by Ed Blume | Oct 12, 2012 | Uncategorized
It’s official – Check out this article
from Steven Verburg in the Wisconsin State Journal:
Epic Systems plans six wind turbines northwest of
Madison
Dane County’s first array of commercial wind turbines
will rise hundreds of feet above the rolling hills along Highway
12 northwest of Madison under plans Epic Systems of Verona hatched
over the last four weeks.
The plan had to move quickly so that Epic can take advantage of
federal tax credits that expire Dec. 31, said Bruce Richards, the
medical software manufacturer’s director of facilities and
engineering.
Six turbines — each with three 135-foot blades spinning atop a
262-foot tower — will be visible from the tall buildings in
Downtown Madison, including the Capitol, and the electricity they
generate will help Epic offset most of its energy needs on its
sprawling Verona campus. . . .
A geothermal system heats and cools the Verona campus, and solar
panels already generate electricity. The addition of the turbines
will mean the company can provide about 85 percent of its own
energy needs by 2014, Richards said.
“What sticks out to me is Epic’s incredible commitment to
renewable energy,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, whose
administration has expedited permits for the company.
Morse Group president Lou Rotello said his company will serve as
engineering, procurement and construction contractor on the
project, which will employ about 75 construction workers.
The site is a good one in part because almost all of the homes
that could be affected by noise or flickering shadows from the
turbine blades are occupied by family members of the landowners
who are leasing their land for the towers, Rotello said.
The ridge isn’t the windiest spot in the county, but studies
indicate it will be gusty enough to spin the blades at 27 percent
of their full-speed capacity each year, Rotello said.
The turbines have a capacity of 9.9 megawatts, which
will qualify them as one of 10 “major” wind power generators in
Wisconsin, said Deborah Irwin, the state Public Service
Commission’s renewable energy specialist.
Read the full article here.
by jboullion | Oct 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
An article from Wisconsin Ag Connection:
An annual review of Wisconsin utilities showed that the La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative had a substantial increase in its renewable energy generation and purchases. The company says about 12 percent of its electricity sales now comes from renewable sources of energy.
According to the Wisconsin Utility Regulation Report, the Public Service Commission noted that in 2011, the renewable energy provided by Dairyland to its Wisconsin member cooperatives now achieved a level that exceeds its 2015 requirements. The state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard mandates that all Wisconsin utilities reach the target of 10 percent renewable generation or investment by year 2015.
“As a cooperative utility, we will continue to make prudent investments in renewable energy,” said Brian Rude, Dairyland’s vice president of external and member relations. “Diversifying our generation mix with a variety of renewable options, such as wind, hydro, animal waste-toenergy, biomass and solar, has been and will continue to be a key part of our power supply plans.”
Dairyland recently announced it is purchasing the excess energy output from a new solar photovoltaic installation at the City of Galena, Illinois, wastewater treatment plant. The facility is interconnected with Jo-Carroll Energy, a Dairyland member cooperative.
Dairyland Power provides wholesale electricity to 25 member distribution cooperatives and 15 municipal utilities in four states.
by Ed Blume | Oct 8, 2012 | Uncategorized
An article from Wisconsin Ag Connection:
An annual review of Wisconsin utilities showed that the La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative had a substantial increase in its renewable energy generation and purchases. The company says about 12 percent of its electricity sales now comes from renewable sources of energy.
According to the Wisconsin Utility Regulation Report, the Public Service Commission noted that in 2011, the renewable energy provided by Dairyland to its Wisconsin member cooperatives now achieved a level that exceeds its 2015 requirements. The state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard mandates that all Wisconsin utilities reach the target of 10 percent renewable generation or investment by year 2015.
“As a cooperative utility, we will continue to make prudent investments in renewable energy,” said Brian Rude, Dairyland’s vice president of external and member relations. “Diversifying our generation mix with a variety of renewable options, such as wind, hydro, animal waste-toenergy, biomass and solar, has been and will continue to be a key part of our power supply plans.”
Dairyland recently announced it is purchasing the excess energy output from a new solar photovoltaic installation at the City of Galena, Illinois, wastewater treatment plant. The facility is interconnected with Jo-Carroll Energy, a Dairyland member cooperative.
Dairyland Power provides wholesale electricity to 25 member distribution cooperatives and 15 municipal utilities in four states.
by jboullion | Oct 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2012
Contact: Jay Mundinger
414-736-9245
Lawsuit against Emerging Energies deemed “frivolous”, attorneys forced to pay $1,500
(Madison, Wis.) – Emerging Energies of Wisconsin, LLC, the developer of the proposed Highland Wind Farm, thought they had been legally wronged by wind farm opponents (The Forest Voice) and their attorneys back in 2011, and a federal court ruled they were correct.
In a decision dated September 30, 2012, District Judge William M. Conley ruled that the claims against EEW by leaders of the Forest Voice (Plaintiffs: Judi Beestman, Bill Dyer, Jeff Ericson, Brenda Salseg, Robert Salseg and Scott Voeltz) and their attorneys (Glenn Stoddard, Patricia Keahna) were “frivolous.”
“…the court finds that plaintiffs’ claims against Emerging Energies…were ‘baseless or made without a reasonable and competent inquiry.’ ” – Judge William M. Conley
“We have been completely transparent through this entire process as we’ve tried to bring clean, renewable energy to St. Croix County,” said Jay Mundinger. “Some very responsible town officials lost their jobs after initially approving our Highland Wind Farm project two years ago, and we’ve been fighting ever since. We feel a level of vindication here.”
The $250 million Highland project, as proposed, in the Town of Forest will generate 102.5 megawatts of electricity from 41 turbines – enough to power 30,000 homes. After receiving initial approval from the Town of Forest Board and its three members in 2010, they were all eventually recalled and the new board has been challenging the project to-date.
The federal ruling also found:
“…as officers of the court, Attorneys Stoddard and Keahna should have known they had no legal or factual basis to name Emerging Energies as a defendant…” – Judge Conley
The court ordered Stoddard to pay EEW $1,000 and Keahna $500 for their frivolous action.
Public Service Commission hearings for the Highland Wind Farm are scheduled to begin next week in Madison and the Town of Forest.
“We continue to believe this project will provide meaningful economic benefits and payments to the communities here and help Wisconsin develop cleaner sources of electricity for consumers,” said Mundinger.
Highland Wind Farm Specifics:
- 26,550 acre project boundary
- 41 turbine sites with 11 additional alternative locations
- 100 + member construction workforce 6-8 permanent employees for wind farm operations
- 6,200 acres already under lease from property owners for turbine sites, access roads, distribution lines
- Connects to Xcel Energy’s 161-kilovolt transmission line near Forest-Cylon town line.
-END-
by Ed Blume | Oct 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2012
Contact: Jay Mundinger
414-736-9245
Lawsuit against Emerging Energies deemed “frivolous”, attorneys forced to pay $1,500
(Madison, Wis.) – Emerging Energies of Wisconsin, LLC, the developer of the proposed Highland Wind Farm, thought they had been legally wronged by wind farm opponents (The Forest Voice) and their attorneys back in 2011, and a federal court ruled they were correct.
In a decision dated September 30, 2012, District Judge William M. Conley ruled that the claims against EEW by leaders of the Forest Voice (Plaintiffs: Judi Beestman, Bill Dyer, Jeff Ericson, Brenda Salseg, Robert Salseg and Scott Voeltz) and their attorneys (Glenn Stoddard, Patricia Keahna) were “frivolous.”
“…the court finds that plaintiffs’ claims against Emerging Energies…were ‘baseless or made without a reasonable and competent inquiry.’ ” – Judge William M. Conley
“We have been completely transparent through this entire process as we’ve tried to bring clean, renewable energy to St. Croix County,” said Jay Mundinger. “Some very responsible town officials lost their jobs after initially approving our Highland Wind Farm project two years ago, and we’ve been fighting ever since. We feel a level of vindication here.”
The $250 million Highland project, as proposed, in the Town of Forest will generate 102.5 megawatts of electricity from 41 turbines – enough to power 30,000 homes. After receiving initial approval from the Town of Forest Board and its three members in 2010, they were all eventually recalled and the new board has been challenging the project to-date.
The federal ruling also found:
“…as officers of the court, Attorneys Stoddard and Keahna should have known they had no legal or factual basis to name Emerging Energies as a defendant…” – Judge Conley
The court ordered Stoddard to pay EEW $1,000 and Keahna $500 for their frivolous action.
Public Service Commission hearings for the Highland Wind Farm are scheduled to begin next week in Madison and the Town of Forest.
“We continue to believe this project will provide meaningful economic benefits and payments to the communities here and help Wisconsin develop cleaner sources of electricity for consumers,” said Mundinger.
Highland Wind Farm Specifics:
- 26,550 acre project boundary
- 41 turbine sites with 11 additional alternative locations
- 100 + member construction workforce 6-8 permanent employees for wind farm operations
- 6,200 acres already under lease from property owners for turbine sites, access roads, distribution lines
- Connects to Xcel Energy’s 161-kilovolt transmission line near Forest-Cylon town line.
-END-
by Ed Blume | Oct 4, 2012 | Uncategorized
A great article from Erik Curren from Energy Bulletin. Here is an excerpt:
The U.S. is lagging other industrial nations in renewable energy. And it’s not for lack of technology but rather, too much politics.
A year ago I would’ve loved the optimistic and can-do tone of Power from the People: How to Organize, Finance, and Launch Local Energy Projects.
While all too many solar panel and wind turbine buffs are Polyannas who promise that America can enjoy decades of economic growth in the future if only we’d dump dirty energy for solar and wind, author Greg Pahl offers a more realistic assessment of the limited potential of clean energy. Pahl is a peak oiler who understands the concentrated power of fossil fuels and knows that no amount of renewables can replace the energy we now get from coal, oil and natural gas.
Power from the People
Power from the People: How to Organize, Finance, and Launch Local Energy Projects by Greg Pahl, foreword by Van Jones, Chelsea Green Publishing, 250 pp, $19.95.
Fortunately, Pahl is also free from the cynicism of many self-appointed “net-energy” experts who, when asked about solar and wind reply, “If it ain’t as powerful as oil, why bother?”
Instead, Pahl is practical enough to see that once the coal and natural gas deplete and get too expensive, if we want any electricity at all in the future it will have to come from renewables.
Before my own descent into the hell of working with a company trying to develop renewables in a conservative southeastern state, I would’ve cheered Pahl on as he called for a switch from today’s centralized power plants to a bright democratic future of distributed generation — a solar panel on every roof.
But now, after my company had to fight off two cease-and-desist letters and an expensive legal battle with the state’s largest electric utility before we were able to complete a solar installation at a university, I bring a wary eye to Pahl’s cheery case studies of cutting-edge community energy projects in such greenie paradises as Oregon, Colorado and Pahl’s own Vermont.
I no longer say, “Wow, that’s impressive. Why don’t we try that here?” Instead, I just find myself getting jealous and resentful.
Damn Vermont, I think to myself, with all their farmers-market-shopping, bicycle-commuting, townhall-meeting, New-York-leaving, clean-energy-installing old hippies.
In my state of Virginia it sometimes feels like we have plenty of NASCAR fans but barely enough old hippies to fill one floor of an assisted living place.
And that’s a big part of why we have to suffer under a Republican governor who pays lip service to “all of the above” energy sources but spends his real effort pushing offshore drilling, and coal and uranium mining all while America’s seventh richest state enjoys about as much clean energy as Rwanda.
In this state, you’ll get coal. And you’ll like it too.
Some parts of the United States offer excellent incentives and support to help level the playing field with grid power and make renewables affordable. And this public policy makes all the difference.
California may be #1 in solar, but un-sunny New Jersey is #2. And that’s not because you need to slather on SPF 60 if you’re visiting Newark or Teaneck.
Read the full article here.
