by jboullion | Oct 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Jeff Anthony, American Wind Energy Association and RENEW Wisconsin board member:
. . . While wind energy is becoming a mainstream source of electricity in the U.S., with a realistic potential of powering 20% of our electric needs by 2030, its ability to play a key role in powering PHEVs [plug-in hybrid electric vehicle] makes for an even brighter future for the clean, renewable energy source. . . .
With widespread deployment, the impact of PHEVs on the transportation sector and the nation would be massive. A study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found that replacing 73% of the U.S. light-duty vehicle fleet with PHEVs would result in a reduction in oil consumption of 6.2 million barrels a day, cutting the need for imported oil by about 50%.
But what would such a heavy reliance on electricity generation for transportation purposes do to aggregate power plant emissions? A joint study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council found that if 60% of light vehicles in the U.S. were replaced by plug-in vehicles by 2050, electricity consumption would rise only about 8%. The net gain from significantly reducing oil use for transportation—while only marginally increasing the use of fossil fuels to produce electricity—would translate into net carbon dioxide reductions of 450 million metric tons annually—equivalent to taking 82 million cars off the road. And when you bring wind power into the equation, the news gets even better: if the renewable energy resource contributes a greater share to the electricity supply mix that ultimately would recharge the PHEV fleet, any increase in emissions from greater electricity usage can be cut dramatically, making the net emissions reduction even lower.
The primary reason PHEVs result in significant net emissions reductions is that electric motors are several times more efficient than gasoline internal combustion engines. EPRI estimates that while charging, PHEVs will draw only 1.4 kW-2 kW—about the same as a dishwasher. Moreover, in a transportation world that includes many PHEVs, electric rates are likely to be designed to ensure that vehicle charging occurs almost exclusively at night, guaranteeing that PHEVs will use low-cost electricity—while not imposing additional strain on the electric grid during daytime hours of peak electricity usage. And wind energy fits ideally into that part of the equation for another reason as well: wind power output is typically highest at night in many parts of the country. . . .
by jboullion | Oct 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Chad Dally in The Daily Press (Ashland):
While the Industrial Revolution changed the foundations of the United States’ economy, the dependence on fossil fuels to spur it along created the need a century later for what some have dubbed a “bio-based revolution” emphasizing the use of alternative and renewable energy as the foundation of the future.
Within Wisconsin’s 16 million acres of public and private forest land there lies a key piece of that renewable energy future in woody biomass collecting throughout the forest floor. The tops of trees, branches and other dispersed, gnarly bunches of slash that loggers previously left in the woods is attracting more and more commercial attention for its possible usage as wood pellets for heat and power, and fuel for utility company boilers.
But is there enough? Consider some of the competitors for the resource:
• There are at least seven pellet plants in the state and Superior Wood Products is hopeful it will receive permits needed to construct its own pellet plant in Ino, located in Bayfield County. The company aims to produce 100,000 oven-dried tons of pellets each year, which could generate up to 4,775 kilowatt hours (kWh), according to the company’s Web site.
To produce the pellets – and the heat to dry wood that becomes a pellet – the company will need about 200,000 tons of green wood, said Don Peterson of Renewable Resource Solutions, a consulting firm assisting Superior Wood Products.
• Northern States Power’s Bay Front plant in Ashland will convert a coal-fired boiler to one using wood waste to create synthetic gas. If the plant comes online in 2012 as expected, the plant will nearly double its use of woody biomass, from 200,000 tons to between 330,000 and 360,000, said Dave Donovan, Xcel’s manager of regulatory policy.
• Flambeau River Biofuels in Park Falls obtained a $30 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy toward a plant that will convert 1,900 tons of forest residue into 40 million gallons of fuel and 2 trillion Btu of heat and power.
• Even schools like Glidden in Ashland County have installed wood-fired boilers to help offset their energy needs with renewable fuel.
by jboullion | Oct 30, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
James Mulva, head of the nation’s third-largest oil company, said it’s time for politicians to develop an energy policy that addresses both energy security and climate change.
Mulva, a native of De Pere who is chairman and chief executive of ConocoPhillips, said the economic crisis has resulted in an unexpectedly rapid drop in oil and gasoline prices that serves as a “temporary timeout” in a longer-term trend of rising demand for energy.
The economic crisis is resulting in flattening or dropping demand for energy.
“But our experts tell us that this represents really a temporary timeout in what we see as a global competition for development of energy around the world,” Mulva told more than 400 students and businesspeople Wednesday at the Marquette University Business Leaders Forum.
“When this happens the energy market will tighten. But this timeout does not extend to climate change. Global warming continues,” he said.
The time will be ripe for a new president and Congress to address energy and climate issues, but Mulva said economic concerns and restoration of stability to financial markets will and should remain government’s first priority.
by jboullion | Oct 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From Focus on Energy:
It’s a great time to protect the environment, reduce your carbon footprint and save money in the long run. Do it all by installing a solar electric or solar hot water system.
Solar electric systems: capture solar energy and transform it into electricity. Click here to learn more and see how solar electric systems work.
Solar hot water systems: use the sun to heat water and then store it for extended periods, right on your property, making plenty of hot water available for showers, laundry and dishes. Click here to learn more and see how solar hot water systems work.
Right now, there are valuable financial incentives available that can significantly reduce the cost of these systems:
+ Federal tax credits
+ Cash-Back Reward of up to 25% for project costs
+ Site Assessment co-funding of up to 60%
+ An additional $500 bonus for owners of Wisconsin ENERGY STAR® Homes or existing homes that have gone through the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program
+ For multi-family buildings or other businesses, implementation grants are available to install solar projects
Visit focusonenergy.com/renewable to learn more about solar and available financial incentives or to sign up for our Renewable eNewsletter.
by jboullion | Oct 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Mary Beth McCauley in The Christian Science Monitor:
The buggy is in the drive. Trousers flutter on the clothesline. Horses prance as they work the field, their manes flowing, their step high. And mounted there on the shed out back are, well, solar panels – looking as if this Hollywood-set Amish family somehow stumbled into the Philadelphia Home Show.
Solar energy has been used by a few of the technology-eschewing Amish for decades now. But with soaring energy costs, more families are putting sunlight-collecting panels on their barns and outbuildings. Indeed, area dealers report sales of solar systems to the Amish are up 30 percent to 50 percent this year alone.
Unlike the non-Amish – who tend to favor large alternative energy systems that connect directly to the public utility grid – Amish prefer simple stand-alone systems. They use solar panels to power a battery for a specific task – such as running the lights on a buggy or operating a woodshop motor. The don’t use electricity inside the home. Solar energy is replacing propane, gas, or diesel to run small motors on farms and in businesses.
“The solar power system is really simple – a couple of panels and a battery,” says Sam Zook, of Belmont Solar, in Gordonville, Pa.
Isn’t this still a bit high-tech for the horse and buggy set?
Not at all says Mr. Zook. “The Amish are not completely disconnected from the outside world. There’s always someone running a retail store [nearby] and introducing a new item.”
Whether these are accepted or not is up to church leaders, and rulings differ from congregation to congregation and district to district. Cars and electricity tend to be rejected. And solar is not accepted everywhere yet, says Zook, even here in Lancaster County, which is considered one of the nation’s more progressive settlements of Amish.
by jboullion | Oct 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an Associated Press article posted on INO.com News:
(AP:MILWAUKEE) Electric and natural gas utility Wisconsin Energy Corp. said Wednesday its third-quarter profit fell 7 percent as cool summer weather lowered demand for air conditioning.
For the quarter ended Sept. 30, Wisconsin Energy earned $77.5 million, or 65 cents per share, compared with $82.9 million, or 70 cents per share, for the same quarter in 2007.
Earnings from continuing operations _ which excludes results from businesses that have been, or are in the process of being sold _ totaled $77 million, or 65 cents per share, compared with $83.1 million, or 71 cents per share, in the year-ago quarter.
Revenue declined 3 percent to $852.5 million from $881.5 million in the 2007 period.
On average, analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected a more modest profit of 55 cents per share, on $892.8 million in revenue.
Wisconsin Energy said residential use of electricity fell 5 percent in the quarter from a year ago. Among small commercial and industrial customers, consumption was off by 1.4 percent, while use among large commercial and industrial customers was down 3.5 percent versus a year ago.
