by jboullion | Aug 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Kathleen Foody in the Wausau Daily Herald:
ROTHSCHILD — The village Board of Appeals gave advocates of a controversial proposed biomass plant a boost Thursday, approving the installation of stacks and a boiler building higher than village ordinances typically permit.
About 275 residents attended the hearing at the Rothschild Pavilion, but the crowd had dwindled to double digits after about five hours of testimony.
The ultimate question of the hearing was whether the height of four structures proposed in the site plans was detrimental to the village. But opponents and proponents discussed air quality, noise, truck traffic and other issues that routinely have been raised since the $250 million project was announced in September 2009.
“When we built our homes here, we all knew what the rules were,” Rothschild resident Thomas Jessup said during the hearing. “With this plant, we just don’t know enough. I’m all for jobs and those are all good people working at Domtar, but there’s not enough information.”
Most opponents began their testimony with “I live in Rothschild,” and asked the board not to make an exception in the village’s height limits and to remember residents in their deliberations.
Joe Twaroski, who has worked at the Domtar mill for 28 years, went to the hearing in support of the biomass project and to “put a face” on the paper producer’s employees.
He said he’s one of the mill employees constantly monitoring emissions and finding a solution for any unusual readings.
We Energies and Domtar presented data backing the variances during the hearing. Experts on air quality, property values, traffic and construction of the plant gave individual presentations.
by jboullion | Aug 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
A news release issued by the Public Service Commission:
MADISON – Today the Wind Siting Council presented the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) with a report on its final recommendations for the wind siting rules. The report is the result of the Council’s work conducted in 20 meetings over the course of more than four months.
[The Council vote 11 to 4 in support of the recommendations, with RENEW executive director Michael Vickerman voting with the majority.]
Originally appointed by the PSC pursuant to 2009 Wisconsin Act 40 (Act 40) in March 2010, the Council has worked diligently to provide the Commission with sound advice to consider in finalizing the wind siting rules. The PSC is conducting the wind siting rulemaking pursuant to Act 40, and issued a proposed rule draft in May, 2010 in docket 1-AC-231. The PSC accepted public comments from the public on the proposed rule until July 7, 2010.
“I look forward to carefully reviewing the Wind Siting Council’s final report, and I thank them for their unwavering commitment to provide the Commission with useful advice to consider as we finalize the wind siting rules,” said PSC Chairperson Eric Callisto. “I am confident that the rules the Commission sends to the Legislature will provide a fair, uniform foundation to ultimately benefit future energy projects in Wisconsin.”
The PSC plans to complete the rulemaking by the end of August. Once finalized, the uniform rules will set forth consistent standards for the local regulation of wind energy systems in Wisconsin.
View the Wind Siting Council’s recommendations here. Documents associated with the wind siting rules can be viewed on the PSC’s Electronic Regulatory Filing System. Enter case number 1-AC-231 in the boxes provided on the PSC homepage, or click on the Electronic Regulatory Filing System button.
by jboullion | Aug 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a commentary by Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin executive director:
About 100 people gathered in downtown Madison in early July to take part in “Hands Across the Sands,” an internationally organized protest against continued oil drilling in and along the world’s coastal waters. Against the backdrop of the weed-choked waters of Lake Monona, they joined hands for 15 minutes to express their fervent desire to see a cleaner, less destructive energy future emerge from the liquid melanoma spreading across the Gulf of Mexico.
No doubt the protestors would like to do more, much more, than simply engage in ritualized protest in front of a few camera crews. But we live in a society that is organized around the expectation of a limitless supply of nonrenewable hydrocarbons feeding concentrated energy into our economic bloodstream. Most of us have not bothered to comprehend the yawning gulf that lies between our best intentions and our abject dependence on the wealth-producing properties of petroleum. Nor how this addiction fills us with delusions of godlike mastery over our environment while blinding us to the reality that we humans have grossly overshot our planet’s carrying capacity.
For those who read and still remember the science fiction classic Dune, the “spice” on Arrakis remains the quintessential literary analogy to the reality of Earth’s oil. Like our oil, the spice held a special place in that world as the ultimate prize worth waging wars and plundering hostile environments for. . . .
Need I mention that once you begin to appreciate the finitude of the Earth’s endowment of petroleum, there’s nothing to stop you from taking immediate steps to curb your personal consumption of this irreplaceable fuel. Whatever you do to lessen your dependence on petroleum will turn out to be a much more satisfying and meaningful response to our energy predicament than any canned protest promoted through Facebook.
As for myself, I made two resolutions since the Macondo well erupted. The first is to go through this summer without activating the household air-conditioner. So far, so good, I can report. (Luckily, we were spared the triple-digit temperature swelterfest that gripped the East Coast last week). It wasn’t that long ago that life without air-conditioning was the norm rather than the exception. If we all resolved not to turn on air-conditioners, we could force the retirement of two to three coal-fired plants in this state.
The other change was to ratchet up my reliance on my bicycle and make it the default vehicle for all my local travels, irrespective of weather conditions. I have been a fair-weather bicycle commuter for many years, but after watching everyone on TV blame someone else for the catastrophe, I felt the need to push myself a little harder. My objective here is to regard my car as a luxury that one day I might do without.
Though the extra perspiration and the occasional dodging of raindrops may take some getting used to, you are going to sleep better at night. Trust me on this.
If the oil spill has prompted a similar response from you, feel free to describe them and send them to the moderator of our Peak Oil blog or post them in a response.
by jboullion | Aug 3, 2010 | Uncategorized
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From Madison Gas and Electric:
It’s magic when kids can learn… and laugh! That’s the goal of the MaGicEnergy show. For years, performer Bob Kann has taken the program into schools and libraries throughout the area.
Watch the story to see how Bob uses magic and comedy to entertain and inspire! See why audiences walk away armed with specific tools to conserve energy and protect the environment.
Interested in bringing MaGicEnergy to your school or library? Click here and tell us about your group.
by jboullion | Jul 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a story by Colby Robertson on WAOW-TV, Wausau:
WAUSAU (WAOW) — The 142nd annual Wisconsin Valley Fair kicks off next Tuesday, but this years fair is going to be a little greener.
Every night of the Wisconsin Valley Fair, [one of the oldest and largest ag fairs in Wisconsin], features a different free grandstand performance, thousands of fans turn out for some of music’s biggest stars.
This year those performances are going green by using WPS renewable energy to power the musical entertainment.
Kelly Zagrzebski of Wisconsin Public Service says, “You’re not going to see anything different other than its runNATS by green energy and there might be a few banners up, but the actual energy use will be exactly the same, just powered by green power.”
The renewable energy comes through the WPS Naturewise program that’s been selling blocks of renewable energy to customers since 2005.
Zagrzebski says, “As you’re looking at the different sustainability groups and people being more conscious of their energy use and where they’re getting their energy from, it was a great partnership since it is with Naturewise and the fuel we get for it is really through biomass and the use of manure.”
