Green Drinks in Milwaukee, September 10

Cities across the U.S. host Green Drinks events. Here's how the Sierra Club describes Milwaukee's:Anyone interested in green and sustainable is welcome. No rsvp necessary and feel free to pass this notice on to others interested. What is Green Drinks? Green Drinks is a monthly event where you can meet people, network, do a business deal, learn something new or maybe even find a job! Check out www.greendrinks.org to get an idea of the scope of this movement! Join like-minded people in an informal and unstructured setting to talk about the latest sustainability happenings in Milwaukee and globally. Meet people in various green professions. Have a drink (alcoholic or not) . . .Green Drinks is held at 5:00 pm on the second Wednesday of the month at Ardor (non-smoking Pub), 607 N. Broadway. The...

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Coalition wants transit to Pabst Farms development

From an article by Sean Ryan in The Daily Reporter:A Milwaukee group says the construction of an interchange to serve Oconomowoc’s Pabst Farms shouldn’t move forward unless public transit improvements are part of the plan.American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin Foundation Inc. attorneys filed a complaint (PDF) Tuesday on behalf of the Good Jobs & Livable Neighborhoods coalition. Coalition Director Pamela Fendt said the complaint doesn’t seek to stop the more than $23 million construction of the Interstate 94 interchange in Oconomowoc. It asks the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission to allot resources to mass transit if the interchange is built. “It seems like what we see moving forward is the freeway work,” Fendt said, “and we are really at a standstill when it comes...

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Solar power is working in Wisconsin

From a story last fall on Fox 6 News: WITI-TV, MILWAUKEE -- You'd expect solar powered water heaters to be a big deal in Arizona or Texas, but now is becoming a big deal in Wisconsin. FOX 6's Gus Gnorski shows you why it might be a good decision for your house. The 2008 Solar Decade Conference, where the story was taped, will be October 23-24, also at the Midwest Airline Cent...

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The sun powers Racine Eco-Justice Center

From a story by Michael Seidel on OnMilwaukee.com:"Now, when he has enough, he'll stop," Sister Janet Weyker says. She's holding a baby robin; the bird chirp excitedly as Weyker feeds him worms out of a tin of compost and wild black raspberries from a cup. Since the robin's mother disappeared, Weyker has taken over, tending to the fledling's hunger at mealtimes.This type of stewardship is precisely what motivated Weyker and several other sisters of the Racine Dominican order to found the Eco-Justice Center, a 15-acre learning center, farm and homestead located at 5635 Erie St. in Racine. As a whole, the Racine Dominicans, a Catholic community of vowed women and lay associates, are committed to the ideas of education and justice. But back in 2000, the nuns saw a gap in their order's efforts...

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MATC installs wind turbine at Mequon campus

From an article by Sean Ryan in The Daily Reporter:The first wind turbine gear Milwaukee Area Technical College purchased got scorched in a California brush fire and it took months to find a replacement. The equipment, a used Vestas Wind Systems 90 kilowatt turbine, was in storage at Halus Power Systems’ facility waiting to be refurbished for use at the MATC Mequon campus when a fire blew through in 2006. Halus had to get another set of gear, and the technical college had to pay another few thousand dollars because there was a shorter supply of the gear a year later, said Al Evinrude, director of construction services for the campus.The Mequon turbine, envisioned to be a demonstration project and educational tool, has been in the works since 2005. But, after delays caused by the fire and a...

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Focus on Energy seeks large renewable projects to fund

From a media release issued by Focus on Energy:Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, is helping businesses statewide become more energy independent by offering large, one time only grants to help finance the installation of innovative renewable energy systems. Eligible businesses must submit grant proposals to Focus on Energy by Oct. 29, 2008. Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis and are meant to support one project in each of the following technologies:Industrial or Municipal Anaerobic DigestersMany industries and wastewater treatment facilities are looking for a solution to both organic waste management and a source of on-site energy production. Anaerobic treatment of industrial or municipal wastewater can offset waste treatment costs...

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Oconomowoc Utilities leads by example

From an article by Matthew Inda in The Lake Country Reporter:City of Oconomowoc - Saving and conserving energy is easier than you might think. Turning off the water when it’s not in use and recycling are two simple things everyone can do right at home.But a local effort under the guidance of Oconomowoc Utilities intends to spread even more conservation endeavors across the city just as easily – by following their lead.Earlier this spring, Oconomowoc Utilities announced it had been granted a pilot program known as Leading by Example, a program to help better educate and demonstrate the effectiveness of energy efficiency, conservation and renewable resources development around the community.The program was awarded by Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI) because of Oconomowoc’s strong leadership...

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WE Energies plans 243 megawatt wind farm in Columbia County

From an article by Kevin Murphy in The Capital Times:Milwaukee-based WE Energies wants to build a 90-turbine, 234-megawatt wind farm located between the Columbia County villages of Cambria and Friesland.In an application filed Monday with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, WE Energies proposes to locate the turbines with a hub height of up to 262 feet generally north and west of Friesland and northeast of Cambria in the towns of Randolph and Scott.The project would gather power from up to 90 turbines, each with a half-acre footprint, by using up to 50 miles of 50-foot-wide corridors for collector cables. Twenty miles of permanent roads would be used to access the turbine sites, according to the application.WE Energies acquired an option on the site from Florida Power and Light when it...

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Workshop: Work Smarter with Wood, Renewable Wood Energy, Sept. 4

From a media release issued by Focus on Energy:MADISON, Wis. - On Sept. 4, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, will host a conference demonstrating how businesses and organizations can take advantage of Wisconsin's most abundant natural resource - wood. The one-day conference titled "Work Smarter with Wood, Renewable Wood Energy," will be held at the Best Western Midway Hotel in Green Bay, Wis., and will offer attendees information and tours highlighting how wood can be used to generate bioenergy. In addition, the conference is being presented as a precursor to the 63rd Annual Lake States Logging Congress - the Midwest's largest forestry tradeshow - presented by the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association September 4 - 6. . . .Focus on Energy's...

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Get creative with funding green efforts; think solar

From a letter to the editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by John Moses:Milwaukee should recognize that one of its finest natural resources is local philanthropy. Joseph Zilber wants to write a $5 million check to the city of Milwaukee in each of the next 10 years. He’s asking other area benefactors to quadruple that amount. So here's the idea: Using some of that money, create a private fund to subsidize the purchase of photovoltaic solar arrays for home electricity generation by Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin homeowners. Lure an established or start-up solar cell company to Milwaukee, with the promise of a guaranteed local market for, at the very least, a significant portion of its production capacity. Offer the usual government incentives for the construction of a photovoltaic...

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Bike lanes earn equal billing

From an article by Sean Ryan in The Daily Reporter:Vehicles, sidewalks and medians are stuck in a battle for right-of-way as the state and cities push for new bike lanes with road projects.On the 76th Street reconstruction project in Milwaukee, for example, the state and city might need to take a chunk from the median to make room for bike lanes, said Dave Schlabowske, Milwaukee bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the Department of Public Works. But the city and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation must weigh priorities, such as whether a narrower median leaves enough room for cars to wait while making left turns, he said.“You have to balance everything out,” Schlabowske said. “So we’re taking a closer look at it, and it looks like WisDOT is willing to flex a little bit on their lane...

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Win-win at Oak Creek

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:With all of the praise over the settlement reached this week on We Energies’ Oak Creek power plants, one might be tempted to ask, “What’s wrong with this picture?” Turns out, apparently nothing is. The deal allows We Energies and its two utility partners in the Oak Creek project to finish construction in a timely manner, provides needed help for Lake Michigan and expands renewable energy in Wisconsin.And while the $105 million settlement will be paid for by electric customers ($100 million) and shareholders ($5 million), the price tag will be far less than it could have been under a protracted legal battle over the plant's cooling system. We hope that next time the issues can be settled without going to court, but the utilities involved and...

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Wall Street's jitters drove deal on We Energies' Oak Creek plant

From a story by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Fielding calls from folks on Wall Street isn’t in the typical job description for someone working for a conservation group.Opponents of an Oak Creek power plant reached a deal that will provide money to address environmental issues. But the calls were about the costliest construction project in state history, the $2.3 billion We Energies power plant being built in Oak Creek.Jittery stock analysts visited with representatives of Clean Wisconsin in Madison this spring, wanting to know whether its eight-year dispute over the building of a coal-fired generating plant could be resolved.Those jitters were restraining the company’s stock price and were a key driver behind the settlement reached between We Energies and environmental groups....

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A new business angle: Conserve energy, increase profits

From an article by Kathy Bergstrom in the Business Journal of Milwaukee:Officials at Quad/Graphics Inc. see efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint as an opportunity to be both a better corporate citizen and a better company.“Being efficient is just being socially responsible, and it’s frankly good business,” said Joe Muehlbach, director of facilities and environmental policy for the Sussex-based commercial printer. “If you’re not conscious of your energy consumption and your emissions, you in fact are probably a struggling business.”Wisconsin business and environmental leaders said many companies are already taking steps to conserve energy and reduce waste because it makes good business sense. Rising energy prices mean those moves have an even bigger impact on...

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Using mass transit saves big bucks, report says

From an article by Doug Hissom posted on OnMilwaukee.com:We can each save more than $8,000 a year by taking mass transit says an American Public Transportation Association report. If gas prices stay in the $3.90 a gallon range (unlikely at this point) the association predicts a person can save around $672a month -- more than the average household spends on food. Among the top 20 cities with the highest ridership, Honolulu wins the savings title, amounting to $8,703 a year, Minneapolis riders saved about $8,104 a year by taking the bus and Chicago amounted to $8,100. Milwaukee did not make the list. The association says its study is based on the assumption that a person making a switch to public transportation would likely purchase an unlimited pass on the local transit agency, typically available...

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LED street lights expand Ruud Lighting’s market

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:Sturtevant - Energy-saving lighting that could help cities in Alaska to Australia save on the cost of electricity in street lights is creating global growth opportunities for Ruud Lighting Inc.Ruud Lighting's LED street light fixtures use 50% less energy than a conventional street light, company President Alan Ruud says. The lights will be installed on some Racine streets. Sue Ailes tests LED panels that make up new street light fixtures produced by Ruud Lighting of Racine. The city will install the lights along several streets. Other cities in the United States and around the world also have purchased the long-lasting, energy-saving fixtures. AdvertisementRuud Lighting on Tuesday celebrated a new energy-saving street light...

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Oak Creek plant settlement includes renewable energy commitments

From a story posted on the Web site of The Business Journal of Milwaukee:The three owners of the Elm Road Generating Station in Oak Creek will pay $105 million over a 25-year period for Lake Michigan protection projects to end a three- year legal battle over the water intake structure at the power plant, Clean Wisconsin and the Sierra Club said Wednesday.Clean Wisconsin and the Sierra Club filed suit after the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued a permit allowing the use of a once-through cooling system at the coal-fired power plant. The organizations claimed that once-through cooling did not represent the best available technology for cooling the plant and thus should not be permitted.Under the settlement, the three utilities that own the generating station -- We Energies of...

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Wisconsin must seize the green opportunity

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:One of the objections to seriously addressing global warming is the cost. Some critics argue that curbing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will bankrupt companies, create an unreliable electricity network, drive families into the poorhouse and generally ruin the economy.There is no doubt that there will be a cost and that some sacrifice will be required. And it's true that many Americans today don't handle sacrifice very well. But the evidence produced by a United Nations panel and other scientists leaves little doubt about the reality and the seriousness of the threat, a threat that both presidential candidates appear to have taken to heart, unlike the current occupant of the White House.But there is also an opportunity here to create a new...

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Reenewable Wood Energy workshop, Sept. 4, Green Bay

From a media release issued by Focus on Energy:MADISON, Wis. (August 4, 2008) - On Sept. 4, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, will host a conference demonstrating how businesses and organizations can take advantage of Wisconsin's most abundant natural resource - wood. The one-day conference titled "Work Smarter with Wood, Renewable Wood Energy," will be held at the Best Western Midway Hotel in Green Bay, Wis., and will offer attendees information and tours highlighting how wood can be used to generate bioenergy. In addition, the conference is being presented as a precursor to the 63rd Annual Lake States Logging Congress - the Midwest's largest forestry tradeshow - presented by the Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association September 4 - 6....

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Wisconsin must seize the green opportunity

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:One of the objections to seriously addressing global warming is the cost. Some critics argue that curbing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will bankrupt companies, create an unreliable electricity network, drive families into the poorhouse and generally ruin the economy.There is no doubt that there will be a cost and that some sacrifice will be required. And it's true that many Americans today don't handle sacrifice very well. But the evidence produced by a United Nations panel and other scientists leaves little doubt about the reality and the seriousness of the threat, a threat that both presidential candidates appear to have taken to heart, unlike the current occupant of the White House.But there is also an opportunity here to create a new...

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