by jboullion | Sep 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2010
MORE INFORMATION
RENEW Wisconsin
Michael Vickerman
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
MGE Rate Filing Rewards Fossil Fuel Use, Penalizes Renewable Energy
RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization, today called on Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) to scrap its pending request to substantially increase the cost of participation in its voluntary renewable energy subscription program.
RENEW contends that MGE does not need a higher renewable rate because the cost of energy supplying its award-winning Green Power Tomorrow program have not changed over the last 18 months and will not for the foreseeable future. The utility is seeking permission from the Public Service Commission (PSC) to increase the renewable energy rate from 1.25 cents to 2 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh), a 60% increase.
If approved, the voluntary premium that MGE customers will pay for sponsoring more wind and solar electricity production will be significantly higher than what other Wisconsin utilities charge. In contrast, Milwaukee-Based We Energies charges a 1.38 cents/kWh premium to participate in its Energy for Tomorrow program. That rate, which received a slight upward adjustment in 2009, will remain in effect through 2011.
“Nothing about this price hike makes any sense,” said Michael Vickerman, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin. “Program costs haven’t changed. Wind and solar energy is no more costly this year than it was in 2009, and next year it will be more of the same. Therefore, Green Power Tomorrow’s premium should remain where it is today.”
As part of the upcoming hearings on this proposal, RENEW Wisconsin will introduce a new approach to setting the purchase price of renewable energy, one that would insulate customers from the whiplash of fluctuating fossil energy prices. RENEW Wisconsin’s proposal is supported by the City of Madison, a large purchaser of renewable energy and a party in the PSC proceeding.
Vickerman pointed out that a price increase of this magnitude is certain to drive down customer participation levels, which MGE itself has acknowledged in its filings. In fact, MGE anticipates little to no increase in program revenues even if the 60% increase is approved.
In testimony filed at the PSC, Vickerman stated that Green Power Tomorrow expanded rapidly in 2008 and 2009 after reducing its premium from more than 2.6 cents to 1 cent/kWh. In that period, the customer participation rate climbed to nearly 10%, the third-highest ranking among all U.S. utilities, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. In 2009, the pool of voluntary renewable energy serving program subscribers was nearly as large as the supply of renewable energy required under Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Standard, Vickerman said.
“Through their purchases, Green Power Tomorrow subscribers eliminated in 2009 the production of about 95,000 tons of carbon dioxide from fossil energy sources at no cost to nonparticipating ratepayers,” Vickerman said.
“Up until now, Green Power Tomorrow has been a relatively inexpensive way for customers to lower greenhouse gas emissions that come from burning coal,” Vickerman said. “But by doubling the cost of renewable energy in less than two years, MGE will effectively encourage customers to drop out of the program, and take possession of the unsold renewable energy credits for its own use. This is bound to alienate customers who wish to support renewable energy generation and reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions.”
The proposal to raise the renewable energy subscription rate, submitted as part of MGE’s application to raise overall retail rates by nearly 10%, will be the subject of hearings later in September. If approved, a typical customer subscribing at the 100% level in Green Power Tomorrow would pay $3.75 more a month beginning January 1, 2011.
–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.
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
THINK GREEN PICNIC
…FOR PEOPLE WORKING TO SAVE THE PLANET
Join other GREEN people, for your monthly dose of what’s going on in the “green scene” – the picnic will feature many representatives from environmental groups.
Brats, hot dogs, veggie option, potato salad, chips, condiments, cookies, water and pop are provided. You are welcome to bring your own beer, wine or other drinks.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010
Pine Pavilion, Carson Park
4:30-7:00 PM No rain date
Be kind to the earth:
Please bring your own reusable plate, cup, napkin and utensils
***Payment and RSVP MUST BE MADE IN ADVANCE***
$3 Individual $5 Couple $7 Family
Send to Think Green, 3013 Putnam Glen Place, Eau Claire, WI
Sponsored by Green Drinks Eau Claire.
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Amy Heart
MREA Milwaukee Director
414-431-0758
amy@the-mrea.org
CITY ADDS SOLAR TO FIRE STATIONS AND TRAINS WORKFORCE
Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee’s solar program is bringing solar hot water to two local fire stations, while training the local solar workforce. The City of Milwaukee’s Solar America City program, Milwaukee Shines, organized this one-of-a-kind opportunity through a partnership with Midwest Renewable Energy Association, Caleffi North America and Milwaukee Solar.
Milwaukee’s Fire Station #13, located at 2901 N 30th Street, and Fire Station #23, located at 2130 W Oklahoma Ave, will both receive solar hot water systems this October, as part of training workshops lead by the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA).
The MREA, a non-profit organization, is a national leader in providing high quality training programs for renewable energy professionals. These install workshops will provide specialized training for individuals who would like to learn how to install solar hot water systems.
Matt Howard, Director of Milwaukee Office of Environmental Sustainability, said this installation is a perfect fit. “Solar hot water on fire stations is an excellent and efficient application of this technology,” said Howard. “The City of Milwaukee is excited to showcase a good use of the technology and off-set some of our energy use as well.”
Amy Heart, MREA’s Milwaukee Director, said this is a unique opportunity to not only save money for the City of Milwaukee, but also provide hands-on training for future solar installers. “By training local installers, we are working to expand the local solar market, reduce costs for consumers, and ensure quality installations that can demonstrate how solar works for Wisconsin,” said Heart.
Caleffi North America, headquartered in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley, donated the solar hot water systems for the installation workshops. Dean Wolff of Milwaukee Solar, will serve as the installer and instructor on the project.
Milwaukee was selected as a Solar America City in 2008 by the U.S. Department of Energy. Milwaukee Shines, the city’s solar program, works to increase solar electric and solar hot water installations through education, awareness and financial assistance. For details on the City of Milwaukee’s solar program visit www.MilwaukeeShines.com or call 414-286-5593
Pre-registration for the workshops is required, and pre-requisites must be met. To get more information on the MREA fire station install workshops visit www.the-mrea.org or call 414-431-0758.
Installation Schedule
Fire Station #13 Solar Hot Water Installation
Monday, October 4 – Thursday, October 7
City of Milwaukee Fire House #13
2901 N 30th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53210
Fire Station #23 Solar Hot Water Installation
Monday, October 25 – Thursday, October 28
City of Milwaukee Fire House #23
2130 W Oklahoma Ave
Milwaukee, WI 53215
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by jboullion | Sep 13, 2010 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact:
Gina Sinisi, Communications Coordinator
Midwest Renewable Energy Association
715-592-6595 ext: 113
gina@the-mrea.org
MREA ELECTS NEW BOARD PRESIDENT
CUSTER, WI – Thomas Brown was recently elected as the Board President of the Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA). Tom is an architect and LEED-Accredited Professional specializing in environmentally-responsive green design. He teaches environmental design courses at UW-Stevens Point and frequently presents at regional and national conferences. Tom has been a MREA member from its beginning, and is also a founding member of both the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA), a national organization devoted to high-performance buildings, and the Wisconsin Green Building Alliance (WGBA). He is also a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council (SBIC).
As an Architect, Tom’s projects have received numerous awards and been recognized nationally. His Mead Wildlife Area Education & Visitor Center was the first publicly-owned project in Wisconsin to achieve LEED Platinum Certification. Another project, the Sullivan Residence, was selected by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center as the most Innovative/Advanced Custom Home in a cold climate region in the country.
Tom lives in Stevens Point with his spouse, Jo Seiser. Jo is Executive director of the North Central Conservancy Trust (NCCT), a 7-county regional land trust for central Wisconsin. They have two children, Anders & Ivy.
Brown said that “as a founder and friend of the Energy Fair for over 20 years, I am pleased that I can help further the goals of the MREA as we continue to grow and expand our training opportunities and offer our considerable renewable energy expertise to our partners and others throughout the Great Lakes region of the Midwest.”
The MREA welcomes Tom at his new role as President.
by jboullion | Sep 13, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Steve Rundio in The Tomah Journal:
Hospitals are complex energy users.
They operate 24 hours, seven days a week.
They have stringent requirements for temperature control and air exchange.
They use sophisticated equipment that can malfunction if a room is too hot, too cold or too humid.
Officials at Tomah Memorial Hospital have found an answer to their complex energy needs: a dedicated heat recovery chiller. The hospital received a $35,000 grant Thursday to help finance the $900,000 project that makes the hospital more energy efficient.
“The hospital is reducing its carbon footprint,” said Eric Prise, the hospital’s marketing director.
It’s also saving money. The new chiller has reduced the hospital’s natural gas bill by 47 percent since it was installed last March.
The chiller unit captures heat that is normally wasted in the building’s cooling process. Heat from the chiller is distributed into the hot-water system, which is used to heat sections of the building. Even during the winter months, air conditioning is used to maintain precise temperature control.
“In the interior of this building, it’s always August,” said Nick Roush of Masters Building Solutions based in La Crosse. “There are always things that add heat.”
The recovery chiller addresses the problem.
“We can handle heating and cooling with one piece of equipment,” Roush said. “It has no waste products associated with it. It’s most efficient when you have simultaneous heating and cooling.”
by jboullion | Sep 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a report titled “The Facts about Wind Energy’s Emissions Savings” prepared by the American Wind Energy Association:
. . . four of the seven major independent grid operators in the
U.S. have studied the emissions impact of adding wind energy to their power grids, and all four have found that adding wind energy drastically reduces emissions of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants. While the emissions savings depend somewhat on the existing share of coal-fired versus gas-fired generation in the region, as one would expect, it is impossible to dispute the findings of these four independent grid operators that adding wind energy to their grids has significantly reduced emissions. . . .
DOE data show that wind and other renewables’ share of Texas’s electric mix increased from 1.3% in 2005 to 4.4% in 2008, an increase in share of 3.1 percentage points. During that period, electric sector carbon dioxide emissions declined by 3.3%, even though electricity use actually increased by 2% during that time. Because of wind energy, the state of Texas was able to turn what would have been a carbon emissions increase into a decrease of 8,690,000 metric tons per year, equal to the emissions savings of taking around 1.5 million cars off the road.
