by jboullion | Jul 1, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article in The Business Journal:
Ball Corp. said Monday it intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 16 percent in the next four years.
The Broomfield, Colo.-based manufacturer of beverage cans and bottles (NYSE: BLL) said the goal for cutting emissions is based on a 2002 baseline and will occur through improved energy efficiencies. The firm operates metal beverage and metal food packaging plants in Milwaukee.
Ball disclosed the goal for 2012 in a report titled “Toward a Sustainable Future,” which identifies areas where the company is trying to reduce its environmental impact.
Ball said its primary focus is to make lightweight, recyclable packaging when feasible. Using lighter cans means less material is needed, fewer greenhouse gases are produced and less energy is needed for shipping.
Ball said the weight of its products has been reduced substantially through the years. Aluminum cans are 40 percent lighter than they were in 1969, and the steel cans are 50 percent lighter than in 1970.
By turning more to recycled materials, Ball said it can cut 95 percent of the energy used to make aluminum cans from virgin material and 74 percent of the energy required to make steel cans.
The company also is working with the metal industry to determine the carbon footprint of its metal cans. . . .
The company’s Ball Metal Beverage Container has a contract with Miller Brewing Co. to serve as the sole supplier of cans for the Milwaukee brewer through 2015.
by jboullion | Jun 24, 2008 | Uncategorized
A summary from Grist:
Home Depot announced Tuesday that it will collect compact fluorescent light bulbs and send them off to be recycled. The home-improvement behemoth hopes the new program will keep the bulbs, which contain a small amount of mercury, out of household trash and recycling bins. IKEA also collects CFLs for recycling but doesn’t have the market saturation of Home Depot; more than three-quarters of U.S. households are estimated to be within 10 miles of a Home Depot store. The company’s 1,973 U.S. stores will also switch to CFLs in light-fixture showrooms by the fall, a move expected to save it $16 million annually in energy costs.
by jboullion | Jun 23, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Wisconsin Power & Light Co. took a significant step recently when it promised to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from a new coal plant it is proposing to build in southwestern Wisconsin. Company officials understand the importance of balancing energy sources to provide customers with reliable and affordable energy while reducing emissions that contribute to climate change.
The problem is that while Wisconsin needs power, it also needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not just offset increases in emissions. So while WP&L officials deserve credit for proposing their mitigation plan, they still need to make a more compelling case than they have so far for building a coal plant in Cassville.
State regulators need to carefully examine that case before they make their decision by the end of the year. And unless WP&L officials make a convincing case for the kind of coal plant they have proposed, the state shouldn’t give its OK.
In a recent meeting with the Journal Sentinel Editorial Board, company officials said demand was growing at a rate of 2% to 3% per year. To meet that demand, the utility says it needs to build a 300-megawatt $1.1 billion base load plant that would generate enough power to supply 150,000 homes.
Based on those numbers, WP&L, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corp., makes a reasonable case. Neither conservation nor renewable sources now available are likely to fill that demand.
But an analysis by state environmental and energy regulators predicts demand to grow by 1.65%. That analysis also concluded that although Alliant “needs to procure more energy resources to keep rates affordable,” this particular coal plant proposal was “not the least-cost option.” The environmental group Clean Wisconsin and the ratepayer group Citizens’ Utility Board oppose the plant and have urged the utility to spend more on energy efficiency and renewables. . . .
by jboullion | May 29, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a press release issued by Governor Doyle:
NEENAH – Governor Jim Doyle today announced the 2008 Pulp and Paper Energy Efficiency Awards, recognizing Proctor and Gamble Corporation of Green Bay and Neenah Paper of Neenah for outstanding achievement in implementing an energy efficiency projects. Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Secretary Rod Nilsestuen presented the awards on behalf of the Governor at the Wisconsin Paper Council Annual meeting in Neenah. . . .
Proctor & Gamble Corporation won the 2008 Project for Innovation award for construction of a new energy efficient tissue paper machine at their Green Bay location. The machine uses new technology to deliver its product using 19% less natural gas and electricity than most modern machines. This improvement in energy efficiency will contribute significantly to Proctor and Gamble’s sustainability and energy goals.
Neenah Paper won the 2008 Project for Energy Efficiency Implementation award for its wastewater treatment facility optimization project. The project involved using variable frequency drives to improve the efficiency of the aeration system and feed forward dissolved oxygen control. The project also reduces turbidity in the final waste matter and prevents the release of 1,260 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere each year.
Governor Doyle established the Pulp and Paper Energy Efficiency Award to recognize the Wisconsin pulp and/or paper mill that best shows outstanding achievement in implementing an energy efficiency project.
by jboullion | May 13, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a story by Matthew Inda on LivingLakeCountry.com:
City of Oconomowoc – For the next two years, Oconomowoc will partake in a communitywide effort that will raise even stronger conservation ethics by way of a pilot program awarded by Wisconsin Public Power Inc. (WPPI).
The program known as Leading by Example will give Oconomowoc Utilities the opportunity to better educate and demonstrate the effectiveness of energy efficiency, conservation and renewable resources development.
The program suits Oconomowoc well, based on its established environmental awareness and involvement, according to Wisconsin Public Power Inc. spokeswoman Anne Rodriguez.
“We were looking for a community where there is strong leadership in this area,” she said. “Oconomowoc really provided that natural fit.”
The only other two municipalities in the state to receive the grant were WPPI member communities River Falls and Columbus.
The program will reach out to, and help, citizens via ongoing conservation education efforts with local students, businesses and residential customers. It will also assist with energy efficiency improvements to municipal buildings and conservation projects in cooperation with industrial utility customers.
