Newsletters

by | Jun 17, 2008 | Uncategorized

2011
Spring 2011
Siting Rule Suspension Rocks Wind Industry
Community Biogas Project Fires Up
Insty Prints: Mpower ChaMpion
Manitoba Hydro: A Washout?
Verona Firm Begins Work on “Epic” PV

2010
Summer 2010
Council Backs Compromise on Siting Standards
Community Wind on Move in Cashton
Seventh Generation Pioneers Wind
Making Sense of the Gulf Disaster
Turbines Power Cascade Wastewater
Calendar

Spring 2010
Case Builds for the Clean Energy Jobs Act Bills
Tour Spotlights Homegrown Renewables
Energizing Fort Atkinson Schools
Clearing Up Lakes with Clean Energy
Of Molehills and Renewable Energy
Calendar

2009
Fall 2009
+ Doyle Signs Wind Siting Reform Bill into Law
+ Solar Outlook Set to Dim in 2010
+ PSC Approves Coal to Wood Conversion
+ Producer Profile: Rick Adamski
+ Educating Schools on Solar Air Heating
+ RENEW Slams Anti-Wind Article
+ Calendar

Summer 2009
+ It’s Time to Bring Renewable Energy Home
+ In Memoriam: Bob Gilbertson
+ Board Member Brings Green Home
+ Renewables Profile: Jenny Heinzen
+ Manure Digesters Good Fit
+ Solar Innovator: Craig Tarr
+ Calendar

Spring 2009
+ Legislature to Tackle Wind Permitting
+ The Importance of Doing the Math
+ Stimulus Package 101
+ Policy Drives Solar Hot Water Market
+ PSC Investigates Renewable Tariffs
+ Open Letter from RENEW President
+ Calendar

2008
Winter 2008/2009
+ Rest in Peace: Cassville Generation Plant
+ Mississippi River Bird and Bat Study
+ Osceola School Heats Pools with Solar
+ Bob Ramlow: Solar Pioneer
+ Focus on Energy Issues Biogas Profiles
+ Focus on Energy Earns National Honor
+ State Plugs into Renewable Energy
+ Calendar

Summer/fall 2008
+ Peak Oil Spices Meeting with Cong. Baldwin
+ Countdown to Solar Tour
+ Solar H2O on Madison Fire Stations
+ Global Warming Task Force Report
+ Wisconsin’s Newest Wind Projects
+ PHEV+Wind=Clean Air
+ Small Wind Conference Wrap-up

Spring 2008
+ RENEW Battles Local Opposition to Wind
+ Starting a Renewable Energy Business
+ Renewable Profiles: Wes Slaymaker
+ Solar Hot Water from the Garden
+ Reviving a Classic Wind Machine

Winter 2008
+ Solar Water Heating’s Day of Superlatives
+ Calumet Voters Strongly Favor Wind
+ Renewable Profiles: Steve & Nancy Sandstrom
+ Wind a No Go in Trempealeau
+ Windpower Projects Near Completion

2007
Summer 2007
+ Random Thoughts from This Year’s Renewable Energy Fair
+ RENEW Objects to Town Ordinance
+ A Federal Energy Policy?
+ Renewable Profiles: Jeff Knutson
+ State Must End Wind Roadblocks
+ RENEW Lunch and Meeting, Sept. 15
+ RENEW Argues for Uniform Tariffs
+ Walter: MGE Gets High Marks
+ WPPI Adds PV at HQ

Spring 2007
+ Wind Farm Construction Explodes While Manufacturing Lags
+ “But what’s the payback?”
+ Renewable Profiles: Jeff Riggert
+ Can Ethanol Kick Fossil Fuels?
+ Coal Rush Negatives Wind’s Promise
+ Energy co-dependents: Russia, America, and Energy Security

2006
Winter 2006
+ RENEW, Clean Wisconsin Defend Wind Power Project
+ We Energies Cops National Honors
+ Don Wichert: RENEW Founder and Tireless Advocate
+ How I Fell in Love with My Solar Dryer
+ PSC Approves WE Wind Project
+ Doyle Sets Plans to Expand Renewables

Fall 2006
+ 2nd U.S. Solar Testing Lab Opens in State
+ Payback Analysis: Impediment to Sustainability
+ Andy Bangert: Solar Installer & Master Electrician
+ MGE, WPPI Tap into Top of Iowa Wind Projects
+ Wind Energy Projects Slowly Advance
+ Neenah Paper Buys Reams of Renewable Electricity

Summer 2006
+ Misplaced Security Concerns Still Wind Projects
+ Doyle Embraces Energy Independence
+ Profiles in Leadership: Niels Wolter
+ Wisconsin Tops in Cow Power

Spring 2006
+ State’s energy house back in order
+ WE bulllish on wind energy
+ Producer profile: Amy Taivalkoski
+ Ethanol mandate runs out of gas
+ WE updates renewable program
+ State renewable grants available

2005
Winter 2005
+ Time is ripe for renewable tariff reform
+ Church engergized by renewables
+ Producer profile: John Katers
+ RENEW lauds Forward’s payment plan
+ China pins hopes on hydro
+ New federal tax credits for solar
+ RENEW backs ethanol bill

Statement in Support of Wind Project in Town of Union, Rock County, Wisconsin

by | May 29, 2008 | Uncategorized

May 29, 2008

To the Town of Union Plan Commission:

My name is Michael Vickerman, and I am here tonight representing RENEW Wisconsin’s 320 members who support EcoEnergy’s Community Wind initiative. This three-turbine project would supply Evansville Water & Light with a zero-emissions, locally available and renewable source of electricity for a minimum of 20 years. We urge the Town of Union to adopt a reasonable ordinance that would allow the construction of this community-scale project to proceed.

RENEW acknowledges that every energy source presents trade-offs, and wind-generated electricity is no exception. However, if one looks at this project through a broad lens that takes into account gaseous emissions, energy and price security, and economic impacts to local landowners and governments, there’s no question that the benefits of this project far outweigh the detriments. EcoEnergy’s proposal advances a number of public policy objectives in a single stroke. These objectives include:

1) Securing adequate supplies of energy from a sustainable sources;
2) Buffering ratepayers from future electricity surcharges caused by the rising cost of diesel fuel, coal, and natural gas;
3) Reducing air and water emissions from generation sources;
4) Preserving working farms and pasture land;
5) Reducing the flow of capital out of Wisconsin for energy purchases; and
6) Increasing the flow revenues into Wisconsin’s energy-producing communities.

If erected, EcoEnergy’s Community Wind project would diversify Wisconsin Public Power Inc.’s resource mix, which is at present heavily weighted toward the combustion of fossil fuels imported from other states and nations. This overreliance on fossil fuels is the primary reason why energy prices are rising this year. Bear in mind that when the cost of diesel fuel increases by 60% over 12 months, the cost of coal delivered to Wisconsin power plants will go up. And when the price of natural gas shoots up by more 50% since January 1, utilities become motivated to look for energy sources whose price they can lock into. Windpower is one of those few energy sources that can help utilities there.

There is one additional benefit from a Community Wind project that might not be apparent today: electricity for vehicular transport. WPPI, which now has four plug-in hybrid vehicles, is a leading utility advocate for electrified transportation. It now costs the average car owner about $8.00 to buy enough gasoline to drive 50 miles. The amount of electricity it takes to drive 50 miles, some 12 to 13 kilowatt-hours, costs an electric vehicle owner about $1.50. Given the current disparity of costs between electricity and gasoline, it seems to me that the transition to plug-in vehicles is a matter of when, not if. I believe that plug-in vehicles, whether hybrids or all-electrics, will become a common sight on city streets in five years. Why? Because the alternative–to leave things the way they–will become too expensive for the average person. And when these vehicles hit the mass market, their owners will want to fill their batteries with clean, renewable, locally produced energy. Imagine the feeling of security, environmental responsibility and civic pride that Evansville citizens would experience knowing that the electricity that powers their motor vehicles is produced from a wind project that’s visible from town. The EcoEnergy Community Wind project can make that future possible for Evansville and the surrounding area, if you let it.

Michael Vickerman
509 Elmside Blvd.
Madison, WI 53704