by jboullion | May 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Stevens Point Journal:
ROTHSCHILD — We Energies said Monday it will move forward with the engineering and equipment orders for a planned biomass plant in Rothschild, a company spokesman said.
The decision came several days after state regulators from the Public Service Commission gave final approval to the $255 million project with orders that Milwaukee-based utility We Energies and Domtar Corp. come up with another $10 million either from the utility’s shareholders or the paper company.
More from Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
by jboullion | May 16, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Plans are proceeding for Milwaukee to erect a 154-foot tall wind turbine this summer next to the Port Authority building near the Hoan Bridge.
The stimulus-funded project would generate more than enough electricity to power the port office building and sell a small amount of power back to the grid.
Some Bay View residents had raised concerns about a different alternative for the project, which would have been closer to the lake, next to the Lake Express ferry terminal.
A community meeting about the project attracted hundreds of people on a snowy evening in January. At that time, about one-third of those in attendance were in favor, another third were opposed and another third were seeking more information, said Ald. Tony Zielinski.
Zielinski said he was pleased that a compromise could be reached to address concerns about the original site.
The location by the Port Administration building, 2323 S. Lincoln Memorial Drive, is an improvement, Zielinski said, for “people who were fearful of the detrimental effect on the aesthetics of the lakefront by virtue of having it so close to the lake.”
Other concerns had been raised about the other site, which would have put up a turbine or several small turbines on a confined disposal facility next to the Lake Express car ferry terminal.
“We received a lot of push back primarily because of public trust doctrine issues and the impact on waterfowl and migratory birds in that area,” said Matt Howard, director of the city’s office of environmental sustainability.
Public trust concerns were raised about whether a wind turbine would be an appropriate use of land on the lakefront site.
“They listened well and took that to heart in the planning for this alternate site,” said Aaron Schultz, spokesman for the Lake Express ferry.
The turbine is aimed to be a demonstration of the city’s commitment to renewable energy, Howard said.
“This seems to be a good compromise position. The wind profile is still great at that site, and we’re still looking at being able to generate between 110% and 150% of that building’s energy needs,” he said.
by jboullion | May 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
We Energies won final approval to build a $255 million biomass power plant in north-central Wisconsin Thursday.
The utility had wanted a decision this week to help it keep on target to complete construction by late 2013.
But the utility hasn’t decided whether it will proceed with the building the plant at this point. Utility spokesman Brian Manthey said We Energies and Domtar Corp., its partner in the project, are reviewing conditions that regulators attached to the deal – conditions that aim to bring down the overall cost of the project for utility customers.
The biomass plant at the Domtar paper mill in Rothschild is being proposed at a time when the utility has enough power to meet the needs of its customers but is required because of the state’s renewable portfolio standard.
That standard, adopted by the state Legislature in 2006, requires that 8.25% of We Energies’ power come from renewable sources by 2015.
If the project does not move forward, We Energies executives told investors last week they would want to have discussions with the Walker administration about alternatives, including a possible way of delaying the company’s compliance with the law.
There have been discussions of possible legislation that would help the utility delay the time frame for complying with the law, or it could take advantage of “off-ramps” built into the 2006 law that would allow it more time to comply.
by jboullion | May 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
For immediate release
May 13, 2011
More information
RENEW Wisconsin
Michael Vickerman
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
We Energies Terminates Its Renewable Energy Program
Utility Pulls Plug on $6 Million a Year Commitment
As reported on its Web site, Milwaukee-based We Energies will discontinue an innovative and effective renewable energy development program that supported scores of renewable energy systems throughout its service territory. [The announcement can be accessed at http://www.we-energies.com/re.]
“It’s a sad day when the state’s largest utility decides to walk away from its commitment to a clean energy future,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide organization advocating for public policies and private initiatives that advance renewable energy.
As indicated in various filings with the Public Service Commission, We Energies had committed to spend $6 million a year over 10 years to increase its renewable energy supplies and make renewable energy more affordable to its customers through grants and incentives. We Energies’ commitment came in the wake of a settlement with RENEW over the utility’s plans to build two coal-fired power stations in southeast Wisconsin.
Of the $60 million committed, the utility has spent approximately $30 million since 2006. This program will be zeroed out in We Energies’ next rate filing, which will cover 2012 and 2013.
This program supported numerous customer-sited renewable energy installations [see list below], conferences and workshops, research and development activities, and innovative buyback rates.
“Perhaps not coincidently, the decision to terminate this program comes just months after We Energies placed its second coal-fired plant in service. The $6 million a year was a small price to pay for the all of the renewable energy advances that occurred while the utility built two coal plants,” said Vickerman.
“Now that the coal plant is up and running, it appears that the program has outlived its usefulness to We Energies,” Vickerman said.
Six million dollars equates to about .025 percent of We Energies’ annual expenditures.
“This cancellation comes as a blow to area contractors and businesses that were relying on the program to create jobs and clean energy,” said Vickerman. “The achievements leveraged far outweigh the program’s negligible cost.”
“Between utility program cutbacks and state government rollbacks, Wisconsin’s policy framework for supporting renewable energy will be largely dismantled by the end of the year.”
–END- –
RENEW Wisconsin is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that acts as a catalyst to advance a sustainable energy future through public policy and private sector initiatives. More information on RENEW’s Web site at www.renewwisconsin.org.
Customer-owned renewable energy success stories and live data
A growing number of customers have their own renewable energy facilities. The links below go to summaries of the projects and/or real-time production data from the solar photovoltaic, solar hot water and wind renewable energy generation systems.
Solar electric photovoltaic
Ascension Lutheran Church
Cedar Community
City of Brookfield Safety Building
Concordia University Wisconsin
Cooper Elementary School
Cross Lutheran Church
Crown of Life Lutheran Church
Energy Producing Home #1
Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ – Waukesha
Fairview Charter School
Family Enrichment Center of Ozaukee County
First Congregational Church – Port Washington
First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee
Fox River Christian Church
Fox Valley Lutheran High School
Gateway Technical College Horizon Center Solar Tracker
GE Healthcare
GE Research Park
Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church and School
Growing Power – Milwaukee
HOPE Christian School
Johnson Foundation
Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School
La Casa de Esperanza
Lake Country School
Lake Park Lutheran Church
Lawrence University
Madison Area Technical College – Fort Atkinson Campus
Madison College – Fort Atkinson
Menomonee Falls North Middle School
Milwaukee Area Tech College – Oak Creek
Milwaukee Central Library
Milwaukee County Zoo
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
Milwaukee Recycling Education Facility
MSOE:Fat Spaniel Tech MSOE Monitor
Navarino Nature Center
North Shore Presbyterian Church
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Outpost Natural Foods
Pragmatic Construction Home 1 – PV
Purdy Elementary School – Fort Atkinson
Racine City Hall Annex
Racine Eco-Justice Center
Racine St. Catherine’s High School
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center
St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church
Shoreland Lutheran High School
Shorewood School District
Still Point Zen Center
The Order of Julian of Norwich
Town of Greenville
Town of Menasha
Unitarian Universalist Church West
United Community Center
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin – Parkside
Urban Ecology Center
Village of Marshall Wastewater Treatment Facility
Village of Wind Point
Walden III Middle and Senior High School
Waukesha County Technical College
Wauwatosa Fire Department
Whitewater Innovation Center
Wisconsin Lutheran 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
Mequon Nature Preserve
Milwaukee Area Tech College – Mequon
Wind
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Milwaukee – Camp Whitcomb Mason
Village of Cascade Wastewater Treatment Plant
List from We Energies’ Web site — http://www.we-energies.com/residential/energyeff/active_installdata.htm
by jboullion | May 11, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Mike Ivey in the La Crosse Tribune:
VIROQUA – Fifth Season Cooperative of Viroqua could serve as a model for business development in rural Wisconsin.
Ready to open for this spring’s growing season, Fifth Season connects small farmers and processors with large institutional customers such as schools, universities or hospitals. The idea is to directly tie producers to markets, eliminating the middleman, to keep prices affordable for local meats, produce and dairy.
“We’re one of just a handful of multi-stakeholder cooperatives in the United States,” says Nicole Penick, coordinator for the co-op.
Members so far include organic and conventional farmers; processors Organic Valley, Westby Co-op Creamery and Premier Meats; and purchasers Gundersen Lutheran, Vernon Memorial Healthcare, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Western Technical College and Viroqua Area School District.
After nearly two years of planning, Fifth Season was launched last August as a for-profit venture. It was helped with a $40,000 business development grant, the largest issued in 2010, through the state’s Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin program.
The Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin grant program was part of former Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2008 budget and was designed to connect local food producers with local buyers. It has awarded about $220,000 annually in development grants over the past three years. Recipients in 2010 included the Bayfield Apple Co., Perfect Pasture in Ashland, the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition and Green & Green Distribution in Mineral Point.
But the grant program is on Gov. Scott Walker’s budget chopping block and was not included in his proposed 2011-13 budget – a development some call short-sighted and contrary to Walker’s goal of growing the private-sector economy.
by jboullion | May 11, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Helios Solar Works was awarded an additional $150,000 in financing for the purchase of robotic manufacturing equipment at its factory in the Menomonee River Valley.
Helios, which began production in February, was initially awarded a $500,000 by the Milwaukee Economic Development Corp., a business lender affiliated with the city of Milwaukee, but the size of the company’s investment in robotic equipment has increased. MEDC’s loan and finance committee awarded more funding on Tuesday. . . .
Steve Ostrenga, Helios chief executive, said the increase resulted from higher costs for robotic equipment used in the production of solar panels that it says are more efficient than competitors’ panels. . . .
Ostrenga has just won its largest order to yet for solar panels, Ostrenga said.
“We just landed a 1-megawatt order,” he said. “That’s huge, so we’re making that right now.”
The 1 megawatt order is part of a 5-megawatt solar project that is expected to be one of the largest single solar projects in Europe, he said.
