by jboullion | Sep 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Sarah Lozanova in RenewableEnergyWorld.com:
Currently about 85,000 people are employed in the wind energy industry, up from 50,000 last year. These jobs are very diverse, and include turbine manufacturing, wind farm development, wind farm construction, and turbine maintenance.
Developing an industrial-scale wind farm requires a team of people with a variety of abilities. Here’s a look at some of the jobs involved as well as the skills necessary for this line of work. . . .
by jboullion | Sep 23, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Joe Potente in the Kenosha News:
MILWAUKEE — A summit on regional transit sounded something like a pep rally for public transportation by the time it wrapped up Friday.
A panel of transit backers from Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee didn’t agree entirely on the viability of commuter rail in the region, but they were united on one major point: Now is the time to pass legislation to create a true regional transit authority with a dedicated sales tax.
And a national expert on transit and urban sustainability said that authority must be taken seriously in order for anything to get done.
Panelist Eric Isbister was blunt. Isbister said a lack of public transit near his Mequon-based business shuts his company off from many car-less members of an enormous workforce a few miles south in Milwaukee.
“We’ve got to stop romancing this issue,” said Isbister, chief executive officer of General MetalWorks Corp., a Mequon-based metal fabrication firm. “We’ve got to get results.”
Said Deborah Blanks, chief executive officer of the Milwaukee Social Development Commission: “It’s about access and opportunity. It’s a connector to prosperity.”
The summit, at the Italian Conference Center, was presented by the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin, the Greater Milwaukee Committee and the city of Milwaukee.
by jboullion | Sep 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Southeastern Wisconsin shouldn’t overlook its expertise in battery and energy research and development as it strives to become a center for water technologies, local lawmakers say.
With that in mind, state Rep. Jeff Stone (D-Milwaukee) and state Sen. Jeff Plale (D-South Milwaukee) on Monday will announce a series of proposals designed to make the region a hub for energy storage and plug-in electric vehicle research.
The proposal is linked to the region’s being home to the headquarters and R&D center for Johnson Controls Inc. as it develops next-generation hybrid batteries for cars and trucks, said Stone. But it’s also born of a desire to see plug-in vehicles on the road in larger numbers as a move to reduce air pollution.
Legislative proposals to be unveiled Monday, Stone said, would:
• Eliminate the sales tax for consumers who buy plug-in electric hybrid cars or all-electric cars.
• Scrap of the state’s emissions-testing program, with the funds now spent on that program reallocated to a fund for grants for firms or universities conducting research into electric technologies and energy storage.
• Create tax credits for equipment used in research and development.
• Exempt electric-vehicle charging stations from the personal property tax for companies that want to install the charging stations in their parking ramps.
by jboullion | Sep 18, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a post by Craig McCarthy on Mequon Now:
A workshop on fuel economy takes place at Concordia University Wisconsin on September 18th and 19th. The event is entitled, 35.5: Your Target MPG, and will include presentations and panel discussions on energy independence.
One of the highlights of the two-day event will be energy efficient vehicles, like the Smart Car and the Toyota Prius, displayed around Concordia’s Mequon campus. The American Lung Association will show off their Bio-fuel vehicle and members of the Milwaukee Hybrid Group will be on hand to talk with people about the important role hybrids are playing in achieving fuel efficiency.
“The goal of the symposium is to challenge people’s thinking about how our country can use less fuel,” said Dr. Lawrence Sohn, Interim Sustainability Coordinator at CUW. “Students, staff, faculty, and the community will not only view energy efficient vehicles during this event, they will get useful information that will help them drive and live more fuel efficient,” Sohn added.
“Fuel economy is a primary area in which the average citizen can easily make a significant impact, decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels, particularly from foreign sources,” indicated Prof. Bruce Bessert, Director of the Concordia Center for Environmental Stewardship. It also promotes the use of renewable energy sources while, at the same time, saving money in a tight economy,” he added. . . .
For more information on this event log onto, www.cuw.edu or visit http://energy.cuw.edu
by jboullion | Sep 17, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a Tom Content post on JSonline.com:
A bill to adopt uniform siting standards for small wind farms across the state is headed to Gov. Jim Doyle’s desk.
The state Assembly passed the bill Wednesday, one day after the state Senate endorsed it. The Assembly voted 65 to 31 to approve the bill. The vote came after several amendments to the bill were rejected.
Supporters said the bill is needed to help meet the state’s renewable energy targets and to help break a logjam of wind developments across the state. Opponents say the bill would rob local governments of local control over projects they say has resulted in wind developments being located too close to homes.
Read additional statements from RENEW Wisconsin, Rep. James Soletski, and Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan.
