by jboullion | Nov 6, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a guest column by Al Gedicks in the Green Bay Press Gazette:
The argument that nuclear power can contribute to reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions that cause global climate change (“Ban on new nuclear power plants should be lifted” Oct. 16, Green Bay Press-Gazette) is flawed for three main reasons.
First, nuclear power is not carbon-free electricity. At each stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium mining, milling, enrichment to construction, decommissioning and waste storage, nuclear power uses fossil fuels and contributes greenhouse gas emissions that accelerate global climate change. Compared to renewable energy, nuclear power releases four to five times the CO2 per unit of energy produced.
A recent study of solutions to global warming by Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson of Stanford University concluded that over its entire lifecycle, nuclear electricity emits between 68 and 180 grams of CO2-equivalent emissions per kilowatt hour, compared to 3 to 11 grams for wind and concentrated solar.
by jboullion | Nov 5, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a Tom Content blog post on JSOnline:
We Energies’ newest coal-fired plant is generating power, after “significant progress” in construction over the past three months, the company’s chairman said Thursday.
The coal plant consists of two coal-fired boilers next to an older coal plant on Lake Michigan in Oak Creek. The first new boiler began burning coal earlier this month and has been running at 25% of maximum power in recent days, said Gale Klappa, We Energies chairman and chief executive.
Bechtel Power Corp., the contractor on the project, also has made progress on building the second boiler, which is now 74% complete, Klappa said.
The $2.3 billion project is the most expensive construction project in state history, as it’s roughly double the combined cost of building Miller Park and rebuilding the Marquette Interchange.
by jboullion | Nov 5, 2009 | Uncategorized
A news release issued by Wisconsin Farmers Union:
Chippewa Falls, Wis. – The Wisconsin Farmers Union and other Homegrown Renewable Energy Campaign partners will host a bus tour on Nov. 13 to highlight the benefits of four homegrown renewable energy policies promoted by the campaign and the opportunities for clean energy jobs in Wisconsin.
The four signature partners of the activities are Wisconsin Farmers Union, the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute, Clean Wisconsin and RENEW Wisconsin. The Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection and the Office of Energy Independence are co-sponsors of the event.
The bus tour will begin at 9 a.m. at the Montfort Wind Farm, 254 Highway 18, Montfort, Wis. The wind farm is an example of one way to reduce carbon emissions and emphasizes the campaign’s advocacy for a Low-Carbon Fuel Standard. A LCFS calls for a reduction in carbon emissions from transportation fuels, based on the carbon content of all fuels, and the transformation of the market.
The Fuels for Schools and Communities Program and the Biomass Crop Reserve Program will be addressed at the second stop on the tour – at the Meister Cheese Plant, 1160 Industrial Drive, Muscoda, Wis. The cheese plant uses a wood-chip heating system. Research at the University of Wisconsin will also be highlighted demonstrate the prospects for Wisconsin farmers to grow biomass crops.
Providing funding for schools and communities to install renewable energy projects that use biomass crops will create demand for renewable energy. The Biomass Crop Reserve Program provides incentives for farmers to meet that demand by growing biomass crops.
The third stop will be at the Cardinal Glass factory in Mazomanie, Wis. Cardinal Glass is one of the leading suppliers of glass for solar panels. The stop is an example of how homegrown renewable energy can provide jobs for Wisconsin.
Renewable energy buyback rates, the fourth component of the Homegrown Renewable Energy Campaign, will set utility payments for small renewable energy producers who want to feed energy into the electric grid. The tour will stop at a residential home in Ridgeway, Wis. using solar panels to feed electricity into the grid.
The bus will return to the Montfort Wind Farm at 5 p.m.
To register for the Homegrown Renewable Energy Campaign Bus Tour, contact Mike Stranz, WFU Government Relations Specialist, by Nov. 9 at 608-256-6661 or email mstranz@wisconsinfarmersunion.com. A $10 registration fee, payable by cash or check the day of the event, covers the cost of the tour, lunch and snacks.
CLICK HERE for more information on the Homegrown Renewable Energy Bus Tour.
by jboullion | Nov 5, 2009 | Uncategorized
A news release from Alliant Energy:
MADISON, WI – November 5, 2009 – Wisconsin Power and Light Company (WPL), an Alliant Energy company, has begun testing the usage of biomass at its Nelson Dewey Generating Station. The move comes after the company received a Research and Testing Exemption from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to test burn various biomass fuels at the site.
The WDNR approval allows for the co-firing to be done for a 12-month period within the facility’stwo cyclone coal boilers. Throughout the test burn process, WPL will examine a number of factors including environmental impacts, supply chain capabilities, material delivery and handling costs, and the blending and combustion of biomass based materials within the current plant configuration. No permanent structures or modifications will be made to the existing facility’s equipment to accommodate the test burns.
“We continually work to explore the technologies and costs associated with reducing our carbon footprint and this is another step in that process,” explains Barbara Swan, President – WPL.
“Conducting these test burns at Nelson Dewey will help us understand the capabilities we have within our current system.”
Biomass-based fuels approved for test burning within the current fuel blends include wood chips, agricultural based pellets, as well as native grasses. Other biofuel opportunities may present themselves during the testing, thus WPL would seek to update the test program, upon approval of the WDNR, to include any additions.
by jboullion | Nov 4, 2009 | Uncategorized
From Solar American Cities in the U.S. Department of Energy:
The U.S. Department of Energy developed this comprehensive resource to assist local governments and stakeholders in building sustainable local solar markets. The guide introduces a range of policy and program options that have been successfully field tested in cities around the country. The guide describes each policy or program, followed by more information on:
•Benefits: Identifies benefits from implementing the policy or program.
•Implementation Tips and Options: Outlines various tips and options for designing and implementing the policy or program.
•Examples: Highlights experiences from communities that have successfully implemented the policy or program.
•Additional References and Resources: Lists additional reports, references, and tools that offer more information on the topic, where applicable.
by jboullion | Nov 4, 2009 | Uncategorized
From Solar American Cities in the U.S. Department of Energy:
The U.S. Department of Energy developed this comprehensive resource to assist local governments and stakeholders in building sustainable local solar markets. The guide introduces a range of policy and program options that have been successfully field tested in cities around the country. The guide describes each policy or program, followed by more information on:
•Benefits: Identifies benefits from implementing the policy or program.
•Implementation Tips and Options: Outlines various tips and options for designing and implementing the policy or program.
•Examples: Highlights experiences from communities that have successfully implemented the policy or program.
•Additional References and Resources: Lists additional reports, references, and tools that offer more information on the topic, where applicable.
