by jboullion | Dec 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article in Renewable Energy World:
Washington, D.C. — In typical fashion, the U.S. Congress passed a suite of last-minute tax laws last night, including an extension of the Treasury Grant Program (TGP) for renewable energy project developers.
Trade groups in Washington have been pushing hard for an extension of the program, which provides a cash payment of up to 30% of equipment costs in place of the Investment Tax Credit. The grant program was responsible for a large portion of the renewable energy projects built throughout the U.S. in 2010. Originally passed as part of the 2009 stimulus package, the TGP was supposed to expire at the end of December.
Because there are still a limited number of financial institutions able to finance projects by taking advantage of tax credits, the TGP has opened up new sources of capital for project developers. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the grant program spurred over 1,100 solar projects and $18 billion dollars of investment in 2010.
“This program has successfully created thousands of jobs and opportunity in all 50 states for construction workers, electricians, plumbers, contractors that have struggled in this harsh economic climate,” said SEIA President Rhone Resch in a statement.
While the wind industry saw a significant drop in installations compared to 2009, the grant program helped keep thousands of MW on the table for 2010 and 2011. American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode projected a loss of tens of thousands of wind jobs in 2011 without an extension of the TGP.
by jboullion | Dec 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Kim Palmer in the Star Tribune, St. Paul, MN:
A doctor’s passion for sustainability inspired him to build what may be the most energy-efficient home in the Midwest.
Dr. Gary Konkol’s new house has lots of cool modern features. But the coolest, most modern thing about it might be the feature it lacks: a furnace.
This will be Konkol’s first winter in the house, but he’s not worried about keeping warm. “I make more energy than I need,” he said. “Even on the coldest, cloudiest day in January, I’ll use the equivalent of two handheld hair dryers.”
His house, which sits on a wooded cul-de-sac in North Hudson, Wis., looks starkly contemporary next to its traditional suburban neighbors. But beneath the surface, it’s truly radical: the first certified passive solar house in Wisconsin and one of fewer than a dozen nationwide.
by jboullion | Dec 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Rick Barrett of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
The last oceangoing ship of the year steams out of the Port of Milwaukee this week, bound for Morocco with a load of soybeans, ending what’s been a good shipping season – with total tonnage down but steel shipments surging from a year ago.
The port handled about 1.9 million metric tons of cargo through Nov. 1, compared with 2.4 million a year earlier.
Most of the decline was blamed on fewer road-salt shipments, one of the port’s largest commodities.
About 32% less salt was brought into the port this year, largely because of a surplus from 2009, said Eric Reinelt, Port of Milwaukee director.
The port had strong exports of grain and mining equipment and high imports of steel, according to Reinelt.
It’s had visits from 207 ships, up from 191 at this time last year.
“The good news is that anything related to the overall economic cycle did fairly well,” Reinelt said. “Purchases of specialty steel products through the port, mostly from Europe, are up a whopping 50% over last year. . . .”
The port has made room for storage of wind-turbine blades, hoping to get more of that cargo business.
Earlier, Milwaukee’s port and terminal operators lost millions in revenue and about 25 jobs because of state rules that clamped down on the shipment of wind-turbine components on Wisconsin highways.
Caravans of the huge turbine parts were shipped through Duluth, Minn., and Beaumont, Texas, rather than Milwaukee.
But Wisconsin’s highway rules have been relaxed, Reinelt said.
“Next year, our big marketing effort is going to be in wind-power products. I think next year, and in 2012, we should see that business come back,” he said.
Also, the entrance ramp to Interstate-794 was widened this year so that trucks could get on the highway easier and not have to use city streets. That move was a huge improvement for the port and its terminal operators, Reinelt said.
by jboullion | Dec 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Nathaniel Shuda and Nick Paulson in the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune:
A Wisconsin Rapids manufacturer will serve as a pilot site for a statewide clean-energy training center, the state’s top workforce official said this week.
Energy Composites will host the Pre-Engineering Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Innovation Academy, supported by a nearly $95,000 state grant, the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development announced Monday.
“We hope to see these kinds of investments get the right kinds of skills to Wisconsin workers, so our businesses can thrive here as they have access to skilled workers,” DWD Secretary Roberta Gassman said.
The academy will provide about 15 workers with entry-level skills training and career exploration in the engineering field for potential employment in the bio-refining industry, as well as a certificate program that recognizes math, science and technology skills, including project management, she said.
Distributed through the North Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, the grant is one of several statewide, totaling $430,385, to help train workers in central Wisconsin for careers in advanced manufacturing, clean energy, health care and information technology.
Though officials announced the grants less than a week after NewPage Corp. announced it will close its Whiting mill, the timing is a coincidence, Gassman said. The program has been in the works for a while.
But the training, especially in advanced manufacturing, could benefit workers who lose their jobs at NewPage.
by jboullion | Dec 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
Tom Content wrote and posted the following article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the day before the Joint Committee on Finance voted along party lines (12 Democrats in favor, 4 Republicans against) to approve funding for Focus on Energy:
Lawmaker calls for audit; business groups against added funds
With a decision possible Tuesday on an increase in funding for the state Focus on Energy program, a lawmaker called for an audit of the energy efficiency initiative and several business groups came out against what they criticized as “a $340 million energy tax hike.”
Business groups including Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, the Wisconsin Paper Council, Midwest Food Processors Association and the Wisconsin chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses issued a letter opposing increased funding for energy efficiency.
“Energy conservation and efficiency is a great idea, which is why so many businesses, like paper companies, already do it,” said Ed Wilusz, vice president of government relations for the Wisconsin Paper Council, in a statement. “But the existing state program appears to be working well. We doubt that the massive spending increase called for in this proposal is necessary or would be effective.”
Supporters of energy efficiency say it’s the least-cost alternative to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and a way to help the state postpone costlier expenses like investments in power plants.
The opposition by business groups comes even though large manufacturers in Wisconsin are exempt under state law from paying more to the Focus on Energy program.
The Focus on Energy program is funded through a surcharge on most customers’ electric bills. Under the PSC proposal, funding would ramp up over the next four years, raising $20 million more than current levels in 2011 and $60 million more in 2012. The increase would result in an average rate increase of 0.2% in 2011 for utility customers, and 0.7% in 2012.
Increases in funding are also proposed for 2013 and 2014 under the PSC proposal that will be reviewed Tuesday by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.
Sen. Robert Cowles (R-Allouez) said Monday he wants the Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct an audit of Focus on Energy before lawmakers agree to an increase in funding.
“Our economy is still in bad shape, and families and businesses in our state are hurting,” he said in a statement. “We need to make sure that this program is providing the benefits that it claims it is before we agree to add more funding.”
Although not audited by the Legislative Audit Bureau, the Focus on Energy program is audited regularly by independent consulting firms.
by jboullion | Dec 14, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Marie Rohde in The Daily Reporter:
No money is available to build a train shed at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station even though the project is required to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
The money for the station improvements had been included as part of the $810 million Milwaukee-to-Madison high-speed rail project that was rescinded by the federal government last week in light of opposition by Gov.-elect Scott Walker.
The Intermodal Station project was to construct a storage and maintenance building for new trains that run between Chicago and Milwaukee. It also included construction of platforms and an ADA-compliant connection to the station.
Steve Kulm, a spokesman for Amtrak in Chicago, said Amtrak has spent more than $109 million to bring some 200 stations around the U.S. into compliance and is working to bring all the nation’s train stations into compliance. However, he said, he does not know if money for the Milwaukee project is available.
“Where the money might come from, I don’t know,” Kulm said. “I can’t say that we’ve identified a funding source.”
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation project was supposed to begin in the spring.
“There are no other sources of funding for the project,” said Peg Schmitt, a WisDOT spokeswoman. “In terms of what we do next, I don’t know.”
Despite the lack of money, the state could be forced to come up with $18 million to complete the project if a lawsuit is threatened. The ADA requires public places be accessible to those with disabilities.
Diana Sullivan, disability rights and access specialist with Milwaukee-based Independence First Inc., said her organization will meet this week to discuss whether to file a complaint if the state project is not completed. Independence First, a nonprofit advocacy agency, has successfully used the federal law to improve accessibility elsewhere.
“We were up in arms over the Riverwalk and Summerfest,” Sullivan said. “We talked to the U.S. Attorney and reached a settlement.”
The Intermodal Station in Milwaukee could face the same type of action, she said.
