Lake Erie likely to get wind turbines first

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

The first wind turbine development on the Great Lakes could be built within three years or so, experts on offshore wind power said during a conference Wednesday in Milwaukee.

The first project is expected to consist of three to five turbines just off the shore of Cleveland in Lake Erie.

The project is being pushed by the Cuyahoga County government as an economic development strategy to help boost the development of a wind-power manufacturing industry in a state that's been hit hard by cutbacks in the auto industry, said Steve Dever of the Ohio Great Lakes Energy Development Task Force.

During the Great Lakes Wind Collaborative meeting at We Energies, experts on offshore wind in Wisconsin said they expect development to start slowly over the next few years. But the industry could grow rapidly from there, the experts said.

"In 2010-2013 you'll see pilot projects get started. Then I think we'll see incredible growth - really, really rapid growth," said Tom Stanton of the Michigan Public Service Commission. . . .

Experts believe wind speeds are much faster over large bodies of water than over land, with parts of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior having stronger winds than Iowa and Minnesota, two of the leading states in generation of wind power.

Wisconsin is looking into Great Lakes wind power as one option for the state to generate more renewable energy that would help reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions, said Deborah Erwin of the state Public Service Commission.

Read more »

Wisconsin's clean economy: "Small and losing"

From a post on Tom Content's blog on JSOnline.com:

Wisconsin's clean-energy economy is smaller than the national average and lost jobs between 1997 and 2007, a new report published Thursday says.

Wisconsin employed more than 15,000 jobs in the clean-energy sector, according to a study by the Pew Charitable Trusts. But employment in the clean sector fell 5% during that decade, at a time the state's overall job growth was more than 3%, according to the report.

As a result, the company ranks with Maryland, Utah and West Virginia as states where the clean-energy sector is described as “small and losing.”

Despite that stark description, Wisconsin ranked well in one area, the report found. With 2,801 people employed in the energy efficiency field, Wisconsin employed more people in this area than all but five other states.

The state has attracted $46 million in clean-technology venture capital in the past three years, but even that pales in comparison with other states. Wisconsin ranks behind Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota in raising clean-tech funding -- ranking 24th among all states and the District of Columbia.

The Pew report, “The Clean Energy Economy: Repowering Jobs, Businesses and Investments Across America," found there were 68,200 businesses nationwide in the clean-energy sector, accounting for 770,000 jobs.

Read more »

Church goes green with solar power

A story by Tom Murray on WTMJ:

SHOREWOOD - The Presbyterian church at Bartlett Avenue and Capitol Drive claims to be the first green church on the North Shore.

The congregation believes in making God's green earth a little greener.

"It's a way of helping to reduce our carbon footprint," said Reverend Jim Bender.

The 55-year-old church has a new look. There are three rows of solar panels on the roof pointing toward heaven.

Jackie Keltner and Sam Kashou belong to North Shore Presbyterian's very own eco focus group.

"I think they look fabulous," said Keltner. "Even on a relatively small scale, you can make a difference."

It's quite a leap of faith for Sam, who's been attending this church since 1948.

"Solar panels? They didn't even have that in the vocabulary," he quipped.

The panels will not do all the work. Church leaders estimate they will provide about 10-20 percent of the building's electricity.

It does add up to energy bill savings of almost $2,000 a year. Reverend Bender says the project adds up to better ministry.

"Churches are beginning to get back to the true Biblical idea that the earth is not something to be dominated, but the earth is something to be maintained for future generations," Bender told TODAY'S TMJ4 reporter Tom Murray.

The panels are paid for by anonymous donations and grants from We Energies and Focus on Energy.

Read more »

UW-Parkside: a SHINING example in Wisconsin

From an article published in the e-newsletter of Focus on Energy:

Drive through the UW-Parkside campus today and you'll notice a new energy on campus—solar energy, to be exact. UW-Parkside just put Kenosha on the renewable energy map in a big way with the installation of a 26 kilowatt solar electric system.

Under the guidance of UW-Parkside's Task Force on Sustainability, Don Kolbe, the university's director of facilities management, oversaw the installation of three separate, highly visible solar electric systems across the campus. According to Mr. Kolbe, "We [UW-Parkside] wanted a visual representation of the sustainability initiative that our university has been actively pursuing." These three solar electric systems will convert the sun's energy into more than 34,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity each year (view real-time energy production here) that will help power the campus for the next 30-plus years. This energy production is enough to power three average single-family homes in Wisconsin and offset the release of more than 75,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas that is a major contributor to global warming.

The environmental attributes of this project are undeniable, but just as attractive is the portfolio of incentives from which UW-Parkside was able to benefit. According to Don Wichert, director of the Focus on Energy Renewable Energy Program, "With the confluence of state, federal, and utility incentives that are available for the installation of renewable energy systems, now is an excellent time to install a solar system." A $50,000 incentive through the Focus on Energy Program, a $100,000 grant through the We Energies Renewable Energy Development Program, generous donations, and the annual revenue that this system will net, all made this project financially viable.

Read more »

Rooftop gardens all about growth

From an article by Kathleen Gallagher in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A year ago, Erik Lindberg rented a boom lift with a bucket and hoisted 15 cubic yards of dirt to the roof of his north side remodeling business. In the process, he planted himself firmly in the middle of a growing urban agriculture movement.

Lindberg, owner of Community Building & Restoration, turned to rooftop gardening in the belief that his actions might encourage people to grow their own food or buy locally grown produce.

And by selling the vegetables he grows to subscribers and a nearby Outpost Natural Foods store, he may have become Milwaukee's first commercial rooftop farmer.

"It's an experiment," said Lindberg, 42. "Can you develop a business plan out of something like this? The answer is, I don't know yet."

Rooftop farming is in its infancy, but the potential is enormous, said Steven Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, a 10-year-old Toronto-based association that claims more than 5,000 members.

"We have probably a handful of projects. A lot of the rooftop gardening we do may have a commercial or selling component, but it's often set up because of the social benefits it provides," Peck said. Those benefits include improved health, less stress, a sense of community among tenants of a building, better caretakers and lower crime rates, he said.

Green evolution
Restaurants such as Frontera Grill and Uncommon Groundin Chicago were among the pioneers of rooftop gardening.

Milwaukee is an evolving "green roof" community, Peck said.

Among the local buildings featuring rooftop gardens are a City of Milwaukee building at 809 Broadway; the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District building at 260 W. Seeboth St.; the Highland Gardens Public Housing Facility; the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Great Lakes WATER Institute; the Karen Peck Katz Conservation Education Center at the Milwaukee County Zoo; the Urban Ecology Center next to Riverside University High School; and the Grohmann Museum at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.

Read more »

Wisconsin can save money by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy

From a news release issued by Wisconsin Environment:

Green Bay, WI –Reducing dependence on fossil fuels, creating new jobs and protecting the environment for future generations are all benefits resulting from the clean energy policies adopted in Wisconsin in recent years, according to a new report released today at events in Madison, Milwaukee and Green Bay by Wisconsin Environment. The group cited the report’s findings as clear evidence the state legislature should take the next steps toward a clean energy economy.

“This report shows that we can repower Wisconsin and revitalize our economy with homegrown clean energy solutions,” said Wisconsin Environment Director Dan Kohler. “With our abundant natural resources and strong manufacturing and agricultural base, we have the perfect combination of assets to be a national leader.”

Wisconsin Environment’s new report comes as state lawmakers are gearing up to consider new commitments to renewable energy and efficiency programs. Last August, Governor Doyle’s Global Warming Task Force recommended increasing the state’s renewable energy commitment from 10% by 2015 up to 25% by 2025, as well as using energy more wisely. Legislation stemming from the task force is expected to be announced later this summer.

Read more »

Costs fall for We Energies' wind farm project

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

Wind turbine prices have fallen significantly in recent months amid the economic slowdown, and that, in turn, has brought down the projected cost to build the state's largest wind farm.

The Glacier Hills Wind Park in Columbia County is now projected to cost a maximum of $413.5 million, down from a projection of $525.6 million when We Energies announced the project last year.

The Milwaukee utility is seeking to build the project in the next several years to comply with a state law that requires 10% of Wisconsin's electricity be supplied by wind turbines and other renewable energy sources by 2015.

"Market conditions for the procurement of wind turbine equipment have changed considerably" since the utility first submitted its proposal to the state Public Service Commission, We Energies said in a filing with state regulators.

We Energies is proposing a 90-turbine wind power project, the Glacier Hills Wind Park, northeast of Madison. It would be the largest wind farm in the state, slightly bigger than the 88-turbine Blue Sky Green Field wind farm We Energies began operating near Fond du Lac last year.

Glacier Hills would generate enough power over a year to supply 45,000 typical homes, the utility says.

The utility also said it has reached an agreement with Vestas to supply turbines for the wind project, if the development is given the go-ahead by state regulators.

The drop in prices for wind turbines is linked to the recession and a slowdown in wind power development caused by both the economy and tight credit markets.

Read more »