by jboullion | Mar 4, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Mike Ivey in The Capital Times:
If you like burning fossil fuels – hey, aren’t those Koch brothers in the pipeline business? – then you’ll love Gov. Walker’s proposed budget.
The 1,345-pager takes a whack at scores of environmental efforts, from nixing the state Office of Energy Independence to actually encouraging state vehicles to use more gasoline.
Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. And with pump prices marching toward $4 a gallon, you wonder if any thought went into the long-term fiscal impacts.
But here’s the skinny.
Walker wants to eliminate the Office of Energy Independence, which works to reduce the state’s annual energy bill. Launched by Gov. Doyle in 2007, it has 10 staffers and an office at 201 W. Washington Ave.
Since Wisconsin has no coal, natural gas or oil reserves, its citizens send over $20 billion out of state every year to Wyoming, the Gulf of Mexico and the Middle East evil-doers who hate America.
The OEI was designed to work with the biofuels industry, renewable energy markets and alternative energy researchers here at home.
Instead, Walker wants the Department of Administration to develop a “cost-effective, balanced, reliable, and environmentally-responsible energy strategy to promote economic growth.” As in growth for the oil and gas guys?
The state has also been operating under a directive that by 2015 it reduce gasoline use by at least 50 percent from 2006 levels. Walker wants to eliminate the requirement and drop the reduction goal to 20 percent.
by jboullion | Jan 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee is revamping a program aimed at encouraging homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient and will unveil it this spring, Mayor Tom Barrett said.
The city sought a variety of funding alternatives to encourage homeowners to boost the efficiency of their buildings, letting city residents pay for the upgrades over time on their utility bill or their tax bill.
Rebuffed in those efforts, the city will instead apply stimulus funds to help create a revolving loan fund for the projects when it relaunches the ME2, or Milwaukee Energy Efficiency program, this spring, Barrett said during a White House roundtable Tuesday on “greening America’s cities.”
“But to me that still doesn’t get at the core issue,” Barrett said. “The challenge is how do you take that family, or single woman or man, who’s living in that house who’s got financial issues right now. They live in an older home, and how do you convince them that it’s in their best interest to make their home more energy efficient?”
The barriers to increasing investment in energy efficiency are many, despite the payback in lower energy costs, said Joel Rogers, head of the Center on Wisconsin Strategy and a leader in the national Emerald Cities Collaborative aimed at making government and institutional buildings more cost-effective in their energy use.
“The first major barrier is that most people don’t know much about what they can save,” Rogers said.
by jboullion | Jan 6, 2011 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission:
MADISON – A report, commissioned by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) and prepared by the Energy Center of Wisconsin (Energy Center), shows that by 2012 the state could generate $900 million in net energy cost savings for each year energy efficiency program investments are made. The report addresses opportunities for electricity and natural gas savings across the residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors.
The report states that annual reductions in electricity usage could reach 1.6 percent per year by 2012 while meeting needs of economic growth. Electricity usage in the state has grown roughly 1.2 percent per year since 2000. Annual reductions in natural gas usage could reach 1.0 percent by 2012. Natural gas consumption has declined since 2000 by 0.1 percent per year.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Wisconsin to grow the economy,” said Governor Doyle. “When energy costs are low, it frees up money for consumers to spend elsewhere and helps businesses to save money and so they can grow.”
“The study shows that it is possible to generate economic growth and change the trajectory of our energy use,” said PSC Chairperson Eric Callisto. “This study showcases the multi-faceted benefits of energy efficiency as a strategy.”
Savings from efficiency efforts for both electricity and natural gas would generate between 7,000 and 9,000 net jobs in Wisconsin. Susan Stratton, executive director of the Energy Center, agrees. Most important, she noted is the compounding effect of the economic benefits over time. “Each year that we invest in efficiency programs the dollars saved continue to accrue, economic development and job opportunities grow and greenhouse gas emissions drop further.”
by jboullion | Dec 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
Tom Content wrote and posted the following article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the day before the Joint Committee on Finance voted along party lines (12 Democrats in favor, 4 Republicans against) to approve funding for Focus on Energy:
Lawmaker calls for audit; business groups against added funds
With a decision possible Tuesday on an increase in funding for the state Focus on Energy program, a lawmaker called for an audit of the energy efficiency initiative and several business groups came out against what they criticized as “a $340 million energy tax hike.”
Business groups including Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group, the Wisconsin Paper Council, Midwest Food Processors Association and the Wisconsin chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses issued a letter opposing increased funding for energy efficiency.
“Energy conservation and efficiency is a great idea, which is why so many businesses, like paper companies, already do it,” said Ed Wilusz, vice president of government relations for the Wisconsin Paper Council, in a statement. “But the existing state program appears to be working well. We doubt that the massive spending increase called for in this proposal is necessary or would be effective.”
Supporters of energy efficiency say it’s the least-cost alternative to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and a way to help the state postpone costlier expenses like investments in power plants.
The opposition by business groups comes even though large manufacturers in Wisconsin are exempt under state law from paying more to the Focus on Energy program.
The Focus on Energy program is funded through a surcharge on most customers’ electric bills. Under the PSC proposal, funding would ramp up over the next four years, raising $20 million more than current levels in 2011 and $60 million more in 2012. The increase would result in an average rate increase of 0.2% in 2011 for utility customers, and 0.7% in 2012.
Increases in funding are also proposed for 2013 and 2014 under the PSC proposal that will be reviewed Tuesday by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.
Sen. Robert Cowles (R-Allouez) said Monday he wants the Legislative Audit Bureau to conduct an audit of Focus on Energy before lawmakers agree to an increase in funding.
“Our economy is still in bad shape, and families and businesses in our state are hurting,” he said in a statement. “We need to make sure that this program is providing the benefits that it claims it is before we agree to add more funding.”
Although not audited by the Legislative Audit Bureau, the Focus on Energy program is audited regularly by independent consulting firms.
by jboullion | Nov 29, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Steve Schultze of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
$800,000 in energy saving has been realized from efficiency program
Milwaukee County has reaped some $800,000 in energy saving from its “green print” environmental program, as well as millions of gallons of water and gasoline saved through more efficient plumbing, cars and trucks.
Though slow to adopt “green” efficiencies, the county jump-started its efforts once a half-time sustainability director was assigned to monitor the program in early 2009. Since then, the courthouse complex and more than 50 other county buildings either have undergone energy audits or soon will.
Lighting, heating, cooling and other upgrades enabled the saving, though it’s applied to upfront costs of some $10 million. In theory, after eight years the costs through contracts with private vendors will be covered, and savings will go to the county’s bottom line.
“I’m happy with the successes we’ve had with the resources we’ve been given,” said Supervisor Marina Dimitrijevic, who pushed for the program’s creation in 2007. She said more could be done if the county would add more staff time to the effort.
It took more than a year to designate a green print coordinator, with the county’s budget problems hindering the initiative.
“By having small changes all over the place, we’ll have a very huge result,” said Dimitrijevic.
