by jboullion | May 13, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Wausau Daily Herald:
ROTHSCHILD — The massive coal-fired power plant Weston 4 must limit the visibility of pollutants leaving its main smokestack but does not need tighter controls for other emissions, an appeals court ruled today.
A three-judge panel of the District 4 Court of Appeals agreed with the Sierra Club that the state Department of Natural Resources erred when it did not require the smokestack for the plant’s main boiler to follow a federal visibility standard for pollutants on its air pollution permit.
Limiting the visibility of emissions effectively limits the amount of harmful particulate matter that becomes airborne. The DNR and the plant’s operator, Wisconsin Public Service Corp. of Green Bay, argued the visibility standard was unnecessary because emissions of particulate matter and sulfuric acid from the boiler were controlled in other ways.
The appeals court sided with the environmental group, which argued that the visibility standard was clearly required under the Clean Air Act. The rule will require continuous monitoring to ensure the pollution leaving the smokestack meets an opacity standard — that it is much closer to invisible than a thick black cloud of dust.
The court rejected the Sierra Club’s argument that the plant needs to install different technology to further reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. The court found the limits set by the DNR were appropriate.
The $774 million plant near Wausau opened in 2008. It is owned by WPS and Dairyland Power Cooperative of La Crosse, and they say it is one of the cleanest coal plants in the nation.
The Sierra Club says it is nonetheless one of the largest pollution sources in central Wisconsin and has fought for years to strengthen the air permit.
by jboullion | May 12, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a post by Milwaukee Alerman Robert Bauman on the Milwaukee Biz Blog:
Milwaukee County Clerk Joe Czarnezki has floated the idea of establishing a high-speed rail station in western Milwaukee County in the vicinity of the Milwaukee County Research Park. This is an excellent idea that deserves serious consideration by the state Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).
In addition to the research park, this station would serve dense commercial development along Mayfair Road and the Milwaukee County Medical Complex. Employment in this area is second only to downtown Milwaukee. Moreover, this station would serve relatively dense suburban residential communities as well as west side Milwaukee neighborhoods.
A station on the high-speed rail line in the vicinity of Watertown Plank Road and Mayfair Road would be easily accessible via major arterial roads and within one mile of I-94 and Highway 45 interchanges and within one mile of busy Mayfair Mall. This station location would also be accessible to existing Milwaukee County Transit routes and could serve as an intermodal terminal for enhanced local transit service.
In short, this station location would generate significantly higher ridership than a stop in Brookfield.
by jboullion | May 12, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an editorial in the La Crosse Tribune:
A study by a team of business students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse found a great deal of enthusiasm for high-speed rail among La Crosse area business people.
Megan Louwagie, Brianna Murray, Bryant Poss and Chelsey Wagner conducted the study, sponsored by the La Crosse Area High-Speed Rail Coalition, for their Business 230 class, using 545 e-mail surveys returned by area business people.
The respondents were well aware of La Crosse’s position as a possible stop on a proposed high-speed rail line between Chicago and the Twin Cities (an average of 4.41 on a five-point scale, on which one is “not aware” and 5 is “very aware”), and 83 percent said they would use high-speed rail to travel to destinations along the proposed La Crosse route.
Business people are generally news-savvy, and their awareness of the high-speed rail issue wasn’t surprising. But the
students’ original premise was that area business people wouldn’t be all that interested in actually using a passenger rail system.
The data the students compiled proved their assumption incorrect, both for business and leisure travel.
The average respondent was quite interested in using such a system (4.33 on a five-point scale), and high-frequency departures and arrivals (six trains per day in each direction) would increase their use of passenger rail (4.72 on a five-point scale).
Fourteen percent of respondents reported they presently use Amtrak.
On average, business people rated the importance of bringing a high-speed rail route through the city to be a 4.01 on a five-point scale (again one being “not important” and five being “very important”).
by jboullion | May 12, 2010 | Uncategorized
Energy Concepts, Inc., a Hudson, WI based Renewable Energy Engineering Firm is seeking a part time summer intern.
We would like to expand and improve our social media outreach, blogs, and other electric media efforts. (facebook page, twitter, yelp, photos on flickr).
Ideal candidate has marketing and communications background, great oral and written skills and some interest or knowledge in the renewable energy field. (interest being the key).
This position also includes assisting liason staff member in our office to organize community events and support with other marketing efforts.
Please apply by Monday, May 17, 2010.
Approximately 15 hours/week, salary depends on experience, position starts immediately.
Please apply by May 17, 2010. Send resume and letter of interest to Kathy Tarr at ktarr@energyconcepts.us.
Contact Kathy at 715 808-1385 (cell) or 715 381-9977 (office)
www.energyconcepts.us
by jboullion | May 11, 2010 | Uncategorized
Nick Matthes and Ed Stoll of Pieper Electric (who will be installing the PV), flank Rich Hinkelman of Solar Systems Inc (who build the racking for the system). All are MREA supporters and Energy Fair exhibitors!
From a post on Tom Content’s blog on the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel site:
Leaders at Milwaukee Area Technical College kicked off the construction of the largest solar project in the state with a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday afternoon north of Capitol Drive.
The solar project — dubbed the Photovoltaic Educational Farm — will be developed on a former landfill along the Milwaukee River, underneath the television tower for MPTV, Milwaukee Public Television.
The project will feature nearly 2,600 solar panels from four different manufacturers, in eight different configurations. It’s scheduled to be completed in August.
The aim of the project is to showcase a variety of renewable energy technologies, as well as provide training in solar field to students at MATC as well as Milwaukee’s three engineering schools, said Brad Bateman of Johnson Controls.
“This will be a testing and training platform unlike any other in the country,” he said.
The project is projected to generate enough power to make the TV transmitter for MPTV the first of any public television station in the country to be powered with renewable energy. MPTV projects energy savings of at least $70,000 in its first year of operation.
The project will employ 150 people, said Sargent.
Johnson Controls Inc. is the technical college’s partner and general contractor on the project, which includes 14 other firms — 13 of them from Wisconsin.
by jboullion | May 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a story on WQOW-TV, Eau Claire:
Eau Claire (WQOW) – Eau Claire rolls out a contest to get more city employees out of their cars and onto public transportation.
May is bike month. In honor of that, Eau Claire is holding a contest called Rack n’ Roll for city employees.
Wednesday morning’s commute to work was unusual for Colleen Shian. She took the bus.
“I hadn’t ridden the bus, I did once before, but I thought it would be fun to try and see how it worked,” says Colleen Shian, City of Eau Claire Risk Manager.
Shian often thought about taking the bus to work, but never made it part of her daily routine. The three week Rack n’ Roll contest gave her the extra incentive to try it out.
“The Rack n’ Roll event is a great way to tie not only sustainability, but active living, physical fitness together in a fun way to come to work using maybe your bike or bus or combination there of or carpooling,” says Ned Noel, City of Eau Claire Associate Planner.
Employees are given a ‘trekker card’ with eight activities on it. Those eight activities are:
-Participate in a City wellness program
-Walk for 20 minutes, 5 days in a row
-Use City trail system
-Bike to work
-Use bike and bus to reach a destination
-Use City bus
-Take bus to work
-Carpool
Employees have until May 20th to do five of the eight activities. If they complete them, they are entered to win prizes such as golf lessons or passes to Fairfax Pool.
