by jboullion | Sep 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2009
MORE INFORMATION
Michael Vickerman
RENEW Wisconsin
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
In a show of bipartisan support, the State Senate approved legislation that will open the door to new wind energy projects in Wisconsin.
Under the Wind for Wisconsin umbrella, more than 60 organizations as diverse as unions, trade associations, environmental advocates, health groups, and renewable energy manufacturers sought uniform permitting standards for future wind developments.
Six Republicans joined 17 Democrats to pass Senate Bill 185. The legislation directs the Public Service Commission to begin a rulemaking process that will lead to greater certainty and predictability in siting wind generation facilities.
“The Senate’s vote is critical to reviving the development of a high priority renewable energy resource in accordance with Wisconsin energy policy,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit sustainable energy advocacy organization.
“We believe that the wind energy suppliers will see the action as an invitation to locate and do business in Wisconsin. Our economy will benefit from the investment and jobs in a sustainable energy future,” Vickerman said.
“RENEW Wisconsin and its members thank the bill’s primary authors, Senator Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) and Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac), the leadership of both parties, and all of the state senators who recognized the need for a statewide approach to permitting windpower installations,” Vickerman added .
The Assembly will vote on the companion bill later this week. Then it will go to the governor.
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2009
MORE INFORMATION
Michael Vickerman
RENEW Wisconsin
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
In a show of bipartisan support, the State Senate approved legislation that will open the door to new wind energy projects in Wisconsin.
Under the Wind for Wisconsin umbrella, more than 60 organizations as diverse as unions, trade associations, environmental advocates, health groups, and renewable energy manufacturers sought uniform permitting standards for future wind developments.
Six Republicans joined 17 Democrats to pass Senate Bill 185. The legislation directs the Public Service Commission to begin a rulemaking process that will lead to greater certainty and predictability in siting wind generation facilities.
“The Senate’s vote is critical to reviving the development of a high priority renewable energy resource in accordance with Wisconsin energy policy,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit sustainable energy advocacy organization.
“We believe that the wind energy suppliers will see the action as an invitation to locate and do business in Wisconsin. Our economy will benefit from the investment and jobs in a sustainable energy future,” Vickerman said.
“RENEW Wisconsin and its members thank the bill’s primary authors, Senator Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) and Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac), the leadership of both parties, and all of the state senators who recognized the need for a statewide approach to permitting windpower installations,” Vickerman added .
The Assembly will vote on the companion bill later this week. Then it will go to the governor.
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2009
MORE INFORMATION
Michael Vickerman
RENEW Wisconsin
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org
In a show of bipartisan support, the State Senate approved legislation that will open the door to new wind energy projects in Wisconsin.
Under the Wind for Wisconsin umbrella, more than 60 organizations as diverse as unions, trade associations, environmental advocates, health groups, and renewable energy manufacturers sought uniform permitting standards for future wind developments.
Six Republicans joined 17 Democrats to pass Senate Bill 185. The legislation directs the Public Service Commission to begin a rulemaking process that will lead to greater certainty and predictability in siting wind generation facilities.
“The Senate’s vote is critical to reviving the development of a high priority renewable energy resource in accordance with Wisconsin energy policy,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit sustainable energy advocacy organization.
“We believe that the wind energy suppliers will see the action as an invitation to locate and do business in Wisconsin. Our economy will benefit from the investment and jobs in a sustainable energy future,” Vickerman said.
“RENEW Wisconsin and its members thank the bill’s primary authors, Senator Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) and Senator Randy Hopper (R-Fond du Lac), the leadership of both parties, and all of the state senators who recognized the need for a statewide approach to permitting windpower installations,” Vickerman added .
The Assembly will vote on the companion bill later this week. Then it will go to the governor.
END
RENEW Wisconsin (www.renewwisconsin.org) 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.
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a post by Margaret Krome in The Capital Times:
At Farm Progress Days this summer, other farmers told me that they also are interested in creating solar or wind energy, but their decision hinges on whether they receive a sufficient payback on their investment. The rapid and extensive growth of renewable energies in Germany, Denmark and parts of Canada is attributed overwhelmingly to a single policy addressing this concern, called “feed-in tariffs.” (In Europe, the word “tariff” can mean “price.”) This policy encourages small businesses, households, farms, towns – anyone – to produce renewable energy by providing a stable price for that energy at a rate that considers the actual costs of producing it. It’s an obvious idea, but currently in most parts of the United States, utilities set widely varying rates for renewable energy – rates that seldom properly calculate the costs of producing it.
Wisconsin policymakers are on the verge of considering this and other policies to support renewable energy. Last week I joined the Homegrown Renewable Energy Campaign bus tour of four sites in northwest Wisconsin that illustrate ways communities and entrepreneurs can benefit from those policies.
We visited the bus garage for the Cadott School District, which converted its bus engines two decades ago to use compressed natural gas, which cut up to two-thirds off the district’s transportation costs.
We saw a small electric vehicle whose manufacturer is located in Wisconsin and may be one of the few vehicle manufacturers with growing, not shrinking, demand.
Pete Taglia, a scientist with Clean Wisconsin, explained how one policy under consideration, a low carbon fuel standard, would set a market standard for energy sources with a lower lifetime carbon footprint, rewarding fuel manufacturers, distributors, and ultimately users.
We visited Barron High School, which for over 20 years has been heated – and now is also cooled – by burning wood chips. A fuels for schools policy would help other schools use nearby biomass similarly.
We also saw biomass research plots at the University of Wisconsin’s Spooner research station. A proposed biomass crop reserve program would reward farmers for taking land that’s vulnerable to soil erosion and planting it to longer-term and less-erosive biomass crops.
Wisconsin would be wise to support homegrown renewable energy. Avoiding fossil fuels can help reduce climate change. Renewable energy projects offer many opportunities to build new jobs. And, as Valerie Adamski said, “It’s nice not to be in the hands of a foreign oil company.”
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
TO: WISCONSIN LEGISLATORS
FROM: THE MEMBERS OF WIND FOR WISCONSIN
SUBJECT: SUPPORT FOR AB 256 AND SB 185
DATE: 9/15/2009
The members of Wind for Wisconsin urge you to vote for AB 256 and SB 185 as amended by Substitute Amendment 2.
AB 256 and SB 185 have and deserve bipartisan support. The legislation:
• Increases Wisconsin’s energy independence;
• Reduces our dependence of fossil fuel which is subject to great price volatility;
• Will help create jobs;
• Will strengthen rural economies by giving land owners hosting wind turbines new income from rental payments.
The legislation offers benefits to our economy both for the short and long-term. The Operating Engineers report that construction of WEPCO’s Blue Sky Green Fields project created 400,000 labor hours. Wind projects that are developed in Wisconsin can also rely on the manufacturing capabilities of our state. For instance, Tower Tech in Manitowoc is poised to build the towers for Wisconsin-based wind farms. Passage of this legislation will also signal to national and international wind companies that Wisconsin is open for business.
We urge your support.
___________________________________________________
*Wind for Wisconsin is a single purpose coalition organized to pass wind siting reform with the financial support of Wind on the Wires and RENEW Wisconsin.
by jboullion | Sep 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
Senate Bill 185 comes to the full Senate for a vote today. Two organizations issues news releases to express support for the bill:
CREWE Urges Bi-Partisan Support for Wind Siting Bill
(MADISON, Wis.)—Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE) today urged state lawmakers to support the proposed uniform wind siting legislation as it heads to the Senate floor on Tuesday. Senate Bill 185/Assembly Bill 256 would create jobs and help Wisconsin meet its renewable energy requirements by having the Public Service Commission (PSC) set standards for large and small wind energy systems across the state.
“We can establish a green economy and add needed jobs to the state with the passing of SB 185/ AB 256, in which CREWE has taken an active role this year,” Thad Nation, executive director of CREWE, said. “I’m sure both Democrats and Republicans can agree that this bill will benefit Wisconsin’s ratepayers, taxpayers and environment.”
Currently, more than 600 megawatts of planned wind developments are stalled across Wisconsin due to midstream changes in regulations and procedures. A consistent and uniform siting policy will allow Wisconsin to take advantage of wind development and growth, Nation added.
From the news release issued by Clean Wisconsin:
MADISON — The Senate will vote on a piece of legislation Tuesday that will create new jobs, generate new investments in our state’s economy and encourage new renewable energy businesses to locate in Wisconsin.
Senate Bill 185, or wind siting legislation, will bring family-supporting jobs to the state while replacing the patchwork of local regulations with sensible statewide standards for permitting wind farms.
At the same time, Democratic representatives of the Assembly will hold a press conference Tuesday at 10:30 to share their job creation agenda for Wisconsin; wind siting plays a crucial role in their plan. The Assembly votes on the bill Wednesday.
In early August, the bill passed the Senate Committee on Commerce, Energy, Utilities and Rail 6-1. In June, it passed the Assembly Committee on Energy and Utilities 10-2.
“This legislation will create jobs, generate clean energy and put us on the path to energy independence,” says Ryan Schryver, clean energy advocate for Clean Wisconsin, the state’s largest environmental advocacy organization. “Wisconsin has lost a record number of jobs in recent months, and this legislation is a needed
mechanism to re-create some of the jobs the state has lost.”
