Newsletters

by | Jun 17, 2008 | Uncategorized

2011
Spring 2011
Siting Rule Suspension Rocks Wind Industry
Community Biogas Project Fires Up
Insty Prints: Mpower ChaMpion
Manitoba Hydro: A Washout?
Verona Firm Begins Work on “Epic” PV

2010
Summer 2010
Council Backs Compromise on Siting Standards
Community Wind on Move in Cashton
Seventh Generation Pioneers Wind
Making Sense of the Gulf Disaster
Turbines Power Cascade Wastewater
Calendar

Spring 2010
Case Builds for the Clean Energy Jobs Act Bills
Tour Spotlights Homegrown Renewables
Energizing Fort Atkinson Schools
Clearing Up Lakes with Clean Energy
Of Molehills and Renewable Energy
Calendar

2009
Fall 2009
+ Doyle Signs Wind Siting Reform Bill into Law
+ Solar Outlook Set to Dim in 2010
+ PSC Approves Coal to Wood Conversion
+ Producer Profile: Rick Adamski
+ Educating Schools on Solar Air Heating
+ RENEW Slams Anti-Wind Article
+ Calendar

Summer 2009
+ It’s Time to Bring Renewable Energy Home
+ In Memoriam: Bob Gilbertson
+ Board Member Brings Green Home
+ Renewables Profile: Jenny Heinzen
+ Manure Digesters Good Fit
+ Solar Innovator: Craig Tarr
+ Calendar

Spring 2009
+ Legislature to Tackle Wind Permitting
+ The Importance of Doing the Math
+ Stimulus Package 101
+ Policy Drives Solar Hot Water Market
+ PSC Investigates Renewable Tariffs
+ Open Letter from RENEW President
+ Calendar

2008
Winter 2008/2009
+ Rest in Peace: Cassville Generation Plant
+ Mississippi River Bird and Bat Study
+ Osceola School Heats Pools with Solar
+ Bob Ramlow: Solar Pioneer
+ Focus on Energy Issues Biogas Profiles
+ Focus on Energy Earns National Honor
+ State Plugs into Renewable Energy
+ Calendar

Summer/fall 2008
+ Peak Oil Spices Meeting with Cong. Baldwin
+ Countdown to Solar Tour
+ Solar H2O on Madison Fire Stations
+ Global Warming Task Force Report
+ Wisconsin’s Newest Wind Projects
+ PHEV+Wind=Clean Air
+ Small Wind Conference Wrap-up

Spring 2008
+ RENEW Battles Local Opposition to Wind
+ Starting a Renewable Energy Business
+ Renewable Profiles: Wes Slaymaker
+ Solar Hot Water from the Garden
+ Reviving a Classic Wind Machine

Winter 2008
+ Solar Water Heating’s Day of Superlatives
+ Calumet Voters Strongly Favor Wind
+ Renewable Profiles: Steve & Nancy Sandstrom
+ Wind a No Go in Trempealeau
+ Windpower Projects Near Completion

2007
Summer 2007
+ Random Thoughts from This Year’s Renewable Energy Fair
+ RENEW Objects to Town Ordinance
+ A Federal Energy Policy?
+ Renewable Profiles: Jeff Knutson
+ State Must End Wind Roadblocks
+ RENEW Lunch and Meeting, Sept. 15
+ RENEW Argues for Uniform Tariffs
+ Walter: MGE Gets High Marks
+ WPPI Adds PV at HQ

Spring 2007
+ Wind Farm Construction Explodes While Manufacturing Lags
+ “But what’s the payback?”
+ Renewable Profiles: Jeff Riggert
+ Can Ethanol Kick Fossil Fuels?
+ Coal Rush Negatives Wind’s Promise
+ Energy co-dependents: Russia, America, and Energy Security

2006
Winter 2006
+ RENEW, Clean Wisconsin Defend Wind Power Project
+ We Energies Cops National Honors
+ Don Wichert: RENEW Founder and Tireless Advocate
+ How I Fell in Love with My Solar Dryer
+ PSC Approves WE Wind Project
+ Doyle Sets Plans to Expand Renewables

Fall 2006
+ 2nd U.S. Solar Testing Lab Opens in State
+ Payback Analysis: Impediment to Sustainability
+ Andy Bangert: Solar Installer & Master Electrician
+ MGE, WPPI Tap into Top of Iowa Wind Projects
+ Wind Energy Projects Slowly Advance
+ Neenah Paper Buys Reams of Renewable Electricity

Summer 2006
+ Misplaced Security Concerns Still Wind Projects
+ Doyle Embraces Energy Independence
+ Profiles in Leadership: Niels Wolter
+ Wisconsin Tops in Cow Power

Spring 2006
+ State’s energy house back in order
+ WE bulllish on wind energy
+ Producer profile: Amy Taivalkoski
+ Ethanol mandate runs out of gas
+ WE updates renewable program
+ State renewable grants available

2005
Winter 2005
+ Time is ripe for renewable tariff reform
+ Church engergized by renewables
+ Producer profile: John Katers
+ RENEW lauds Forward’s payment plan
+ China pins hopes on hydro
+ New federal tax credits for solar
+ RENEW backs ethanol bill

Time's right for rail

by | Jun 16, 2008 | Uncategorized

From an editorial in The Capital Times (Madison):

The impossible happened this week — the U.S. Senate and House voted overwhelmingly to fully fund Amtrak for the next five years. There’s even some matching money to help states set up or expand rail service.

It’s amazing what four-buck-a-gallon gas will do.

Amtrak’s funding package even got the votes of some of its biggest critics, like Florida Republican Rep. John Mica, who admitted for the first time that Americans need some transportation choices.

“Nothing could be more fitting to bring before Congress today, on a day when gasoline has reached $4.05 a gallon across the United States on average,” he announced on the floor.

The two houses need to patch over some minor differences in the bills they passed, but Amtrak backers are confident that won’t be any trouble.

The biggest trouble, though, may still come from the White House. President Bush, who has attempted to dismantle the national rail system throughout his presidency, has pledged to veto the bill. Fortunately, both the House and Senate passed the funding by veto-proof margins. Unless Republicans switch because they don’t want to “embarrass” their president, Bush’s veto will be moot.

Frankly, the president should be embarrassed. His stand on public transportation has marginalized him on the issue. He continues to insist that Amtrak should be dismantled and pieces of it turned over to private companies to run short-line routes. That might work in highly urbanized areas, but without government subsidies the vast expanse of America would be left with no rail service of any kind.

But Bush has been far from alone. There has long been a mind-set against subsidizing rail transportation. Politicians from both sides of the aisle have never had trouble subsidizing the building of more and bigger highways and underwriting the cost of airports and sleek terminals, but when it came to rail, they sang a different tune.

Had we adequately funded Amtrak so that it could have improved trackage in congested areas and run more than one train a day between big cities like Chicago and Minneapolis, for example, the country would today have a reasonable alternative to $4gas and gridlocked and unreliable airports. We might even have had rail service to Madison. . . .

Let there be light: Church sees mission in solar panels

by | Jun 16, 2008 | Uncategorized

From an article by Tom Heinen in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Tapping into a higher power, Unitarian Universalist Church West in Brookfield has become the first church in southeastern Wisconsin to install a solar-electric generating system.

Rob Zimmerman, president of Unitarian Universalist Church West in Brookfield, and the Rev. Suzelle Lynch stand on top of the church next to the new solar panels that were recently installed.

Using 42 roof-mounted solar panels, the 8.4-kilowatt system is expected to provide energy equal to about 15% of the electrical needs for the church, 13001 W. North Ave. The system went on line June 5.

Church leaders also hope that the system will generate a conversational buzz. For both theological and practical reasons, they’d like to see more homes, churches and businesses get greener.

“Part of our purpose is to be visible, not only to church members but to the community, so we can be a resource for them,” said the Rev. Suzelle Lynch, the church’s minister.

One principle of Unitarian Universalism is to respect and honor the Earth.