by jboullion | May 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an Associated Press article by Ryan J. Foley, pubished in The Capital Times:
Uncertainty about the availability and cost of biomass fuels makes Gov. Jim Doyle’s $251 million plan to overhaul a University of Wisconsin-Madison power plant somewhat risky, according to a report released Tuesday.
Doyle has proposed converting the coal-fired Charter Street plant, long a major polluter in the area, to run on cleaner-burning biomass fuels such as wood chips and paper pellets. His administration says it would be one of the nation’s largest biomass projects and the plan has delighted environmentalists.
A report from consultants hired by the state recommended Tuesday running the plant on a mix of natural gas and biomass and installing a more expensive boiler that can burn any type of biofuel. But the report also warned the state’s biomass market must be expanded for the project to be successful.
The report said the state should get its money back over 25 years from building the more expensive boiler as long as enough biomass fuel supplies are developed and they cost less than natural gas over time. . . .
The report said there was “a significant risk” that not enough biomass supply would be available for the boiler when it is expected to begin running.
Wood products would likely be the main source of fuel for the plant in the beginning while others are developed, the report said. Paper pellets are another cost-effective biomass source, but they are currently in short supply. Switchgrass and agricultural waste currently cost more than natural gas.
by jboullion | May 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a report published by Focus on Energy:
Computers waste a lot of electricity if they remain turned on when not in use. As the Chippewa Falls Area School District recently discovered, the cost savings from reducing computer-related energy use can make a real difference. The district began turning computers and monitors off during evenings and weekends and saw an immediate budgetary impact. The cost reduction from this one energy saving measure saved a staff position that would have been eliminated due to budget cuts.
“We always tell our schools they can cut energy costs in a lot of different ways,” said Charlie Schneider, program manager for the Focus on Energy Schools Program. “Many steps are small, but they can really add up.” Focus on Energy’s Schools Program maintains an on-line maintenance listserv for over 100 school building and grounds managers around Wisconsin. When participants have a good idea or a question about any maintenance issue, including energy efficiency, they share it with colleagues by posting it to the listserv. Recently, a Focus on Energy staff member alerted participants about a free software program created by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This program automatically puts networked computer monitors “to sleep” when they are not being used.
Bob Severson, the director of buildings and grounds at Chippewa Falls Area School District saw this message and was intrigued by the energy savings potential. His district currently owns and operates 1,150 computers. And he knew that his schools, like many around Wisconsin, do not have a formal system for putting computers into “sleep” mode or turning them on and off during evenings and weekends. . . .
The energy savings are real: this one energy saving step will save the district approximately $30,000 each year. And, at a recent school board meeting where difficult budget issues were being decided, it became clear that this unexpected reduction in energy costs will help offset a proposed staff cut.
For more information about computer use in schools, call Focus on Energy at 800.762.7077.
by jboullion | May 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Gregg Hottman in the Vernon County Broadcaster:
. . . at the VEDA meeting, which was held Wednesday, two area initiatives received recognition through the VEDA Star Awards. Coulee CarShare Cooperative is based in Viroqua and will serve the Coulee region by providing a variety of vehicles for short-term rental by members. A reservation schedule will be available online soon.
In accepting the award on behalf of the project, Kimberly Errigo said, “This car-share program can reduce the cost of driving, and reduce the impact of vehicles on the local environment.” Jerry McIntire said, “Members can avoid owning a second car and, in some cases, may be able to manage without a car at all.” For more information on this project you may send an email to: couleecarshare@gmail.com.
The second venture cited was the Food and Farm Initiative coordinated by Valley Stewardship Network (VSN). The goal of this project is to link local farmers and food producers directly with customers. The Initiative hosted the Local Harvest Dinner last October and has been conducting a year long inventory of local food producers.
According to Jessica Luhning, VSN Projects Coordinator, a study has been underway for eight months regarding the impact of local food systems on the economy. Ken Meter, a nationally known rural economist and president of the Crossroads Resource Center, served as a consultant on the project and will present some of the findings at a May 21 event from 6:30-8 p.m. at Vernon Memorial Healthcare’s Community Rooms.
Luhning said, “Ken examines food systems and creates reports using hard economic data to demonstrate the importance of developing local, sustainable food systems. He paints a picture of local food systems that can inspire people to take action to improve their own economies. I hope the public will plan to attend his May 21 presentation.”
by jboullion | May 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Nathaniel Shuda in The Marshfield News-Herald:
A Wisconsin Rapids-based manufacturer is leading the charge to create standardized training for the growing wind energy industry.
Energy Composites Corp., the parent company of Wisconsin Rapids-based Advanced Fiberglass Technologies, is working with the U.S. Department of Energy and a Norway-based company to develop a universal standard of training that would include an internationally accredited curriculum.
“The idea is in the industry we don’t have a way of assuring we have trained individuals … (who) have some way of proving their capabilities,” said Sam Fairchild, Energy Composites’ chief executive officer.
Det Norske Veritas, a global certification company, began developing wind energy standards when the industry first started in the early 1980s, but those standards were limited to equipment and building techniques — not training, according to the company’s Web site.
Energy Composites signed a letter of intent with Mid-State Technical College last week to establish a 12-credit certification program that will be the first of its kind and set the precedence for other wind energy companies.
“We’re pretty confident that we can get that done by spring semester next year with the first course load,” Fairchild said. “The guys at Mid-State have been great. The retraining of people is something that is precisely up their alley.”
by jboullion | May 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
A view of the Blue Sky Green Fields wind farm from the project’s operations center.
An announcement from We Energies:
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Blue Sky Green Field Office
N9470 County Highway W
Malone, WI 53049
Tours will be given approximately every 30 minutes. Please stop by at your convenience during the tour hours listed above. No reservations required. The turbine is located a short walking distance from the parking area. Please wear sturdy shoes suitable for walking on a graveled surface.
The Blue Sky Green Field Wind Energy Center, located in the towns of Calumet and Marshfield in northeast Fond du Lac County, is designed to generate 145 megawatts (MW) of electricity, and is capable of powering approximately 36,000 average residential homes. The site consists of 88 wind turbines.
Construction of the project began in June 2007. On May 19, 2008, Blue Sky Green Field was placed into commercial operation. We invite you to visit our facility and learn more about wind energy.
If you have any questions, call 920-980-3224.
by jboullion | May 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
From “Helgesen wants to fill space with jobs for Janesville” by Jim Leute posted on GazetteXtra.com:
JANESVILLE — Jeffrey Helgesen’s life is all about challenges.
His two sons from a first marriage are Navy SEALs. One just returned from his third tour in Iraq and Afghanistan, but the other remains in Iraq.
His father, with whom he’s had a rocky relationship, suffers from dementia.
And the developer’s largest Janesville tenant has flown the coop, leaving Helgesen with a massive hole in his commercial real estate portfolio.
One challenge after the next, he worries about them all.
But before you start feeling bad for Helgesen, don’t, he says.
He’s happily remarried and spends a lot of time at his summer home in Menomonee, Mich., a perfect port to launch his 52-foot “Gaudior” on extended sailing trips across the Great Lakes.
His relationship with his father, legendary Janesville businessman Don Helgesen, is better than it’s been in decades.
And that empty 700,000-square-foot building on Janesville’s south side?
It’s been cleaned, repainted, outfitted with energy-efficient lighting and heating fixtures and stands ready for tenants that Helgesen hopes will build alternative energy components and provide good jobs to the local economy.
LSI, a just-in-time supplier to the Janesville General Motors plant, ended its lease of the 10-year-old building on Venture Drive in December.
With LSI supplying a struggling auto industry, Helgesen knew he was on shaky ground with just one tenant in the huge building. Not enough eggs in one really large basket, he says.
The LSI building accounts for nearly 58 percent of the 1.2 million square feet Helgesen leases in Janesville. . . .
Helgesen, a frequent player in the city’s tax increment finance districts, would like to lease the space to alternative energy manufacturers. He’d also accommodate distribution or warehousing operations.
“The reality is that we’ve lost so many manufacturing jobs because of the North American Free Trade Agreement,” he says. “High fuel costs brought some of them back, but unfortunately our wage rates and health care have priced us out of the market.
“What’s left for us is everyone else’s crumbs; we’re a distributor of other people’s products.”
Janesville’s future, Helgesen believes, rests largely on companies that will manufacture components for renewable energy markets.
He’s watched cities like Newton, Iowa, and Wisconsin Rapids land companies and jobs in the alternative energy industries.
“I’m always pushing our people and the economic development people on this,” he says. “Why can’t we get those contracts? Those communities got over the idea that they were somehow going to maintain a dynasty industry forever.
“It’s just not going to happen, and that’s why I’m hammering the solar and wind thing.”
