RENEW Announces New Members of Board of Directors

by Ed Blume | Jul 11, 2012 | Uncategorized

Immediate release
July 11, 2012

More information
Jenny Heinzen,President
715.592.6595
jennyh@midwestrenew.org

RENEW Announces New Members of Board of Directors

RENEW Wisconsin (RENEW) members elected new directors to its governing board in July.

“The new board represents a wide range of talents and interests in supporting RENEW’s mission of leading and representing businesses, organizations, and individuals that seek more clean renewable energy in Wisconsin,” said Jenny Heinzen, RENEW’s board president. The new board offers a healthy mix of new and familiar faces, Heinzen said.

RENEW is an independent, nonprofit organization that leads and represents businesses, organizations, and individuals who seek more clean renewable energy in Wisconsin.

The following were elected to three-year terms on RENEW’s board:
• Jeff Anthony, Director of Business Development, American Wind Energy Association, Milwaukee;
• Alex DePillis, principal, Clean Energy Partners, specializing in commercial wind and solar thermal systems, Madison;
• Maureen Faller, co-owner, Kettle View Renewable Energy, LLC, installer of wind and solar systems, Random Lake;
• Jim Funk, owner and engineer for Energize, LLC, specializing in providing high quality, high performing solar PV systems, Winneconne;
• Gary Haltaufderheide, Sun Prairie;
• Duane Kexel, President, Duane T. Kexel Consulting, LLC, Madison;
• Jeff Peterson, executive director, Polk County Energy Fair and director at the Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative, Luck;
• Pam Porter, owner, P Squared Group, energy consulting, Madison; and,
• Carl Siegrist, Managing Partner, Carl Siegrist Consulting LLC, Whitefish Bay.

The new directors will serve three-year terms and join existing board members to form the group that sets overall direction for the organization.

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RENEW Wisconsin is an independent, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that leads and represents businesses, organizations, and individuals who seek more clean renewable energy in Wisconsin. More information on RENEW’s Web site at www.renewwisconsin.org.

Report expects renewable generation to grow by 40%

by Ed Blume | Jul 9, 2012 | Uncategorized

A new report report from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council says:

Overall, 500,000 new tech jobs were added to the American economy between 2003 and 2010, at an annual growth rate of 3.4 percent.

26% of the new tech economy is comprised of manufacturing jobs, jobs that draw on the strengths of current Wisconsin businesses.

Renewable electricity generation is predicted to grow by 40 percent over the next 5 years.

Wisconsin has an opportunity to lead the nation in the development of biogas as a viable fuel alternative. Currently there are enough corn stalks, wood chips, and switchgrass in Wisconsin to replace 40% of our gasoline and half our coal use while putting $14 billion back into the state economy.

Wisconsin already has more anaerobic biodigesters than any state, with 22 on-farm and 31 total systems.

Wisconsin currently has more than 12,000 people employed in supplying the solar or wind sector.

In Wisconsin over 300 companies either produce, sell or install wind power components, with 40 new companies identified in last year alone.

135 Wisconsin companies are part of the solar photovoltaic industry.

America now generates more kilowatt hours of renewable energy than any country in the world.

Solar and wind are increasingly cost-competitive with conventional generating capacity.

More solar and wind generating capacity was installed last year than conventional generating capacity.

Renewable energies are a hedge against uncertainty in the price of fossil fuels.

Renewable technologies will require access to capital to support private investment. Particularly given recent stresses in financial markets, the government role in ensuring both access to capital and a fair market could result in a more diverse mix of energy resources in Wisconsin.