Demand for utility-bill aid up 6%

From an Associated Press article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

More Wisconsin residents are looking for help with their heating and electricity bills.

The state Division of Energy Services reports that the number of low-income people seeking financial assistance is up 6% this year compared with last year.

The agency administers the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Spokeswoman Susan Brown said 9,000 households have sought basic assistance with their utility bills this year, and another 3,000 households sought crisis assistance.

Brown tells Wisconsin Public Radio the numbers could be up this year because of the struggling economy, but also because more people might be aware of the program.

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Workshop: Basic Energy Literacy (and Numeracy), January 22

From Erik Lindberg:

What: Basic Energy Literacy (and Numeracy)

When: Jan 22nd, 10:30 to 12:30

Where: Urban Ecology Center

I have been given the honor of teaching a basic energy literacy and numeracy class at the urban ecology center this January.

The class will cover all the basic energy information and assessment tools that inform Transition. We will talk about Peak Oil, current American and world-wide energy usage, world-wide fossil fuel reserves, the capacity of alternative energy to replace fossil fuels, energy and the economyh, and our energy prospects for the future.

After the class you will also have the tools to asses government and advertising claims about their programs and products. When you hear of a new oil-field discovery, you will be able to assess how big it really is. When someone announces a 1000 megawatt solar installationi, you will know how much power that produces. When you hear someone chant, "drill, baby, drill," you will understand what they can actually hope to find.

I hope to see many of you there!

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Top 10 things a Wisconsin voter should know for Election Day

From a news release issued by the Government Accountability Board:

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

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

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

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

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

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Will we create a grid smart enough for the 21st century?

As daylight fades, Manhattan continues to gorge on power. New York City is tied to fuels like natural gas, with less than one percent of its electricity coming from wind or solar.

From an article by Joel Achenbach in National Geographic, with photos by Joe McNally

Can we fix the infrastructure that powers our lives?

We are creatures of the grid. We are embedded in it and empowered by it. The sun used to govern our lives, but now, thanks to the grid, darkness falls at our con­venience. During the Depression, when power lines first electrified rural America, a farmer in Tennessee rose in church one Sunday and said—power companies love this story—"The greatest thing on earth is to have the love of God in your heart, and the next greatest thing is to have electricity in your house." He was talking about a few lightbulbs and maybe a radio. He had no idea.

Juice from the grid now penetrates every corner of our lives, and we pay no more attention to it than to the oxygen in the air. Until something goes wrong, that is, and we're suddenly in the dark, fumbling for flashlights and candles, worrying about the frozen food in what used to be called (in pre-grid days) the icebox. Or until the batteries run dry in our laptops or smart phones, and we find ourselves scouring the dusty corners of airports for an outlet, desperate for the magical power of electrons.

The grid is wondrous. And yet—in part because we've paid so little attention to it, engineers tell us—it's not the grid we need for the 21st century. It's too old. It's reliable but not reliable enough, especially in the United States, especially for our mushrooming population of finicky digital devices. Blackouts, brownouts, and other power outs cost Americans an estimated $80 billion a year. And at the same time that it needs to become more reliable, the grid needs dramatic upgrading to handle a different kind of power, a greener kind. That means, among other things, more transmission lines to carry wind power and solar power from remote places to big cities.

Most important, the grid must get smarter. . . .

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Doyle announces clean energy consortium with Milwaukee universities

From a news release issued by Governor Jim Doyle:

CHICAGO – Governor Jim Doyle announced today the creation of the Clean Energy Generation, Transmission and Storage Systems (CEGTS) Consortium that combines the expertise of state industry and government partners with the research and development capabilities of the public and private academic institutions of Wisconsin. Governor Doyle made the announcement at the BIO 2010 International Convention – the world’s largest biotech conference – in Chicago.

“It is crucial that Wisconsin develop and maintain a leadership role in these emerging energy technologies to provide the needed expertise to its companies,” Governor Doyle said. “Enhanced R&D capacity, combined with the development of industry supply chains, will serve as an important tool to attract and retain high value-added business. The consortium also will play a vital role in educating a world-class workforce essential for this industrial sector to thrive and grow.”

The consortium will build upon the strong network of energy research expertise between Madison and Milwaukee academic institutions and industry. Wisconsin has a rich history of being a center of excellence for energy, power, controls, and information technology. The Center for Renewable Energy Systems (CRES) in Madison and the Southeastern Wisconsin Energy Technology Research (SWETR) consortium in Milwaukee will join together as a focused single statewide Power and Energy organization. . . .

The consortium will have access to the Center for Renewable Energy Systems (CRES), developed at UW-Madison to conduct sponsored research that focuses on the integration of new clean and renewable energy technologies into highly efficient systems. CRES will be one of the first tenants in the new Wisconsin Energy Institute, a $50 million building project initiated by Governor Doyle to house the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. The university will begin construction of the Institute facilities in June 2010. . . .

Consortium activities will be conducted at the UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee campuses, as well as Marquette University and the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), by researchers from a variety of disciplines.

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Green Energy Summit starts today!

The 2010 Green Energy Summit will be held March 24-26 at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The theme of this seventh annual Summit is “The New Green Economy – Opportunities and Challenges.”

The 2010 Summit has three sub-themes – one for each of its three days. Wednesday, March 24, will be Green Business Day; Thursday,March 25, Green Energy Day; and Friday,March 26, Green Career Pathways/Sustainability Day.

This major conference will be of interest to representatives of businesses, government, and education (including faculty and students fromWisconsin colleges and universities and area high schools).

Keynote speakers include:

Will Steger
Founder of the Will Steger Foundation,
co-founder of the Center for Global Environmental Education,
and recipient of the National Geographic
Adventure Lifetime Achievement Award

Ed Begley, Jr.
Author of Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life,
principal of television series, Living With Ed

Lonnie Thompson
Ohio State University

Charles A. Hall
Professor of Environmental Science
State University of New York, Syracuse

Complete program schedule.

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John Bahr, RENEW board member, named Environmental Hero

From the newsletter of John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club:

At the annual Great Waters Group Holiday Party, John Bahr was named this year’s GWG Environmental Hero. Each year a volunteer receives this honor for his or her efforts in “Exploring, Enjoying, and Protecting the planet.”

John has worked diligently for the past five years on the issue of global warming and energy conservation. He has raised awareness of this important problem through talks to anyone who will listen and through meetings with civic and business leaders. He has targeted his home community of Wauwatosa, helping it develop practical ways to reduce its energy use.

He now sits on a Wauwatosa committee that is developing a strategy to make the entire community a “Cool City.” Congratulations, John. The Great Waters Group stands behind you in all your efforts.

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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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Panel discusses future of green jobs in Milwaukee

From an article by Tony DiZinno in the Marquette Tribune:

Two major points came out of Tuesday’s business forum on future green job growth in Wisconsin.

A panel of experts said more money needs to arrive as expected from part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act — commonly known as the stimulus package — and potential candidates to fill the new jobs require higher levels of education and skill sets.

Before the panel spoke, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett gave a speech on his blueprint of the green job movement.

“Green jobs are a continuum of what jobs are now,” Barrett said. “Since work is done at the local levels, it is important to us to be involved in this. We have such a need for business development.”

Money appropriated as a part of the stimulus package, the panelists said, has been slow to arrive and will largely determine the future of green jobs in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

“There’s been a lot of talk, but very little has actually entered the market,” said Tom Boldt, chief executive officer of Oscar J. Boldt Construction in Appleton. He added that he expects 2010 and 2011 to attract more funds.

Clay Nesler, vice president of global energy and sustainability for the building efficiency sector of Johnson Controls, said the stimulus package had the unintended consequence of halting projects that were in progress because workers and investments slowed while waiting for the “free money.”

He added he hopes companies can attract matching funds and create projects with “seed money,” funds that can be extrapolated over a longer period of time.

The described longer period of time involves integrating the new workers into the workplace. The jobs that have the potential to be created offer higher salaries on average, but require a corresponding higher level of available skills, the panel said.

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Green Jobs: Growing Wisconsin Employment, Sept. 29, Milwaukee

"Green Jobs: Growing Wisconsin Employment" is part of a series of forums at Discovery World and aims to assess Wisconsin's future in the green jobs market.

The forum, sponsored by the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, UW-Milwaukee, Midwest Renewable Energy Association, We Energies, Wisconsin Environmental Initiative and Johnson Controls, begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 9 a.m. Breakfast begins at 7:15 a.m.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will provide remarks about his city's efforts to cultivate green jobs.

Confirmed panelists include:

* UW-Milwaukee Engineering School Dean Michael R. Lovell
* Tom Boldt, CEO of Boldt Construction
* UW-Madison School of Agriculture Dean Molly Jahn
* Clay Nesler, Vice President, Global Energy and Sustainability, Johnson Controls, Inc.

The event is organized by WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com with the help of MMAC, Discovery World, and UW-Milwaukee. More sponsorship opportunities are available; contact Jim Greer at 608-237-6296 or greer@wispolitics.com.

The event is open to the public, and the price is $30 per person. But WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com subscribers, members of the Wisconsin Academy, the UW-Milwaukee community, and members of MMAC and Discovery World are able to attend for $20 per person.

The price includes the breakfast buffet but not parking.

Call Debra Jordan (414) 287-4127 or djordan@mmac.org to register.

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Visit Focus on Energy and WE Energies at the State Fair

From an article on the Milwaukee Consumer:

The Wisconsin State Fair kicks off tomorrow, August 6th, and runs through August 16th. If you do visit the Fair, you might want to consider stopping by the WE Energies Energy Park to learn more about electricity, natural gas, and energy efficiency. The Park is located along the West side of the fairgrounds (along 84th street) and is just North of Gate 4.

Focus on Energy has a game show called “Watt’s it to Ya” at the WE Energies Energy Park at 6:30pm each evening. The game show pits contestants against each other to identify the greatest energy users in a home. If you beat your competitor and move on to the showcase, you have a chance to prove your skills and learn how much you can save by using energy efficiency in your home. To review the complete list of activities at the WE Energies Energy Park, visit the WE Energies website.

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Earth Day in Milwaukee

A list of events, ranging from poetry readings to a scrap metal drive, in and around the greater Milwaukee area.

Events include:

Earth Day for Afternoon Nappers
Earth Day Festival at Riverside Park
22nd Annual Earth Poets & Musicians Festival
In Celebration of Trees
Earth Day Festival at Washington Park
St. Sebastian Scrap Metal Drive
Party for the Planet

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Online registration opens for Renewable Energy Summit, Milwaukee, March 25-28

The Renewable Energy Summit opened online registration for the event at the Midwest Airlines Center, Milwaukee, March 25 - 28, 2009.

Fifteen program themes highlight bio industry energy; business technologies and practices; curriculum programs and course design; energy efficiency, energy management and renewable, sustainable and green practices; energy policy, legal issues, drivers of the energy revolution, and opportunities for funding; green career pathways; green manufacturing; greening practices for colleges; green transportation; solar electric energy; solar thermal and geothermal energy; utility issues; water technologies; and wind energy.

March 25 and 26 focus on the renewable energy industry with presentations on all sectors of the industry. March 27 features Green Career Day with the focus on educational and job opportunities. March 28 offers workshops and short courses at the MATC Oak Creek Campus. For details see www.renewableenergysummit.org.

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Oconomowoc backs Doyle energy plan

A news brief from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Oconomowoc - Oconomowoc has become the latest community in southeastern Wisconsin to adopt Gov. Jim Doyle's commitment for increased energy independence by 2025.

Aldermen passed a resolution Jan. 6 embracing Doyle's "25 by 25" plan, which means that 25% of the city's electricity and motor fuel supplies will come from renewable resources by the year 2025.

Oconomowoc city officials and civic leaders have created a special task force to promote greater use of wind energy, solar energy and other alternative resources.

The governor's office said 73 cities and counties have embraced the 25 by 25 commitment. Other than Oconomowoc, the only one in southeastern Wisconsin is Kenosha County.

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What will we win this year?

From the Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters:

Join Us For CONSERVATION LOBBY DAY 2009!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 - RSVP here!
*RSVP Required—RSVP DEADLINE is February 13!
Since the first Conservation Lobby Day in 2005, it has grown from just over 100 citizens to over 500! Each year these citizens from across Wisconsin descend on the Capitol to share their conservation values with their Legislators. As we head into the 5th annual Conservation Lobby Day, there is one thing we can guarantee-when citizens come together to make their conservation values known, legislators listen, and conservation victories soon follow!

The reauthorization of the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund and the passage of the Strong Great Lakes Compact are two great examples of how citizen lobbying resulted in ground-breaking conservation laws.

The participation of local groups and citizens like YOU is incredibly important to the success of Conservation Lobby Day. Every day throughout the state, countless citizens work tirelessly to protect the local land, water, and wildlife.

Conservation Lobby Day is a unique opportunity to share your conservation stories and experiences with legislators and have a huge impact on conservation policies affecting all of Wisconsin.

In 2009-2010, the conservation community will be fighting to:

Preserve Groundwater: Wisconsin's Buried Treasure: manage Wisconsin's groundwater resources to preserve drinking water supplies, lakes, streams, and wetlands.

Stop Global Warming in Wisconsin: address the threats of global warming in Wisconsin through clean, renewable energy jobs and energy conservation.

Restore Conservation Integrity: return Wisconsin to an Independent DNR Secretary and a timely appointment of Natural Resource Board members.

Protect Wisconsin's Drinking Water: protect Wisconsin's drinking water supplies by making sure we safely spread agricultural, municipal, and industrial waste.

For a 1-page brief on each of these issues, click on their title above.

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Repower America and rebuild Wisconsin’s economy

From a guest column by Dan Kohler and Rep. Andy Jorgenson in the Janesville GazetteXtra:

“We have the opportunity now to create jobs all across this country in all 50 states to repower America, to redesign how we use energy and think about how we are increasing efficiency to make our economy stronger, make us more safe, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make us competitive for decades to come—even as we save the planet.” -- U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, Dec. 8

We couldn’t agree more. Our slumping economy is taking its toll, leaving all of us with a sense of anxiety about the future. But we have a tremendous opportunity to rebuild our economy across the country and here in Wisconsin, and to do it on a solid foundation.

President-elect Obama and the new Congress should enact a green economic recovery plan that makes critical investments in clean energy and green infrastructure to help rebuild the American economy, protect our environment and make us more energy independent.

When it comes to clean energy, the Badger State has a unique combination of assets that can help us capitalize on such a plan and lead the way into the new energy future. We have vast renewable energy potential from wind and solar power, the research laboratories to develop new energy technologies, the manufacturing base to build them, and the farms to grow the next generation of fuels.

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Easy to understand fact sheets on energy tax credit

The Web site awkwardly called the Database for State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency hosts two useful fact sheets for any individual or business considering a renewable energy installation.

Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit covers these eligible renewable enrgies and technologies: Solar Water Heat, Photovoltaics, Wind, Fuel Cells, Geothermal Heat Pumps, Other Solar Electric Technologies

Business Energy Tax Credits covers these eligible renewable enrgies and technologies: Solar Water Heat, Solar Space Heat, Solar Thermal Electric, Solar Thermal Process Heat, Photovoltaics, Wind, Biomass, Geothermal Electric, Fuel Cells, Geothermal Heat Pumps, CHP/Cogeneration, Solar Hybrid Lighting, Direct Use Geothermal, Microturbines

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Lower demand lowers Wisconsin Energy profits

From an Associated Press article posted on INO.com News:

(AP:MILWAUKEE) Electric and natural gas utility Wisconsin Energy Corp. said Wednesday its third-quarter profit fell 7 percent as cool summer weather lowered demand for air conditioning.

For the quarter ended Sept. 30, Wisconsin Energy earned $77.5 million, or 65 cents per share, compared with $82.9 million, or 70 cents per share, for the same quarter in 2007.

Earnings from continuing operations _ which excludes results from businesses that have been, or are in the process of being sold _ totaled $77 million, or 65 cents per share, compared with $83.1 million, or 71 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.

Revenue declined 3 percent to $852.5 million from $881.5 million in the 2007 period.

On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a more modest profit of 55 cents per share, on $892.8 million in revenue.

Wisconsin Energy said residential use of electricity fell 5 percent in the quarter from a year ago. Among small commercial and industrial customers, consumption was off by 1.4 percent, while use among large commercial and industrial customers was down 3.5 percent versus a year ago.

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Sign up for heating assistance before season begins

From an article on Living Lake Country:

The Wisconsin Department of Administration’s (DOA) Division of Energy Services and the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) urge energy customers to contact their local utility if their heat is currently disconnected. The agencies also encourage residents to take advantage of energy-efficiency programs and the state’s low-income bill payment assistance programs to reduce the burden of their utility bills this winter.

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

Payment agreements
Consumers who need to set up a payment agreement should call We Energies at (800) 842-4565. If customers cannot reach an agreement with their utility, they may contact the PSC at (608) 266-2001 or (800) 225-7729.

Energy assistance
There is financial assistance available for eligible households who cannot pay their gas or electric bills this winter. The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) administers low-income and energy assistance programs for the state. WHEAP is part of the state’s comprehensive Home Energy Plus program which also provides assistance with emergency energy needs, emergency furnace repairs, and weatherization and conservation services.

Eligibility is based on income and family size. For example, a family of four which earns $7,743.75 or less in the three months prior to applying for assistance is potentially eligible. For a two-person family the earnings must be $5,133.75 or less. Benefits are based on income levels and energy bills. Consumers do not have to be behind in their energy bill payments to qualify.

For information about WHEAP, including contact information for local energy assistance offices, call 1(866) 432-8947) or visit www.homeenergyplus.wi.gov.

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Oconomowoc utility and others making renewable energy easy to use

From a story by Matthew Inda in Living Lake Country:

City of Oconomowoc - One thing that makes Oconomowoc unique is its publicly owned utility company, which strives for environmental efficiency and cheaper prices.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, adults and children have an opportunity to visit the Oconomowoc Utilities office, 808 S. Worthington St., for an open house that will educate everyone about the local power plant, as well as give customers a chance to purchase blocks of renewable energy.

“You get to learn about all the different things the utility does, and specifically green power,” said Lisa Geason-Bauer, owner and marketing director of Evolution Marketing, and consultant of the Oconomowoc Utilities open house.

Open house visitors can learn about the utility that they, as customers, partially own, and can help the utility become more efficient.

One of the first steps in doing so is for customers to sign up to purchase blocks of renewable energy, varied amounts of kilowatts per hour, by which customers can essentially increase the amount of green energy used in their home.

For example, if someone purchases one block of energy for the $3 price tag, they will receive and be charged for 300 kilowatts per hour of renewable energy that is likely coming from wind power, according to Greg Hoffmann, energy service representative for Wisconsin Pubic Power Inc., the regional public power company to which Oconomowoc Utilities belongs.

Two blocks of energy, or 600 kilowatts per hour, would be $6, three blocks (900 kilowatts) would be $9, and so on.

So if a household used 900 kilowatts per hour of electricity in one month, but bought three blocks of renewable energy, then their household would be using 100-percent renewable energy. Hoffmann said the price of the renewable energy, whether $3, $6 or incrementally greater, is tacked on to whatever that home’s monthly bill is.

Hoffmann said the concept is one that many public and private power companies are using, whether it is wind-, solar- or hydro-based.

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