by jboullion | Jan 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
An article by By Scott Williams of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Elected leaders here have thrown their support behind a proposed network of high-speed commuter trains linking Milwaukee and Madison.
The Oconomowoc Common Council voted Tuesday to support the Midwest Regional Rail System, which would pass through Oconomowoc.
Gov. Jim Doyle and other proponents of the system envision it as part of a 3,000-mile network linking Milwaukee and Chicago to many other Midwestern cities.
The mayor of Winona, Minn., has been soliciting support from communities along the route between the Twin Cities and Chicago.
In addition to Oconomowoc, those communities include Milwaukee, Watertown and Wisconsin Dells.
by jboullion | Jan 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a media release issued by Focus on Energy:
Madison, Wis. (January 20, 2009) — Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, awarded Wausau Paper Corporation $343,274 in 2008 to launch energy saving efforts at its Wisconsin mills.
The cash incentives were used at the Brokaw, Mosinee and Rhinelander locations and will help save more than 3,683,717 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and 973,313 therms of natural gas annually – saving enough energy to power 1,370 homes for a year. Wausau Paper will also benefit from a $1,097,000 savings on its utility bills each year.
“We have a measurable reduction in energy use,” said Tim Hasbargen, manager of engineering and utilities at Wausau Paper’s Rhinelander mill. “Our meters tell us that every month.”
A large portion of the funding was used to investigate new technologies and find ways to save energy throughout the company. For example, the Rhinelander mill downsized a pump and motor, then controlled the motor with a variable speed drive. Replacing oversized equipment is an effective way to save energy and money.
“Wausau Paper and Focus on Energy have a long history of working together,” said Ken Williams, director for Focus on Energy’s Business Programs. “The company is committed to saving energy any way it can, as fast as it can. It is one of the outstanding leaders in the paper industry.”
With the help of Focus on Energy, the paper manufacturer is researching additional ways to save energy and improve its bottom line. It has completed a number of feasibility studies on air ventilation, tank agitators, compressed air, dryer improvements, heat recovery, vacuum and hydro improvements to determine which measures would deliver the best return on investment.
by jboullion | Jan 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
A media release issued by Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.:
NRC was awarded a grant to evaluate the potential impacts of wind energy development on migrating birds and bats in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. NRC will lead stakeholders from the wind energy industry, natural resource agencies, conservation groups, and research community in a series of workshops to consider migratory patterns and standardized methods to evaluate the potential impacts of wind energy facilities on migrating birds and bats.
The Upper Mississippi River Valley is recognized as a globally important bird migration corridor. Increasing interest in locating wind energy facilities along the Mississippi River corridor has created a need for objective and cost-effective methods to evaluate and mitigate potential impacts on migrating birds and bats. The workshops will bring together a diverse stakeholder group to identify research needs and objectives, build consensus on appropriate study design and methods, and expedite the process for the mutual benefit of resource agencies and wind developers.
“We are excited about this opportunity to discuss and reach a consensus on how to best evaluate migration behaviors in this part of Wisconsin” said Dave Siebert, Director of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Office of Energy.
Louise Clemency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), added, “The Service commends NRC’s proactive approach in addressing potential impacts to birds and bats from wind energy development within the Upper Mississippi River Valley.”
Funding for this project is made possible by a grant from the Focus on Energy “Environmental and Economic Research Program” (EERP), which supports the understanding of environmental and economic impacts of energy use.
Perhaps the results will be relevant to all wind projects in the Midwest.
by jboullion | Jan 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a newsletter article by R. J. Pirot, Director, Legislative Relations, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC):
By 2015, state law requires ten percent of the state’s electricity to come from renewable resources. WMC is already doing its part to meet that goal. Through Madison Gas and Electric, WMC voluntarily buys half of its electricity from wind generation power plants.
Unfortunately, some local communities are starting to virtually ban development of small wind farms, stymieing Wisconsin from meeting its renewable energy goals. WMC is already working with the Wisconsin Legislature on setting fair and uniform standards to encourage wind farm development, helping Wisconsin meet its renewable energy law.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has authority over all power plant proposals in excess of 100 megawatts, including wind energy power plants. Local units of government have permitting authority over all power plants under 100 megawatts, including wind energy power plants. Some local units of government have imposed expensive, time-consuming and scientifically-unjustified restrictions on the development of wind energy power plants.
For example, a new Trempealeau County ordinance forbids building a wind turbine within one mile of a habitable building, effectively banning building small wind farms in the county. Other communities have taken similar action and, as a result, investment in and installation of approximately 400 megawatts of wind energy power plants are stalled in Wisconsin.
Rather than allowing a patchwork of varying local regulations, the Wisconsin Legislature should take swift action to have fair and uniform standards for wind turbines set throughout Wisconsin. Wind speeds in Wisconsin are high enough to support development of additional wind turbine farms and wind is a cost effective way to meet the state’s ten percent renewable energy law. While solar, biomass, biogas and hydroelectricity, too, will help meet this ten percent renewable energy requirement, wind power is projected to account for 95 percent of Wisconsin’s renewable energy production.
by jboullion | Jan 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
A news brief from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Oconomowoc – Oconomowoc has become the latest community in southeastern Wisconsin to adopt Gov. Jim Doyle’s commitment for increased energy independence by 2025.
Aldermen passed a resolution Jan. 6 embracing Doyle’s “25 by 25” plan, which means that 25% of the city’s electricity and motor fuel supplies will come from renewable resources by the year 2025.
Oconomowoc city officials and civic leaders have created a special task force to promote greater use of wind energy, solar energy and other alternative resources.
The governor’s office said 73 cities and counties have embraced the 25 by 25 commitment. Other than Oconomowoc, the only one in southeastern Wisconsin is Kenosha County.
by jboullion | Jan 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Nick Halter in the Wausau Daily Herald:
Mike Ritzel’s vision of central Wisconsin is one that involves the Wausau area attracting a large manufacturer of solar power systems that creates jobs and sells its products all over the Midwest.
Ritzel’s passion for alternative energy propelled him to start a local chapter of the Pickens Plan, a national organization that was founded in July and aims to gain U.S. independence from foreign oil.
The Pickens Plan was founded by Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens and advocates for increased use of wind, natural gas and other forms of alternative energy.
Through the local chapter, Ritzel, a master electrician who also owns Bullshooters Saloon in Weston, hopes to get legislators to offer tax incentives for alternative energy companies to make central Wisconsin their home.
