by jboullion | Feb 10, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Govenor Doyle:
MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle announced today that the City of Madison, Kenosha County and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) have joined the Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership. They have pledged to work toward Governor Doyle’s “25×25” goal of generating 25 percent of the state’s electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025. . . .
“I welcome Madison, Kenosha County and MMSD as new partners in working toward energy independence that keeps energy dollars in our state, creates good jobs and cleans our air and water,” Governor Doyle said. “Every year, we send $16 billion out of state to power our homes and businesses and fuel our cars. Building a clean energy economy is not only an enormous opportunity to capture those dollars, but also create good jobs here in Wisconsin.”
Last month, Governor Doyle launched the Clean Energy Jobs Act, a landmark legislative package to accelerate the state’s green economy and create jobs. The package calls for updating renewable portfolio standards to generate 25 percent of Wisconsin’s fuel from renewable sources by 2025 and sets a realistic goal of a 2 percent annual reduction in energy consumption by 2015. A comprehensive economic assessment of the package found that it would directly create at least 15,000 green jobs in Wisconsin by 2025.
by jboullion | Feb 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a story by Kristen Elicerio on WKBT-TV (La Crosse):
$16 billion dollars leaves the state of Wisconsin each year in fuel costs. In an effort to get a portion of that money back, the state has set a goal to have 25 percent of the state’s fuel come from renewable sources by the year 2025.
Monday members of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and Wisconsin Department of Commerce toured renewable energy projects in La Crosse.
One of their stops was the City Brewery to tour the project that converts brewery waste into electricity for Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center.
“Some people do these projects because they feel it’s the right thing to do, and I think that’s an appropriate way to approach it. Others are going to do it because it makes economic sense and that’s going to drive a lot of these projects,” said Public Service Commission of Wisconsin Chairperson, Eric Callisto.
Policy leaders say that by adding more projects like this it’s estimated nearly 15,000 jobs will be created in the sate, something that makes Wisconsin a leader.
by jboullion | Feb 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an editorial in The Journal Times (Racine):
Gov. Jim Doyle doesn’t want to talk about his legacy just yet and wants to get things done, but that’s not likely because the Legislature has largely checked out for the year.
When Doyle presented his State of the State address, and also in a meeting with The Journal Times Editorial Board, he talked about his energy ideas and the need to move Wisconsin and its economy toward a different energy future. He said quite rightly that if the United States had pursued the alternative energy ideas which sprouted in the wake of the Arab oil embargo 37 years ago, we would not today be burdened by gasoline at $3 and $4 a gallon. He also rightly commented that Wisconsin spends billions every year on fuel — money which quickly leaves the state instead of being put to other uses in the local economy.
China and Europe are not standing still, he said, but are pushing into alternative energy technologies. Look at the wind turbines sprouting all over Wisconsin. Many of them bear the logo of Vestas. That’s not a Wisconsin company. It’s a Danish one. The question is whether Wisconsin will join these producers, putting to use its manufacturing base and skilled workers.
But to do any of this, Doyle needs legislators to meet. A newspaper story which followed his State of the State address noted that lawmakers will meet at most a dozen times between now and May. Then they’ll take the rest of the year off for elections and won’t return to the Capitol until January 2011, when the new Legislature will be seated and begin work on the biennial budget.
by jboullion | Feb 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Wayne Nelson in BusinessNorth:
The legislature and Gov. James Doyle used federal stimulus money to offset one-third of the budget shortfall, he said. The remaining deficit was offset with spending cuts and new taxes.
“Without the federal stimulus money, we would have had to shut down the (UW) campuses,” he said.
Meanwhile, pressure is mounting on lawmakers in both states to help create private sector jobs, and reduce unemployment. In Wisconsin, the emerging priorities are stabilizing the state’s manufacturing sector and jumpstarting the state’s entry into the green energy economy.
On Jan. 6, Governor Doyle introduced his green energy development plan, the proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act, to the Legislature. The bill embodies recommendations by the Global Warming Task Force that Doyle created in 2007 to find ways to combat predicted climate change in Wisconsin, including drought, damage to forests and wetlands, and already historically low Lake Michigan water levels.
“This bill will ensure Wisconsin is on the leading edge in capturing green jobs,” said state Rep. Nick Milroy, D-Superior.
It calls for weaning the state of its dependence on fossil fuels by increasing the use of renewable fuels, and even invites a debate over potential new nuclear power development.
The bill would mandate that 25 percent of energy be generated from renewable sources – including wind, solar and biomass – by 2025. The state’s current goal is 10 percent by 2015, and at the end of 2008, Wisconsin was just less than 5 percent.
by jboullion | Feb 5, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Govenor Doyle:
WISCONSIN RAPIDS – Governor Jim Doyle today signed into law Senate Bill 440, which allows the state to maximize federal bonds to help fund projects that will create hundreds of jobs in Wisconsin. The Governor signed the bill at Energy Composites, a wind blade manufacturing plant in Wisconsin Rapids that could benefit from the measure.
The federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allows certain local units of government to issue Recovery Zone Facility bonds for private sector economic development projects. Wisconsin received $238 million in bonding authority to be divided among 63 counties, plus the cities of Milwaukee, Madison and Green Bay. Under the Recovery Act, most counties did not receive a large enough share of the funding to effectively provide assistance to businesses that need it. These bonds must be issued by January 1, 2011.
Under SB 440, any county or city that does not use its original bond allocation in a timely manner has its share re-entered into a statewide pool. The Department of Commerce will then administer that pool to provide needed financing to help companies like Energy Composites move forward projects to expand and create jobs.
“Thanks to President Obama and Congressman Obey, the Recovery Act has given us this powerful tool to create new jobs here in Wisconsin, especially in the emerging clean energy economy,” Governor Doyle said. “By pooling these resources together, we will make sure we take full advantage of this opportunity and move forward job-creating projects across the state.”
Energy Composites is looking to break ground on a 535,000 square foot wind blade manufacturing plant next month, a project that will create more than 600 good-paying clean energy jobs for the Wisconsin Rapids area. The signing of SB 440 will allow the company to request bonds from Commerce to help move the project forward.
