Too popular Cash for Clunkers suspended

From an article in the Wisconsin State Journal:

WASHINGTON — The government plans to suspend its popular "cash for clunkers" program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases, congressional officials said Thursday.

The Transportation Department called lawmakers’ offices to alert them to the decision to suspend the program at midnight Thursday. The program offers owners of old cars and trucks $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle. . . .

A White House official said later that officials were assessing the situation facing the popular program but auto dealers and consumers should have confidence that transactions under the program that already have taken place would be honored. . . .

Congress last month approved the Car Allowance Rebate System program, known as CARS, to boost auto sales and remove some inefficient cars and trucks from the roads. The program kicked off July 24 and was heavily publicized by car companies and auto dealers.

Through late Wednesday, 22,782 vehicles had been purchased through the program and nearly $96 million had been spent. But dealers raised concerns about large backlogs in the processing of the deals in the government system, prompting the suspension.

Read more »

Lawmakers urge train company to set up shop in Milwaukee

From blog post by Stacy Forster on JSOnline:

Madison – Lawmakers who represent the City of Milwaukee are appealing to a Spanish train company planning to make two trains for Wisconsin to locate their manufacturing facility in the state’s urban center.

The train maker, Talgo, is expected to make two 14-car train sets to be used on Amtrak's Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha Service, which will cost the state $47 million. The train sets include the cab car that powers the train. The order will create about 80 manufacturing and maintenance jobs, with the possibility the company could add more if other states buy its trains, Gov. Jim Doyle has said.

Talgo hasn’t chosen a location for its assembly and maintenance facility, but Doyle said it was likely to be located in south-central or southeastern Wisconsin. Antonio Perez, chief executive officer and president of Talgo Inc., the company's U.S. subsidiary, said it has scouted locations in Milwaukee and Janesville.

Read more »

Wisconsin offers new apartment weatherization program

From a special project description of HomeEnergy+:

As part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Wisconsin Department of Administration received $141 million for weatherization programs for low and moderate income families. These Recovery funds will help expand the current weatherization program as well as fund a new initiative to weatherize 3,000 units in large multifamily buildings.

Owners of residential multifamily buildings are encouraged to apply for the Large Multifamily Weatherization Recovery Project if their building meets the following criteria:

· Twenty or more residential dwelling units in one structure
· Two-thirds of the tenants have an income at or below 60% of the state median income

Buildings selected for the project could receive heating system replacement, ventilation, insulation, reduction of air leakage and refrigerator replacement.

Read more »

Cash for Clunkers kicks off

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

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today kicked off a buyer incentive program designed to help consumers purchase new fuel efficient vehicles and boost the economy at the same time. The Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), commonly referred to as Cash for Clunkers, is a new federal program that gives buyers up to $4,500 towards a new, more environmentally-friendly vehicle when they trade-in their old gas guzzling cars or trucks.

“With this program, we are giving the auto industry a shot in the arm and struggling consumers can get rid of their gas-guzzlers and buy a more reliable, fuel-efficient vehicle,” Secretary LaHood said. “This is good news for our economy, the environment and consumers’ pocketbooks.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also released the final eligibility requirements to participate in the program. Under the CARS program, consumers receive a $3,500 or $4,500 discount from a car dealer when they trade in their old vehicle and purchase or lease a new, qualifying vehicle. In order to be eligible for the program, the trade-in passenger vehicle must: be manufactured less than 25 years before the date it is traded in; have a combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less; be in drivable condition; and be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year before the trade-in. Transactions must be made between now and November 1, 2009 or until the money runs out.

The vehicle that is traded in will be scrapped. NHTSA estimates the program could take approximately 250,000 vehicles that are not fuel efficient off the road.

Read more »

$28 million available for state clean energy manufacturing projects

Dave Jenkins, mentioned in the news release issued by Governor Doyle, will speak in the Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Pavilion at the Wisconsin Machine Tool Show:

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced that Wisconsin has been approved for $28 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act federal funds for its State Energy Program (SEP). The funds are the first part of the $55 million in Recovery Act funding the state is receiving for this program. . . .

Projects must create or retain jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce fossil fuel use, and/or deploy renewable energy.

Applications and program information will be available at the Commerce website: http://commerce.wi.gov/BD/BD-SEP-ARRA.html

For more information on the SEP, contact Amy Cumblad at Commerce, amy.cumblad@wisconsin.gov; or David Jenkins at the Office of Energy Independence, davidj.jenkins@wisconsin.gov.

Read more »

'Going green' more than catch phrase for Tosa residents

From an article by Stefanie Scott in Wauwatosa Now:

From commercial products to restaurant menus and government grants, campaigns of all kinds are using the ubiquitous phrase "going green."

But several local groups are embracing the concept at a deeper level, taking on projects that can help Wauwatosa residents live more environmentally friendly lives.

Energy conservation at home
Wauwatosa resident John Bahr [a member of RENEW Wisconisn's board of directors] is leading an effort to get neighborhoods citywide to reduce energy consumption. He is the home energy efficiency chairman for the city's Energy Committee, formed this year.

He is working with neighborhood associations to help them make their members aware of how household and daily activities impact the environment and local resources that can assist them in sustainable living.

Bahr is recruiting people in each association to form neighborhood energy conservation groups this fall, but Tosa East Towne will be the pilot group.

Bahr's subcommittee is creating course material for five sessions on topics including reducing trash and greenhouse gas emissions, conserving and protecting water and choosing healthy, sustainable foods. Participants will be given handouts with assignments and checklists they can use to mark off accomplished activities.

"They see what they can do within their own house using this course material and have to report back to their peers on what worked and what didn't," he said.

Read more »

New panel aims to pressure Doyle, lawmakers on transit funding

From an article by Steve Schultze of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A renewed effort aimed at pressuring Gov. Jim Doyle and state legislators to agree to sales tax funding for transit in the greater Milwaukee area was launched Wednesday with a new panel of regional government and business leaders.

The Milwaukee County Committee on Long-Range Transportation Planning, with representatives from six southeastern Wisconsin counties, was named by Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway to keep the sales tax idea alive this year, Holloway said.

Legislators included authority for a 0.065% sales tax for transit and public safety for Milwaukee County in the new state budget bill, but Doyle vetoed the provision, saying he wanted a regional solution for transit.

Holloway has been harshly critical of Doyle for the veto, but the County Board chairman said Wednesday he's hoping for a local transit sales tax recommendation from the panel can be delivered to Doyle and legislators by September, for action in the fall session.

Read more »