release issued by U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore:

(Washington, DC)— Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-Wisc.) today announced that Milwaukee will receive $5,839,100 in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Recovery Act. These funds are intended to create local green jobs and help improve energy efficiency in communities across the country by reducing energy use and fossil fuel emissions.

“This funding will make improvements in homes, businesses and municipal buildings that will help keep energy costs down,” Congresswoman Moore said. “Not only are these improvements important for personal, business and city finances, they also move Milwaukee toward better overall energy efficiency, create green jobs, reduce our environmental impact, and demonstrate that our city can keep up with energy innovation.”

The city of Milwaukee will use these funds to make energy efficiency improvements in municipal buildings including retrofits that will update older lighting systems. The city will also actively seek additional opportunities to make energy efficiency improvements in municipal buildings.

A residential retrofit program will provide a revolving loan fund for homeowners to complete energy retrofits, and a similar program will offer the same type of revolving loan fund to businesses.

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Solar energy field remains strong in Wisconsin

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

Given our climate, Wisconsin would never be mistaken for the best solar state in the country.

But among non-Sun Belt states, the state is staking a claim in providing power from the sun.

Except for California and Texas, Wisconsin is the only state with two cities - Milwaukee and Madison - in the national Solar America Cities program.

A $19.6 million project for Roundy's Corp. in Oconomowoc would become the largest solar power project in the Midwest, if it gets $8.8 million in federal stimulus funding.

And the state has more certified solar installers per capita than nearly every state in the country, according to Tehri Parker, executive director of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association. Even with the recession, the number of solar installations is expanding - and so is training for solar-contracting jobs, Parker said.

On a recent weekend in Milwaukee, trainees from Wyoming, Virginia and Missouri were on a rooftop in Milwaukee's central city installing solar panels on a Habitat for Humanity home.

Habitat is partnering with We Energies and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association to provide much-needed training for solar technicians - a job that's expected to be in high demand given the growth trajectory that solar enjoys.

John Price, a firefighter with the Brookfield Fire Department, is looking to switch careers into a greener line of work.

He's getting trained in solar installation, working on installing solar panels at Habitat for Humanity homes in Milwaukee, and forming a Waukesha business, Access Solar, with his sons.

He was leading an installation at a Habitat house a few weeks back and learned his students hailed from across the country.

"It's people who've been laid off, or are people who are in their 40s who are changing careers or laid off and looking for something else," said Price, 50.

Small fraction
Solar represents a fraction of the energy supply puzzle. If the state's energy supply in 2007 were a 500-piece jigsaw puzzle, coal would account for more than 300 pieces, and renewable energy would account for about 20 pieces. All the solar power in the state wouldn't add up to a piece.

But the growth rate for solar has been something to behold, even as advocates concede the numbers are small in total.

"It's been a remarkable year," said Niels Wolter, who heads solar programs at the state Focus on Energy program. "We're projecting out 73% growth over last year. Before that it was growing at about 80% per year since 2002. So it's slowed down a little bit in the growth rate, but it's still a booming market. . . ."

Even with all these projects and announcements, some renewable energy advocates say the growth rate will slow considerably in 2010 because electric utilities no longer are offering extra incentives to give the solar market a boost.

We Energies had a generous solar buyback rate in place two years ago, and replaced it with a different program this year. That program is fully subscribed, and no more applications are being accepted.

Michael Vickerman, executive director of the advocacy group Renew Wisconsin, said the expiration of those incentives is unfortunate. He's urging the state to move aggressively to require utilities to offer generous buyback rates.

"We are clearly the leading state in the Midwest, but that momentum is in danger of dissipating," said Vickerman. "Because what really attracts customers and would-be system owners is the buyback rate."

And developers of large solar projects aren't coming to Wisconsin, said green-energy consultant Brett Hulsey, because Wisconsin hasn't followed states such as California and New Jersey in adopting tax credits to bring down the price of solar projects.

Utilities say that the incentives are being subsidized by other utility customers. Other incentives are still available, including a 30% federal tax credit and rebates from Focus on Energy, said We Energies spokesman Brian Manthey.

In addition, the prices for solar panels themselves have dropped by 15% in recent months, shortening the number of years it would take to pay back the investment in solar from about 23 years to about 20 years, depending on the project.

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Milwaukee a finalist for Spanish wind energy company

From a post by Tom Content on his blog at JSOnline:

Milwaukee and one other city are in the running for a Spanish wind energy supplier as it considers its first manufacturing plant in the United States.

The name of the firm and the name of the city competing against Milwaukee haven't been disclosed, but Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, said the company was in the alternative energy business.

State and city economic development leaders were in Spain this week for meetings with the Spanish firm. Brian Manthey, a spokesman for We Energies, said the team that headed to Spain brought along a representative of the utility who has expertise about wind energy.

The company would be expected to create 100 to 200 jobs here, Sheehy said.

Milwaukee is a finalist for the investment, after earlier competing against more than a dozen cities that the firm was considering.

Representatives of the company have been to the city twice to evaluate potential suppliers and the availability of skilled manufacturing workers, he said.

Representatives of the state at the meeting this week were state Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel, city development director Rocky Marcoux, and Pat O'Brien and Jim Paetsch from the Milwaukee 7 economic development group.

"It's fair to call this a significant investment," Sheehy said. "We've got a lot of manpower on the ground over there - not that we're not going to chase every possible job out there - but I think the manpower is appropriate to the potential in this deal."

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Renewable Energy Quarterly, Fall 2009, now online

RENEW Wisconsin's newsletter features these articles:

+ Doyle Signs Wind Siting Reform Bill into Law
+ Solar Outlook Set to Dim in 2010
+ PSC Approves Coal to Wood Conversion
+ Producer Profile: Rick Adamski
+ Educating Schools on Solar Air Heating
+ RENEW Slams Anti-Wind Article
+ Calendar

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Women of Wind to meet, November 19

Wisconsin Chapter of Women of Wind Energy Please join us for a November happy hour in Milwaukee!

Thursday, November 19, 2009
5:00 - 7:00pm
Sugar Maple
441 E Lincoln Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53207-1756
414) 481-2393

Come meet and network with others interested in the engagement, professional development and advancement of women in the wind industry.

Please RSVP for the Milwaukee happy hour to amy@the-mrea.org

Feel free to invite others you think might be interested!

And watch for information coming soon on a December event in Madison!

Website: www.womenofwindenergy.org
email: wisconsinwowe@gmail.com

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We Energies coal plant hits milestone, generates power

From a Tom Content post on JSOnline:

We Energies’ newest coal-fired plant is generating power, after “significant progress” in construction over the past three months, the company’s chairman said Thursday.

The coal plant consists of two coal-fired boilers next to an older coal plant on Lake Michigan in Oak Creek. The first new boiler began burning coal earlier this month and has been running at 25% of maximum power in recent days, said Gale Klappa, We Energies chairman and chief executive.

Bechtel Power Corp., the contractor on the project, also has made progress on building the second boiler, which is now 74% complete, Klappa said.

The $2.3 billion project is the most expensive construction project in state history, as it’s roughly double the combined cost of building Miller Park and rebuilding the Marquette Interchange.

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Milwaukee company selected to build Dane County digester

From an article by Matthew DeFour in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Dane County's first community manure digester, the first cooperative project of its kind in Wisconsin, will be built and operated by a Milwaukee-based company that plans to finance most of the project itself.

By letting Clear Horizons, in partnership with SCC Americas, a global developer of greenhouse gas emission reduction projects, operate the Waunakee community digester, the county is avoiding the financial risks and rewards.

"That was important to the farmers (who wanted) a separate company operating the digester," Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk said of the county's decision. "We've chosen this model because Clear Horizons brings significant private dollars."

Clear Horizons plans to privately finance everything except a $3.3 million state earmark. The state included $6.6 million in its latest budget for the Waunakee digester and another being planned near Middleton. The county planned to borrow $1.4 million for the project, but now won't have to spend anything to build the first digester.

Clear Horizons general manager Dan Nemke said construction is expected to cost about $11 million. After designs are finalized and a site is selected on one of three participating farms, the company expects to break ground in the spring and begin processing manure by the fall.

A manure digester is essentially a mini power plant that uses bacteria to convert cow manure into mostly methane gas, a fiber material and a liquid fertilizer. The methane is burned to generate electricity and the fiber can be used as cow bedding.

The Waunakee digester is expected to generate $2 million worth of electricity every year, and Clear Horizons plans to sell the fiber material.

Dane County's 400 dairy farms and 50,000 dairy cows - a $700 million industry - produce more than 2 billion pounds of manure each year. Much of that is spread on fields in the winter and the resulting runoff into creeks and rivers has killed thousands of fish in the past.

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Real-time figures for renewable energy production

From the page of Active Installation Date on the Web site of We Energies:

We Energies Renewable Energy Development Program partners with Fat Spaniel Technologies to show real-time production data from solar photovoltaic, solar hot water and wind renewable energy generation systems in the We Energies service territory.

The Web page has links to the data on renewable energy production at the following installations:

Solar Electric Photovoltaic
Ascension Lutheran Church
Cooper School
Energy Producing Home
GE Healthcare
GE Research Park
HOPE Christian School
Johnson Foundation
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School
Milwaukee Area Tech College - Oak Creek
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District
MSOE: Fat Spaniel Tech MSOE Monitor
North Shore Presbyterian Church
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Outpost Natural Foods
Racine City Hall Annex
Racine Eco Justice Center
St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Shoreland Lutheran High School
Shorewood School District
Still Point Zen Center
The Order of Julian Norwich
Town of Menasha
Unitarian Universalist Church West
United Community Center
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin - Parkside
Urban Ecology Center
Village of Wind Point
Walden III Middle and Senior High School
Waukesha Area Technical College
Wisconsin State Fair Park


Solar Water Heating
Fort Atkinson High School Solar Thermal
Fort Atkinson Middle School Solar Thermal
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity SHW 1
Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity SHW 2
We Energies HQ: Fat Spaniel Tech Wired Solar

Solar Electric Photovoltaic and Wind
Discovery World
Lakeshore Technical College
Milwaukee Area Tech College - Mequon

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Most Americans would turn to solar energy

When planning and thinking about renewable energy future for your country it is always important to know public opinion, and the public opinion in United States suggests that vast majority of Americans wants to see further development of solar power across the whole country

92% percent of Americans think that it’s important for the country to develop and use solar power, making this alternative

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Nuclear power is a false solution to climate change

From a guest column by Al Gedicks in the Green Bay Press Gazette:

The argument that nuclear power can contribute to reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions that cause global climate change ("Ban on new nuclear power plants should be lifted" Oct. 16, Green Bay Press-Gazette) is flawed for three main reasons.

First, nuclear power is not carbon-free electricity. At each stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining, milling, enrichment to construction, decommissioning and waste storage, nuclear power uses fossil fuels and contributes greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate global climate change. Compared to renewable energy, nuclear power releases four to five times the CO2 per unit of energy produced.

A recent study of solutions to global warming by Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson of Stanford University concluded that over its entire lifecycle, nuclear electricity emits between 68 and 180 grams of CO2-equivalent emissions per kilowatt hour, compared to 3 to 11 grams for wind and concentrated solar.

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We Energies coal plant hits milestone, generates power

From a Tom Content blog post on JSOnline:

We Energies’ newest coal-fired plant is generating power, after “significant progress” in construction over the past three months, the company’s chairman said Thursday.

The coal plant consists of two coal-fired boilers next to an older coal plant on Lake Michigan in Oak Creek. The first new boiler began burning coal earlier this month and has been running at 25% of maximum power in recent days, said Gale Klappa, We Energies chairman and chief executive.

Bechtel Power Corp., the contractor on the project, also has made progress on building the second boiler, which is now 74% complete, Klappa said.

The $2.3 billion project is the most expensive construction project in state history, as it’s roughly double the combined cost of building Miller Park and rebuilding the Marquette Interchange.

Read more »

Gas from landfill helping to power waste firm trucks

From an article by Steve Sharp in the Watertown Daily Times:

JOHNSON CREEK - The operator of the massive Deer Track Park Landfill in the town of Farmington is continuing its exploration and implementation of new technologies to recover energy from waste stored at the site, as well as at others.

According to representatives of Waste Management, which operates the Deer Track Park Landfill, gas from a California landfill is being transformed into liquefied natural gas to power recycling and waste collection vehicles. This is a project a Waste Management of Wisconsin official said signals a growing national interest in harvesting renewable energy from everyday waste.

Waste Management, Inc., North America's largest waste services company, and Linde North America, a leading global gases and engineering company, announced this week that their joint venture company has begun producing clean, renewable vehicle fuel from gas recovered at Waste Management's Altamont Landfill near Livermore, Calif. The facility is North America's largest one converting landfill gas to liquefied natural gas.

In Wisconsin, Waste Management generates electricity from gas it collects at landfills it owns in Jefferson, Green Lake, Kenosha, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Rusk, Washington and Waukesha counties.

“The California project is a great example of how we can recover resources in waste, protect the environment and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels,” Todd Hartman, director of disposal operations overseeing Waste Management's landfills in Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula said. “The demand for green energy is leading us to innovative technologies for capturing the renewable energy that's as close as your kitchen trash can.”

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Optimizing Fleet Routes Decreases Fuel Costs

Discovering new ways to lessen our carbon footprint comes in many shapes and forms; from algae-based fuel substitutes to solar energy. Many 21st-century findings are aimed at long-term feasibility for increased efficiency, as to compete with oil companies. Meanwhile, who’s looking into short-term attempts to moderate the rate in which we use energy?According to Energy Bulletin, US Military

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Businesses can get grants for energy efficiency efforts

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

MADISON, Wis. (November 2, 2009) — Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy, announced new staffing grants today to help businesses, manufacturers, schools and government facilities throughout the state complete energy efficiency projects during the next calendar year.

“Businesses don’t need to let staffing issues become a barrier to energy savings,” said Ken Williams, Focus on Energy’s business programs director. “Focus on Energy is committed to helping companies overcome barriers that prevent them from completing energy efficiency projects.”

The grants will fund up to $100,000 for a full- or part-time employee or consultant to work onsite and manage energy efficiency projects that otherwise would not be completed due to a lack of human resources. Grant funding will go toward the salary and benefits of project staff who will oversee and engineer energy saving projects.

“The staffing grant is an excellent means to fund energy efficiency projects. It’s made the difference for us to pursue projects and make progress,” said Steve Keith, P.E., sustainability and environmental engineer at the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation and Public Works.

Keith’s organization received a staffing grant in 2009. “The grant helps take the edge off project costs when every dollar counts. Focus has been very responsive to help get us what we need to get our projects done.”

The grant is designed to help businesses hire new staff or retain existing employees who might otherwise be at risk of lay-off. Partnering or neighboring companies are encouraged to submit a joint application and share an employee or consultant between businesses.

Interested businesses should visit focusonenergy.com/competitive_incentives for more information. Applications must include a list of potential projects as funding is based on the energy savings from those projects and is paid when projects are completed. Applications must be received by December 4, 2009.

Completed energy efficiency projects are also eligible for Focus on Energy
financial incentives that can be found at focusonenergy.com/incentives/business.

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Dodge County residents say they don’t have complaints about digester

From an article by Christine Won from The Journal Times (Racine):

TOWN OF PORTLAND - Several residents living near a Dodge County processing plant that converts manure into electricity said they don't notice odor problems or have any complaints.

The dairy farm near Waterloo that has an anaerobic digester, like the one being proposed for Yorkville in Racine County to convert organic waste into methane gas to produce electricity, has gotten a positive response from its surrounding community since its installment in 2007, both residents and farm owners agree.

Robert and Ruth Yerges live about half a mile east of the dairy farm. They smell about a fourth of the odor from manure than they did before the digester, Robert Yerges said. The digester was one of the best things for the dairy farm, Ruth Yerges added.

"We estimate that we eliminate about 85 percent of the smell (of manure) by having it go through the digester," said Thomas Crave, one of the four owners of Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese.

The three Yorkville Town Board members toured the Crave Brothers Dairy Farm, W11555 Torpy Road, on Friday morning.

DF-1 Associates, the business group proposing a processing plant at the former Maple Leaf Farms site on Highway U in Yorkville, organized the tour so board members can see and smell what they would be dealing with.

However, a key difference between the Portland and Yorkville plants is feedstock, said Dave Duerson, spokesman for the group. The Portland plant uses cow manure where the Yorkville one would use food waste.

Town Chairman Jim Moyer, himself a farmer, said he was impressed with the Crave plant but "the jury's still out" for Yorkville.

Yorkville residents were not sold when the group presented its proposal before the Town Board on Oct. 12, saying that bringing in trucks of garbage through their neighborhoods would depreciate property values and create odor, noise, traffic and safety concerns.

Crave said there have not been any electrical or methane gas-related problems.

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Montana - Geothermal energy state?

Geothermal energy projects, as well as the renewable energy projects in general, are lately getting lot more attention that they used to do, and many areas across the U.S. want to fully utilize their natural advantages by developing different renewable energy projects to not only satisfy ever-growing energy demand but also to work on ecologically acceptable fuels, especially now when climate

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Glacier Hills Wind Park hearing, Nov. 4

The Public Service Commission will take public testimony on We Energies' proposed Glacier Hills Wind Park.

Wednesday, November 4
3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Randolph Town Hall
109 S. Madison St. – Friesland

Those opposed to wind projects will likely make arguments like the one below from letter-to-the-editor of the Manitowoc Times Herald. The writere offered this outrageous explanation for why the Legislature passed and the govenor signed the bill on wind siting reform:

Blinded by a feel-good solution for a problem that never existed [global warming], legislators are being misled into a belief that something like wind turbines will not have a negative effect on those who are left to live around them . . .

To understand the problem you needed to be at the hearing in Mandison on May 12, held by the Senate and Assembly Energy Committee. . . .

It was obvious that the pro-wind lobby, paid with your tax money from RENEW Wisconsin, had the minds of legislators on their side long before the hearing.

Read more wild assertions from the letter.

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Milwaukee, Madison awarded $1 million for solar expansion

From a blog post by Tom Content on JSonline:

Milwaukee will receive $650,000 and Madison will receive $370,000 from the federal stimulus package to advance their programs to develop solar energy. Milwaukee established the Milwaukee Shines program several years ago after it won funding for

The city will use the grant to establish a Solar Hot Water Business Council, with an eye toward linking its own solar initiative with the work of the Milwaukee 7 Water Council.

The Milwaukee Shines’ goal is to increase the number of solar installers and install more than 100 solar-electric and 50 solar thermal systems by 2012.

“What’s going to happen is we are going to be able to use less energy, at a time that that’s very, very important,” said Barrett during a news conference at the Milwaukee Public Library. The central library building is incorporating solar into a green roof that is now under construction.

The aim of the council is educate and enable local water technology manufacturers to shift into the growing solar industry, leading to the creation of a solar manufacturing cluster in the region.

Milwaukee Shines is particularly interested in helping manufacturers re-tool their facilities to start producing solar energy components, said Erick Shambarger of the city’s Office of Environmental Sustainability. “We believe this could become a niche market for Milwaukee.”

The proposed business council helped set Milwaukee’s application apart from others received by the Department of Energy. DOE received applications for funding from 25 different cities but granted funding to 16 cities, said Steve Palmeri, project officer with the U.D. Department of Energy in Golden, Colo.

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Planners seek input on Racine County transit needs

From the Southeastern Wisconsin Regionial Planning Commission:

The public is invited to attend one of three upcoming public informational meetings for the Racine County Public Transit Plan. At the meetings, you can learn more about the plan, discuss it with Commission staff, and comment on the work performed to date. The meetings will be in an “open house” format, allowing you to attend at any time during the two-hour timeframe:

+ Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Racine Railroad Depot
1409 State Street
Racine

+Wednesday, October 28, 2009, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Burlington Town Hall
32288 Bushnell Road
Burlington

+Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Auditorium, Ives Grove Office Complex
14200 Washington Avenue
Sturtevant

More details here.

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Experts rip anti-wind claims

Even though the quotes below from pre-filed statements take the form of rebuttal testimony in the PSC proceedings on We Energies' Glacier Hills Wind Park, they can stand on their own. You need not read the filings they rebut in order to make sense out of what they're saying.

The pre-filed testimony stands among the strongest redupiation of anti-wind arguments.

These filings will be formally entered into the record when the technical hearings begin on November 2nd, but they (and all other filings) are available online at the Web site of the Public Service Commission and link directlyi to case 6630-CE-302.

Richard Larkin, a state certified real estate appraiser, rebuts a “study” of property values paid for by the Coaliton for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship (CWESt), a group opposing the Glacier Hills project:

I am responding to testimony submitted by Kurt Kielisch on behalf of CWESt, in 1 which he claims that paired sales analyses at the Blue Sky Green Field and Forward wind projects shows that proximity to wind turbines results in a significant negative impact on residential real estate values. There are significant (and probably fatal) problems with his analysis, which I will explain in my testimony. . . .

. . .it is my opinion that Appraisal One’s Wind Turbine Impact Study is significantly flawed, and in my opinion, likely meaningless.

Read all of Larkin’s testimony here.

William Roberts, PhD in Epidemiology, former faculty member with the Medical College of Wisconsin (Dept. of Preventative Medicine), former Oklahoma State Epidemiologist dissects Dr. Nina Pierpont's "research" and rebuts CWESt's acoustical consultant. He summarized his testimony as follows:

+ “Wind Turbine Syndrome” is not a medical diagnosis supported by peer reviewed, published, scientific literature;
+ The materials presented to support “Wind Turbine Syndrome” are not of sufficient scientific quality nor have they received the rigorous scientific review and vetting that is customarily part of the peer review and publishing process;
+ The tried and true scientific method of developing a hypothesis, testing that hypothesis, publishing the results and having others attempt to repeat the research has not been done to test the existence of a health condition called “Wind Turbine Syndrome;”
+ An accumulation of anecdotal interviews with self-selected persons living near a wind turbine does not constitute an epidemiological study and is not sufficient to determine causation;
+ The bases for claimed adverse health effects due to wind turbines cited by Mr. James either cannot withstand scientific scrutiny or have nothing to do with wind turbines; and
+ Siting a wind turbine within view of a residence and the operation of that turbine could be a source of annoyance to those living in the residence.

Read all of Roberts’ testimony here.

Geoff Leventhall, acoustical consultant, PhD in acoustics, presented testimony to rebut CWESt's acoustical consultant.

Based on my experience of infrasound and low frequency noise, it is my belief that the infrasound from wind turbines is of no consequence. Attempts to claim that illnesses result from inaudible wind turbine noise do not stand up to simple analyses of the very low forces and pressures produced by the sound from wind turbines. Additionally, the body is full of sound and vibration at infrasonic and low frequencies, originating in natural body processes. As an example, the beating heart is an obvious source of infrasound within the body. Other sources of background low frequency noise and vibration are blood flows, muscle vibrations, breathing, fluids in the gut and so on. The result is that any effect from wind turbine noise, or any other low level of noise, which might be produced within the body is “lost” in the existing background noise and vibration. This is considered in more detail in my Appraisal of Wind Turbine Syndrome, which is submitted as Exhibit 18.

More broadly, my testimony establishes that the claims of health effects from the low levels of infrasound and low frequency noise from wind turbines, as described in the Wind Turbine Syndrome and Vibroacoustic Disease hypotheses, fail. However, higher frequency noise from wind turbines, if it is audible, can cause disturbance to some residents, but this effect is no different from that of noise from another source.

Read all of Leventhall’s testimony here.

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Solar outlook set to dim in 2010

A news release issued by RENEW Wisconsin:

Utilities’ voluntary incentives hit limits

(Madison, WI – October 23, 2009) In contrast to the rapid growth experienced in the last three years, a leading state renewable energy advocacy group expects a sharp decline in installed solar electric capacity in 2010.

In statements directed to the Public Service Commission (PSC), three utilities – Wisconsin Electric Power (WE), Wisconsin Power and Light (WPL), and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) – acknowledged yesterday that their voluntary solar incentive programs will be discontinued for new customers. All three had offered, on a limited basis, a special buyback rate for the generated electricity, which effectively cut in half the payback period for the systems.

“These three incentive programs spurred homeowners and businesses to install nearly 2.5 megawatts of solar electric capacity,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin. “But for those incentives, we wouldn’t not have reached the milestone that PSC Chair Eric Callisto recently celebrated at the installation of a system serving the Town of Menasha.”

“Though voluntary initiatives are certainly welcome, they cannot by themselves sustain a vibrant solar marketplace. By far the most effective way to maintain solar’s momentum is for the Legislature to require utilities to purchase a set amount of renewable energy from their own customers at a reasonable price,” said Vickerman.

Going into 2010, the only investor-owned utility that has a special buyback rate is Madison Gas and Electric (MG&E), which pays its customers 25 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity generated from their solar systems. MG&E’s voluntary program still has room for another 600 kilowatts of customer-owned solar.

Until their voluntary initiatives had reached capacity, both WPS and WPL had been paying the same rate as MG&E, while WE had offered a 22.5 cents for each kilowatt-hour generated.

“If renewable energy is to drive job growth in Wisconsin, lawmakers must create favorable marketplace conditions to support new installations going forward. No policy will accomplish that goal more effectively than a state initiative to establish higher buyback rates,” Vickerman said.

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Magnetek receives order for large wind power inverters

From a news release issued by Magnetek:

Menomonee Falls, Wis. - Magnetek, Inc. (NYSE: MAG) today announced that it has received a follow-on production order for wind power inverters valued at $11 million. Magnetek's modular utility-scale wind power inverters regulate and transform DC power generated by wind turbines into utility-grade AC power, which is distributed to the power transmission grid. Magnetek’s E-Force Wind Inverters are to be delivered to its customer beginning in December 2009 through November 2010.

Wind power has been one of the fastest growing sources of power generation globally. In the United States, which has surpassed Germany as the largest wind power market, the five-year average (2004-2008) annual growth rate for wind power installations was 32%, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). With an installed base of 25,369 MW in operation at the end of 2008, the U. S. was also the 2008 world leader in new wind installations. While AWEA estimates a slower growth rate in 2009, wind power installations are still projected to grow by 5,000 MW (20%) or more this year. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 extended the production tax credit for the wind industry to 2012, with an alternate option to secure a grant from the Treasury Department in the amount of a 30% investment tax credit.

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Team Germany tops Solar Decathlon competition; UW-M lags

Visitors stand in line to learn about Team Germany's solar-powered house, which won the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. (Photo by Stefano Paltera/U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon)

From a news release issued by the U.S. Department of Energy:

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Deputy Secretary Daniel Poneman today announced the winners of the 2009 Department of Energy Solar Competition on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Team Germany, the student team from Darmstadt, Germany, won top honors by designing, building, and operating the most attractive and efficient solar-powered home. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took second place followed by Team California in third place.

The active competition lasted for a week, with the prototype home designs open to the public through Sunday. Team Germany’s winning “Cube House” design produced a surplus of power even during three days of rain. This is the team’s second-straight Solar Decathlon victory, after winning the previous competition in 2007. . . .

Over the past two weeks, the 2009 Solar Decathlon challenged 20 university-led teams from the United States and as far away as Spain, Germany, and Canada to compete in 10 contests, ranging from subjective elements such as architecture, market viability, communications, lighting design, and engineering, to technical measurements of how well the homes provided energy for space heating and cooling, hot water, home entertainment, appliances, and net metering.

New to this year’s competition, the Net Metering Contest was worth 150 points towards the final results and was the most heavily weighted contest. It challenged teams to generate surplus energy, above and beyond the power needed to run a house, which they fed into a power grid.

Team Germany earned 908.29 points out of a possible 1,000 to win the competition, followed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with 897.30 points, and Team California with 863.08 points.

The UW-Milwaukee team brought up the rear with 524.074 points, largely due to delays in getting the home to Washington. The University of Minnesota Team finished fifth with 838.544 point.

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We Energies public hearing rescheduled

A news release from the Public Service Commission:

MADISON – The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) has rescheduled a 2nd public hearing for Wednesday, October 21 in Milwaukee on We Energies’ (Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WEPCO) and Wisconsin Gas, LLC) request to adjust electric, steam and natural gas rates.

Administrative Law Judge Michael Newmark will be present to receive comments from the public at the hearing site in Serb Hall, Wisconsin South Hall, 5101 West Oklahoma Avenue in Milwaukee beginning at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

When a utility requests a change in rates, the PSC conducts a thorough audit of the utility’s expenses and revenues. The agency will look at the amount We Energies needs to provide a reliable source of energy to customers, which includes costs of fuel, maintenance, new construction and environmental protection.

Public comments on We Energies’ application will be included in the record the Commission will review to make a decision. The PSC has the authority to approve, deny or modify the application.

Citizens are encouraged to attend. The hearing location is accessible to people in wheelchairs. Anyone requiring accommodations to participate should contact the PSC at 608-266-5481.

Documents associated with We Energies’ application can be viewed on the PSC’s Electronic Regulatory Filing System at http://psc.wi.gov. Type case numbers 5-UR-104in the boxes provided on the PSC homepage, or click on the Electronic Regulatory Filing System button.

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Michigan school to test Lake Michigan's wind

From an article by Dave Alexander in the Meskegon Chronicle:

Grand Valley State University’s wind turbine testing project for Muskegon Lake is shifting in a new direction.

Instead of a wind turbine at the east end of Muskegon Lake, GVSU’s Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center now is planning to move a wind test platform to Lake Michigan, where data can be collected on the pros and cons of turbines on a major lake.

The university has received $1.4 million in an “earmark” from U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, to advance wind turbine generation on the Great Lakes.

The idea of testing a turbine on Muskegon Lake is cost prohibitive with the federal dollars available, according to Arn Boezaart, interim director of the Muskegon-based MAREC. Efforts to partner with L-3 Communications in Muskegon have not been successful.

Discussions with officials from the U.S. Department of Energy and those interested in advancing a Great Lakes wind industry in West Michigan led to the idea of a floating, data-collection platform in Lake Michigan.

The platform would hold a anemometer that gauges wind speed. . . .

A data-collection platform established from 6-10 miles off the Muskegon shoreline would be left on the lake for two or three years. It would provide year-round wind data.

The floating platform also could test anchoring systems and show how Lake Michigan ice movements in the winter would affect an eventual lake-based turbine installation, Boezaart said.

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North America - 40,000 new wind turbines by 2015

North America, particularly U.S. desperately needs much stronger renewable energy sector, and the most promising look to be solar energy and wind energy. The latter one could looks to be soon experiencing new boom with the deployment of 40,000 new wind turbines across North America, and in the period of only 6 years, by the year 2015. Well, this is at least what report from Pike Research has to

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Closed duck farm may reopen as renewable energy site in Racine

From an article by Rick Barrett in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A group of local businessmen have proposed using a waste treatment facility at the former Maple Leaf Farms in Yorkville to process food waste into electricity.

Maple Leaf was one of the nation's largest duck farms. It closed in 2008, resulting in the shutdown of its manure-to-energy methane digester.

DF-1 Associates is a group of Racine-area businessmen involved in restaurant grease recycling. They're hoping to reopen the methane digester and fuel it with restaurant garbage and waste from food-processing plants. The company would make money by hauling away the waste from restaurants and food processors and selling electricity generated from the digester.

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Rumors fly about offline wind turbines

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

BROWNSVILLE — As the blades of the 86 turbines on the Forward Wind Energy Center remain still, rumors have been circulating faster than the wind as to why the wind farm has been offline since Sept. 29.

Invenergy LLC officials attributed the shutdown to scheduled maintenance of the wind farm's substation. However, the latest buzz that a major utility pulled out of its power purchase contract and has left Invenergy without a new customer to fill the void simply isn't true, said Laura Miner, asset manager for Invenergy.

"There was a delay in getting parts for the transformer at the plant, and now we have completed testing of the equipment and will begin bringing the unit back online," Miner said. "This is a very time-consuming process as we have to manually prepare the unit. We expect the plant to be back online sometime early next week."

Calls to the Forward Wind Center's four major power purchasers confirmed that all contracts negotiated with the Chicago-based firm remain in place. Invenergy currently has contracts with Madison Gas & Electric, 40 megawatts; Wisconsin Public Power Inc., 40 megawatts; Wisconsin Public Service, 70 megawatts; and Alliant Energy, 50 megawatts.

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UW-M team slipping; U. of Minn still in solar decathlon competition

From an article by Jim Dawson and Devin Powell on MinnPost.com:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Team members from the University of Minnesota were tense as they prepared their 565 square foot solar home for a visit by jurors from the engineering and lighting judging panels. Experts in their respective fields, the jurors' visit would determine the team's score for the aesthetics and functionality aspects of their design that cannot be properly evaluated by measurements alone.

The judges would also be taking comfort zone and appliance measurements, and the students were worried about every operational detail inside their $501,000 house.

The Minnesota team was in 7th place out of the 20 teams that built entirely solar-powered homes on the National Mall in downtown Washington as part of the Department of Energy's 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. . . .

At the other end of the Mall, the team from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee was struggling. The team was in last place, and were struggling to get the house's sliding doors to move smoothly on their tracks. Their house, valued at $485,000, had tabletops made out of pressed paper and cashew shells and the ability to warm up just from the heat of the people inside.

But its last-place standing reflected a 3-inch problem in the design.

"The west end of the house was 3 inches too tall to go through Indiana [on the transport trailer]," said Eric Davis, the project's chief engineer. "So we had to go down through Illinois, then cross Kentucky."

There was another height regulation problem when they got to the edge of Washington, and it took another 20 hours to finally get their structure to the National Mall. While the other teams were fine tuning their home's systems, the Wisconsin team was still wearing hard hats and putting their house together.

"We missed the metering contest, so our score is down," Davis said.

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