Awards Will Recognize “Engines” for Clean Energy Development
(Madison) – In keeping with the theme of “Powering Positive Action,” RENEW Wisconsin will honor eight companies and organizations whose initiatives and investments in local, clean energy sources set inspiring examples for others to follow.
RENEW will also present its Joel Gaalswyk Public Official of the Year award to Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center), recognizing his effectiveness as a champion and defender of renewable energy development in Wisconsin.
Sen. Schultz’s award is named after a long-time advocate who lent his strong voice to the cause of advancing renewable energy while a Sauk County supervisor.
The awards ceremony will take place Friday, January 11, 2013, at RENEW Wisconsin’s energy policy summit at UW-Madison’s Pyle Center.
“The Energy Policy Summit is a fitting venue to honor the people and organizations that embraced the vision of energy self-sufficiency and job creation, and made it happen in Wisconsin,” said Michael Vickerman, program and policy director for RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.
“Their solar, wind, and bioenergy installations created jobs, reduced the flow of imported fossil fuels into Wisconsin, and demonstrated responsible environmental stewardship. They truly deserve the recognition, as well as everyone’s appreciation,” Vickerman said.
The following Customer-Generators of the Year will receive recognition for integrating on-site renewable energy to serve their own operations or constituents:
Richland Center Renewable Energy(RCRE), a partnership of Foremost Farms USA and Schreiber Foods
RCRE’s 1.7 megawatt biogas plant in Richland Center converts wastewater supplied by these two local food producers into renewable electricity.
SC Johnson, Racine
SC Johnson’s two-turbine, 3 megawatt windpower installation enables the company to operate its Waxdale production plant with 100% renewable energy generated on site.
Dane County, sponsor of Wisconsin’s first community biogas generating plant.
Dane County’s leadership made possible a 2 megawatt installation near Waunakee that converts manure from nearby dairy farms into clean electricity while reducing nutrient flows into the Yahara Lakes.
Organic Valley Cooperative, La Farge
Its solar and wind generation systems, including a new 2.5 MW turbine in Cashton, supply nearly 90% of the electricity used in Organic Valley’s operations.
Gundersen Health System, La Crosse
With sizable investments in biogas and wind, renewable sources now account for 50% of the electricity used in the company’s facilities in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
Epic Systems, Verona
Its 2.2 MW solar installation is the largest in the state, and its 9 MW wind installation was the largest built in Wisconsin in 2012.
The following firms will receive recognition as Renewable Energy Businesses of the Year for the critical roles they played in the development and construction of renewable energy installations for customers:
DVO, Inc., Chilton
In 2012, DVO, Inc. developed, designed, and built five Wisconsin on-farm biogas generation systems with an aggregate generating capacity of 4 megawatts.
WES Engineering, Madison
In its capacity as a wind engineering firm, WES Engineering was instrumental in advancing 18 megawatts of community-based wind energy in three different locations in Wisconsin (Cashton, Mount Pleasant, and Dane County).
The Public Official of the Year award will be given to State Senator Dale Schultz for his thoughtful, forceful and bipartisan advocacy on behalf of local clean energy development.
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