by jboullion | Mar 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
A wrap-up of the 2011-2012 legislative session from Michael Vickerman:
As RENEW Wisconsin’s new Program and Policy Director, I would like to report on recent results of the 2011-2012 legislative session. Though the session as a whole presented Wisconsin’s renewable energy community with unprecedented challenges and a few setbacks1, we were able to fend off a number of bad proposals in the final days. Had these proposals been adopted, Wisconsin’s ability to support and host investments in renewable energy would have been permanently damaged.
Wind-siting
As you probably know, the Legislature adjourned March 16 without taking any follow-up action on the wind siting rule (PSC 128). In doing so, the Legislature allowed the rule, which had been in a state of suspension for more than a year, to take effect. PSC 128 is now in effect, and it can’t be suspended by future Legislatures. More than four years has elapsed since RENEW spearheaded the process of forging a coalition (initially called the “Campaign for Sensible Wind Permitting”) to pass a bill requiring uniform standards for permitting wind turbines. Much blood, sweat and tears went into that legislative campaign (renamed “Wind for Wisconsin”) which culminated in the passage of 2009 Act 40 with bipartisan support. Then followed the drafting and redrafting of the siting rule itself, which proved to be more difficult process than we had first imagined.
Nevertheless, the PSC issued a strict but workable rule in December 2010. Even though what had emerged from the rulemaking process was a product of compromise and deliberation, the rule came under fire virtually the moment the Legislature convened in January 2011. After holding a stacked-deck hearing in February, the Legislature suspended PSC 128 on March 1, the day the rule was to take effect. Shortly thereafter, antiwind legislators circulated bills to repeal the rule outright (SB 50 and AB 72).
On a separate track, Sen. Frank Lasee, a Republican from Brown County, introduced a series of bills aimed at permanently crippling the wind industry in Wisconsin. Though these bills went nowhere, they succeeded in presenting an unwelcoming face to wind developers, and they responded by suspending or cancelling about a half dozen prospects throughout the state.
By March this year, it seemed to us that the momentum had shifted in our favor. Since the suspension of PSC 128, more than 17 or so newspapers had written editorials decrying the destructive nature of Lasee’s jihad and reiterated their support for a clear and consistently applied permitting process – exactly what PSC 128 rule was intended to provide. The signals coming from the legislative leadership strongly suggested that none of the antiwind bills referred to committee, including SB 50, the senate bill to permanently repeal PSC 128 and direct the PSC to issue a new rule , would be scheduled for a floor vote in the final two weeks of session.
But something happened around March 1st that changed the political calculus, and to everyone’s surprise, SB 50 appeared on the Senate calendar for the week of March 5. Theories abound as to why Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald reversed himself and allowed SB 50, which the wind industry viewed as the functional equivalent of a death warrant, onto the Senate floor. Unconfirmed reports attribute this last-minute switcheroo to extreme pressure that Sen. Lasee and his allies (former senator Bob Welch, now lobbyist for the Brown County antiwind group, and the Wisconsin Realtors Association, which had contributed generously to Republican office-seekers in the fall 2010 elections) exerted on Sen. Fitgerald.
When the Senate took the floor that Tuesday, the outlook looked grim. It appeared that the antiwind faction had at least the minimum 17 votes required to pass the bill. Wind energy supporters had little time to turn an unpromising situation around and build a firewall of support. But in those few hours they succeeded in denying Sen. Lasee the 17th vote he needed to send this bill to the Assembly. The following day, Lasee admitted defeat, and SB 50 was referred back to committee, a startling turnaround from the situation 24 hours earlier. The bill stayed there until its death the following Thursday, when the State Senate gaveled itself into the history books.
Notwithstanding PSC 128’s roller coaster ride culminating in the late-session cliffhanger vote that staved off its repeal, Wisconsin can now say, for the first time since 2007, that it is open for business in the wind energy development arena.
We are indebted to the law firm of Cullen, Weston Pines and Bach for their heroic efforts in keeping wind development alive in Wisconsin. Special thanks are in order for Lee Cullen, Jeff Vercauteren, Curt Pawlisch, and Chris Kunkle for building a firewall of support for PSC 128 that held firm under the extreme pressure applied by antiwind forces.
Further information on wind siting: RENEW Cheers End of Wind Siting Impasse
March 16, 2012
Legislature lets wind turbine placement rules stand
March 19, 2012
AB 146 (Extending the Life of Unused Renewable Energy Credits) Under current law, a Wisconsin electric provider can bank an unused Renewable Energy Credit (REC) for up to four years before using it to comply with Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Standard. If not used within that four-year window, the REC expires. Last May, a bill was introduced (AB 146) to eliminate the shelf life of an unused REC. Passage of this bill would allow REC’s to be bankable into perpetuity, which would have the effect of diminishing the need for new sources of renewable electricity.
The Assembly Energy and Utilities Committee held a hearing on the bill in September. Among those in support of AB 146 were Wisconsin Utilities Association and various individual utilities. Among those joining RENEW in opposition to the bill were the American Wind Energy Association, Wind on the Wires and several independent wind developers; Wisconsin Counties Association; several private waste haulers; Dairy Business Association; Clean Wisconsin; Sierra Club; Citizens Utility Board, and the American Lung Association in Wisconsin. As events unfolded, the committee never did vote on AB 146. The bill died last Thursday, and is not likely to be resurrected in 2013.
Allowing Third-Party Sales of Energy to Host CustomersIn an effort to expand and invigorate small-scale renewables in Wisconsin, RENEW asked two legislators (Rep. Gary Tauchen of Bonduel and Rep. Chris Taylor of Madison) to sponsor the drafting of legislation to authorize sales of energy from third party-owned renewable energy systems to host customers. The legislation would accomplish that objective by exempting renewable energy systems that serve the owners of the premises where they’re located from being regulated as public utilities. The exemption would be narrowly constructed to restrict the sale of that energy only to the host customer or the local utility.
Last Thursday, the Legislative Reference Bureau produced a revised bill draft that appears to be ready for introduction … next year, when a new Legislature is convened. In the meantime, RENEW plans to solicit support for this bill from such influential constituencies as farm groups, local governments, WMC, and large commercial enterprises. While the utilities may not support this kind of legislation, they could decide not to oppose the bill, especially if we build a bipartisan coalition of supporters.
1 In June, the Legislature took two steps back on renewable energy policy. First, it passed a bill watering down the state’s Renewable Energy Standard by allowing large-scale Canadian hydroelectric generation to become eligible renewable energy generators. Later that month, the Legislature approved a substantial cut to the annual budget of Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program. The budget for 2012 will be $20 million less than last year’s budget, which will diminish the supply of financial incentives available to support customer-sited renewable energy systems.
by jboullion | Mar 22, 2012 | Uncategorized
A wrap-up of the 2011-2012 legislative session from Michael Vickerman:
As RENEW Wisconsin’s new Program and Policy Director, I would like to report on recent results of the 2011-2012 legislative session. Though the session as a whole presented Wisconsin’s renewable energy community with unprecedented challenges and a few setbacks1, we were able to fend off a number of bad proposals in the final days. Had these proposals been adopted, Wisconsin’s ability to support and host investments in renewable energy would have been permanently damaged.
Wind-siting
As you probably know, the Legislature adjourned March 16 without taking any follow-up action on the wind siting rule (PSC 128). In doing so, the Legislature allowed the rule, which had been in a state of suspension for more than a year, to take effect. PSC 128 is now in effect, and it can’t be suspended by future Legislatures. More than four years has elapsed since RENEW spearheaded the process of forging a coalition (initially called the “Campaign for Sensible Wind Permitting”) to pass a bill requiring uniform standards for permitting wind turbines. Much blood, sweat and tears went into that legislative campaign (renamed “Wind for Wisconsin”) which culminated in the passage of 2009 Act 40 with bipartisan support. Then followed the drafting and redrafting of the siting rule itself, which proved to be more difficult process than we had first imagined.
Nevertheless, the PSC issued a strict but workable rule in December 2010. Even though what had emerged from the rulemaking process was a product of compromise and deliberation, the rule came under fire virtually the moment the Legislature convened in January 2011. After holding a stacked-deck hearing in February, the Legislature suspended PSC 128 on March 1, the day the rule was to take effect. Shortly thereafter, antiwind legislators circulated bills to repeal the rule outright (SB 50 and AB 72).
On a separate track, Sen. Frank Lasee, a Republican from Brown County, introduced a series of bills aimed at permanently crippling the wind industry in Wisconsin. Though these bills went nowhere, they succeeded in presenting an unwelcoming face to wind developers, and they responded by suspending or cancelling about a half dozen prospects throughout the state.
By March this year, it seemed to us that the momentum had shifted in our favor. Since the suspension of PSC 128, more than 17 or so newspapers had written editorials decrying the destructive nature of Lasee’s jihad and reiterated their support for a clear and consistently applied permitting process – exactly what PSC 128 rule was intended to provide. The signals coming from the legislative leadership strongly suggested that none of the antiwind bills referred to committee, including SB 50, the senate bill to permanently repeal PSC 128 and direct the PSC to issue a new rule , would be scheduled for a floor vote in the final two weeks of session.
But something happened around March 1st that changed the political calculus, and to everyone’s surprise, SB 50 appeared on the Senate calendar for the week of March 5. Theories abound as to why Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald reversed himself and allowed SB 50, which the wind industry viewed as the functional equivalent of a death warrant, onto the Senate floor. Unconfirmed reports attribute this last-minute switcheroo to extreme pressure that Sen. Lasee and his allies (former senator Bob Welch, now lobbyist for the Brown County antiwind group, and the Wisconsin Realtors Association, which had contributed generously to Republican office-seekers in the fall 2010 elections) exerted on Sen. Fitgerald.
When the Senate took the floor that Tuesday, the outlook looked grim. It appeared that the antiwind faction had at least the minimum 17 votes required to pass the bill. Wind energy supporters had little time to turn an unpromising situation around and build a firewall of support. But in those few hours they succeeded in denying Sen. Lasee the 17th vote he needed to send this bill to the Assembly. The following day, Lasee admitted defeat, and SB 50 was referred back to committee, a startling turnaround from the situation 24 hours earlier. The bill stayed there until its death the following Thursday, when the State Senate gaveled itself into the history books.
Notwithstanding PSC 128’s roller coaster ride culminating in the late-session cliffhanger vote that staved off its repeal, Wisconsin can now say, for the first time since 2007, that it is open for business in the wind energy development arena.
We are indebted to the law firm of Cullen, Weston Pines and Bach for their heroic efforts in keeping wind development alive in Wisconsin. Special thanks are in order for Lee Cullen, Jeff Vercauteren, Curt Pawlisch, and Chris Kunkle for building a firewall of support for PSC 128 that held firm under the extreme pressure applied by antiwind forces.
Further information on wind siting: RENEW Cheers End of Wind Siting Impasse
March 16, 2012
Legislature lets wind turbine placement rules stand
March 19, 2012
AB 146 (Extending the Life of Unused Renewable Energy Credits) Under current law, a Wisconsin electric provider can bank an unused Renewable Energy Credit (REC) for up to four years before using it to comply with Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Standard. If not used within that four-year window, the REC expires. Last May, a bill was introduced (AB 146) to eliminate the shelf life of an unused REC. Passage of this bill would allow REC’s to be bankable into perpetuity, which would have the effect of diminishing the need for new sources of renewable electricity.
The Assembly Energy and Utilities Committee held a hearing on the bill in September. Among those in support of AB 146 were Wisconsin Utilities Association and various individual utilities. Among those joining RENEW in opposition to the bill were the American Wind Energy Association, Wind on the Wires and several independent wind developers; Wisconsin Counties Association; several private waste haulers; Dairy Business Association; Clean Wisconsin; Sierra Club; Citizens Utility Board, and the American Lung Association in Wisconsin. As events unfolded, the committee never did vote on AB 146. The bill died last Thursday, and is not likely to be resurrected in 2013.
Allowing Third-Party Sales of Energy to Host CustomersIn an effort to expand and invigorate small-scale renewables in Wisconsin, RENEW asked two legislators (Rep. Gary Tauchen of Bonduel and Rep. Chris Taylor of Madison) to sponsor the drafting of legislation to authorize sales of energy from third party-owned renewable energy systems to host customers. The legislation would accomplish that objective by exempting renewable energy systems that serve the owners of the premises where they’re located from being regulated as public utilities. The exemption would be narrowly constructed to restrict the sale of that energy only to the host customer or the local utility.
Last Thursday, the Legislative Reference Bureau produced a revised bill draft that appears to be ready for introduction … next year, when a new Legislature is convened. In the meantime, RENEW plans to solicit support for this bill from such influential constituencies as farm groups, local governments, WMC, and large commercial enterprises. While the utilities may not support this kind of legislation, they could decide not to oppose the bill, especially if we build a bipartisan coalition of supporters.
1 In June, the Legislature took two steps back on renewable energy policy. First, it passed a bill watering down the state’s Renewable Energy Standard by allowing large-scale Canadian hydroelectric generation to become eligible renewable energy generators. Later that month, the Legislature approved a substantial cut to the annual budget of Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program. The budget for 2012 will be $20 million less than last year’s budget, which will diminish the supply of financial incentives available to support customer-sited renewable energy systems.
by jboullion | Feb 2, 2012 | Uncategorized
For immediate release
January 31, 2012
Small Businesses Request Resumption of Renewable Energy Support
Over 150 small businesses, organizations, schools, and local officials appealed to the Public Service Commission (PSC) to restore full funding for a nationally recognized renewable energy program that reduces the cost of solar, wind, and biomass installations for Wisconsin utility customers.
In an open letter delivered to the PSC yesterday, the signers asked the PSC to “to exercise its oversight authority over Focus on Energy and restore funding, without delay, for renewables at a level consistent with previous years’ allocations.”
The impetus for the open letter arose from RENEW Wisconsin’s Energy Policy Summit held two weeks ago in Madison. At the summit, the 140 people who participated asked RENEW to make Focus on Energy funding restoration its highest policy priority for 2012.
Focus on Energy suspended its support for customer-sited renewable energy systems last July, when rising demand for renewables outstripped available funds. The program administrator said that incentives will be resumed later this year, but no firm timeline has been set.
“This problem needs to be fixed as expeditiously as possible before the funding interruption permanently damages Wisconsin’s renewable energy marketplace,” said Michael Vickerman, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide, nonprofit renewable energy advocacy organization.
“A number of renewable energy installers and contractors are already feeling the effects of the funding hiatus, and the result is less new hiring and potential layoffs down the road. However, we remain optimistic that once funding is restored renewable energy development will once again become a dynamic economic sector and a source of new jobs here in Wisconsin,” said Vickerman.
An Open Letter to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin
January 30, 2012
In 2002, the State of Wisconsin began offering incentives from Focus on Energy to encourage tangible and significant savings with the implementation of distributed renewable energy systems. By employing a small fraction of the funds available to Focus on Energy for this purpose, the vast majority of customer-sited solar, wind, biogas and biomass projects now operating in Wisconsin received critical financial support. In under 10 years, Focus on Energy succeeded in building an in-state marketplace that supported steady growth of new businesses and jobs in manufacturing, distributing, designing, installing and servicing renewable energy systems. It is no exaggeration to say that the renewable energy program run by Focus on Energy was a nationally recognized as a model for other states to follow.
It’s a very different picture today. For the first time since 2002, Wisconsin business and residential customers entered the new year without a functioning statewide renewable energy program in place. Focus on Energy said that it intends to resume offering incentives for renewables later this year, but has not set a timeline for restoration of funding or services. Nor is there any information available as to whether the renewable products and services supported in the past will be supported again, and, if so, at what levels. What was a successful engine for advancing small-scale renewables in Wisconsin is now, for frustrated businesses and customers alike, a source of vague assurances and little else.
Unfortunately, the ongoing lack of support and uncertainty is guaranteed to cause layoffs and business cutbacks. Furthermore, it is contrary to state law, which specifies that Focus on Energy support customer use of renewable energy as well as energy efficiency. Without the products and services to fuel the renewable market, 2012 will usher in a period of contraction that portends significant declines in installations, accelerated job losses, and increased business migration to markets in other states.
In our view, the most economically efficient way to transition Wisconsin to a sustainable energy future is to pair an aggressive conservation and efficiency program with products and services that increase the market drivers for on-site renewable energy production. Both approaches mutually reinforce each other while delivering economic benefits to customers. Adopting energy efficiency enables customers to reduce the size of their renewable energy investments, and on-site renewables allow customers to lower all or part of their energy bills going forward.
We support the conclusions reached by Commissioner Eric Callisto regarding the economic returns to ratepayers and the public generated by Focus on Energy’s programs. As part of a recent proceeding on Focus on Energy, Commissioner Callisto wrote:
Focus programs save energy, help offset the need for new power generation, lower utility bills, create jobs, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and support broad-based economic development in Wisconsin. And in study after study, it is shown that these benefits are produced at a ratio that far exceeds program costs. As the LAB report points out, the benefit-cost ratio for Focus programs is as high as 7.2 to 1, when taking into account economic metrics like job creation and increased business sales. That is more than seven dollars in benefit to Wisconsin for every dollar invested. http://psc.wi.gov/apps35/ERF_view/viewdoc.aspx?docid=158228
The impressive payback from Focus on Energy is sufficient reason for restoring the renewable energy funding that had been a key feature of that program. Given the near certainty of rising electric rates as the price of delivered coal continues to climb, as coal pollution equipment is mandated to meet new regulations, and to pay for new transmission, we cannot afford any more backsliding by not supporting in-state, distributed renewables. The ongoing funding hiatus for renewables is inconsistent with state law. The Commission has a responsibility to fix this problem immediately, before the lack of support for renewables permanently damages Wisconsin’s renewable energy marketplace. We the undersigned call upon the Public Service Commission to exercise its oversight authority over Focus on Energy and restore funding, without delay, for renewables at a level consistent with previous years’ allocations.
Sincerely,
- John Ahles Solar System Owner Neenah, WI
- Jeff Anthony American Wind Energy Association Milwaukee, WI
- Steve Arndt, Director of Facilities Management UW-Oshkosh Oshkosh, WI
- Michael Arney, Green Neighbor, Inc. Wauwatosa, WI
- Peter Bakken, Public Policy Coordinator Wisconsin Council of Churches Sun Prairie, WI
- Rich Bannen, Owner Prairie Solar Power & Light Prairie du Chien, WI
- Bruce Barker, President Chippewa Valley Technical College Eau Claire, WI
- Barb Basaj SunSpe, LLC Milwaukee, WI
- David Behnke-Seper First Affirmative Financial Network Chili, WI
- Rick Bergman Aquilo Wind Development Glendale, WI Oscar Bloch Arboretum Co-Housing Madison, WI
- Hans Jr. and Katie Breitenmoser Breitenmoser Family Farms Merrill, WI
- Thomas Brown, Architect Stevens Point, WI
- Brent Brucker, General Manager Helios Solar Works Milwaukee, WI
- Justin Castleman Castleman & Sons Plumbing Franklin, WI
- Chris Collins, Marketing Director H&H Solar Energy Services Madison, WI
- Becky Comeau Southwest Community Biofuels LaFarge, WI
- Lisa Conley, President Town and Country RC&D Jefferson, WI
- Lisa Daniels, Executive Director Windustry Minneapolis, MN
- Mark Dawson Sand Creek Solar Amherst, WI
- Susan De Vos Madison Area Bus Advocates Madison, WI
- Tom DeBates, Owner Habi-Tek Geneva, IL
- Michael Dearing, Owner Driftless Solar Spring Green, WI
- Trang Donovan Unlimited Renewable Energies Prairie du Sac, WI
- Thomas Duffy, President Commercial Air, Inc. Madison, WI
- Jeff Ehlers, President Renewegy LLC Oshkosh, WI
- Jim Erdman Solar Electric and Small Wind Certified Site Assessor Menomonie, WI
- James Erickson, Owner Antech Properties Janesville, WI
- Brian Evans, Production Manager Associated Housewrights Madison, WI
- Jerry Eyler, Executive Dean Fox Valley Technical College Appleton, WI
- Randy Faller, Owner Kettle View Renewable Energy Random Lake, WI
- Jay Farnsworth, Teacher Waunakee School District Waunakee, WI
- Pete Flesch, Chair, Crawford County Board of Supervisors Prairie du Chien, WI
- Scott Freier Freiers Electric and Heating Ellsworth, WI
- Greg Fritsch, CEO Clean Energy North America Glendale, WI
- Jim Funk, Owner Energize LLC Winneconne, WI Mark Furst Grading Spaces LLC Fort Atkinson, WI
- Rex Gillespie Wisconsin Solar Energy Industries Madison, WI
- David Goepfert, President Thermal Design, Inc. Stoughton, WI
- Grant Grinstead Northern Biogas Fond du Lac, WI
- David Hansen, Owner Lake Country Energy Oconomowoc, WI
- Daniel Harkins, Manager Trantow Properties LLC Stoughton, WI
- Ryan Harkins, Project Manager Synergy Renewable Systems LLC Stoughton, WI
- Michael Harvey Able Electric Co. River Falls, WI
- Mark Heffernan, President CBT Wear Parts, Inc. Bio-Products Engineering Corp. Richland Center, WI
- Charlie Higley, Executive Director Citizens Utility Board Madison, WI
- John Hippensteel, President Lake Michigan Wind and Sun Sturgeon Bay, WI
- Lou Host-Jablonski, Architect Design Coalition Madison, WI
- John Imes, Executive Director Wisconsin Environmental Initiative Madison, WI
- Greg Jahnke, Manager, Renewable Energy Pieper Electric Milwaukee, WI
- Micah James, General Manager Energycraft Synergy Systems, LLC Stoughton, WI
- Jennifer Jenkins, Executive Director Distributed Wind Energy Association Flagstaff, AZ
- Brad Johnson, Director, Business Development Green Sky Energetics Manitowoc, WI
- James Jozwiak Black Magic Organics Spencer, WI
- Andrea Kaminski League of Women Voters Wisconsin Education Network Madison, WI
- Roger Kanitz ECOS – Fox Valley Menasha, WI
- James Kerbel Photovoltaic Systems LLC Amherst, WI
- Duane Kexel Duane Kexel Consulting Madison, WI
- Chris Klein Town of Dayton Waupaca, WI
- Joe Klein Applied Plastics Oak Creek, WI
- Mark Klein Gimme Shelter Construction Amherst, WI
- Richard Klemme, Dean and Director UW Extension – Cooperative Extension Madison, WI
- Randy Knox Solar PV System Owner Whitewater, WI
- Jeff Knutson, Owner A-A Exteriors, com Waupaca, WI
- Kurt Koepp, Manager Hot Water Products Milwaukee, WI
- Fritz Kreiss Community Green Energy LLC, Lake Geneva, WI
- Eco-Vision Sustainable Learning Center, Inc., Lake Geneva, WI Green Leaf Inn LLC, Delavan, WI
- Larry Krom, Principal L&S Technical Associates Spring Green, WI
- Christopher LaForge, Owner Great Northern Solar Port Wing, WI
- Alicia Leinberger, Marketing and Development Manager Seventh Generation Energy Systems Madison, WI
- Jesse Lerner Sustain Dane Madison, WI
- Doug Lindsey Lakeshore Technical College – Energy Education Center Cleveland, WI
- Timothy Linn, Partner/Builder Edge Grain LLC Milwaukee, WI
- Vicki Lipinski, Marketing and Sales Coordinator Procorp Enterprises Milwaukee, WI
- Jeanne Lisse Madison Computer Works Madison, WI
- Mark Lydon Artisan Energy LLC Marshall, WI
- Randy Mader Faith Technologies Sun Prairie, WI
- Tom Martin, CEO Convergence Energy Lake Geneva, WI
- Neil Matthes Duck Creek Engineering, Inc. Helenville, WI
- Nick Matthes Midwest Photovoltaics, Inc. Milwaukee, WI
- Heather McCombs Wisconsin Green Building Alliance Milwaukee, WI
- Natalie McIntire enMac Energy Consulting Viroqua, WI
- Christine Merritt, Ph.D TAPCO – Traffic and Parking Control, Inc. Brown Deer, WI
- Eric Meyer Werner Electric Wisconsin Neenah, WI
- Jesse Michalski Eland Electric Corporation Green Bay, WI
- Randy Moberg Werner Electric Minnesota Cottage Grove, MN
- Gerd Muehllehner Retgen Solar LLC North Freedom, WI
- Ingrid Nahm Appleton Solar Appleton, WI
- Dan Nemke US Biogas LLC Mequon, WI
- Andy Olsen Environmental Law & Policy Center Madison, WI
- Jim Olson E3Coalition Viroqua, WI
- Burke O’Neal, Director Full Spectrum Solar Madison, WI
- Robert H. Owen, Jr. Consulting Engineer/Meteorologist Middleton, WI
- Hon. Joe Parisi Dane County Executive Madison, WI
- George Penn Global Energy Options Madison, WI
- Katie Peterman, Manager, Cooperative Affairs Organic Valley Family of Farms LaFarge, WI Ted Petith Greenlink Projects, LLC Madison, WI
- Greg Phillips American Power, Inc. Electrical Contractors Janesville, WI
- Eric Pipkin Pipkin Electric, Inc. Sparta, WI
- John Price Access Solar LLC Waukesha, WI
- Chris Quandt, Senior Project Manager Bachmann Construction Madison, WI
- Bob Ramlow Artha Sustainable Energy Center Amherst, WI
- Alex Rein Verona, WI
- Kurt Reinhold Solar Connections LLC Madison, WI
- Ed Ritger Ritger Law Office Random Lake, WI
- Cathy Robinson Chippewa Valley Alternative Energy Chippewa Falls, WI
- Rik Rosenlund Midwest Solar Power Madison, WI
- Mick Sagrillo Sagrillo Power & Light Forestville, WI
- Kris Schmid Legacy Solar LLC Frederic, WI
- Brian Schwaller EcoManity LLC, Owner The Sustainable Living Group, President Elkhart Lake, WI
- Al Schulz, Owner/CEO Safe Work La Crosse, WI Jeff Seidl, President I-Quip Seymour, WI
- Roy Settgas, Owner Sunrise Energy Services Washburn, WI
- Carl Siegrist Carl Siegrist Consulting Whitefish Bay, WI
- Wes Slaymaker WES Engineering Madison, WI
- Chuck Smith, President Current Electric Company Brookfield, WI
- Judy Spring Sustain Sauk County Baraboo, WI
- Zeus Stark, Owner Next Step Energy LLC Eau Claire, WI
- Doug Stingle, Development Director Midwest Renewable Energy Association Custer, WI
- Josh Stolzenburg North Wind Renewable Energy, LLC Stevens Point, WI
- Amy Taivalkoski, Principal ALT Energy Sussex, WI
- Craig Tarr, President Energy Concepts Hudson, WI
- Dave Tebo, Administrator Town of Greenville Greenville, WI
- Neale Thompson Janesville Home and Solar Janesville, WI
- Todd Timmerman Timmerman’s Talents LLC Platteville, WI
- Melissa Van Ornum DVO, Inc. Chilton, WI
- Michael Vickerman, Policy Director RENEW Wisconsin Madison, WI
- Jerry Viste Door County Environmental Council Sturgeon Bay, WI
- Larry Walker Walker Energy Systems Madison, WI
- Ray Walter, Ph.D, President MyEnergy, LLC Pewaukee, WI
- Michael Ward E & W Heating and Air Conditioning Middleton, WI
- David Washebek, President/CEO Lemberg Electric Company Brookfield, WI Frank Weeks
- D H Solar Prairie du Chien, WI Robert
- Weier, Vice President ELEXCO, Inc. Seymour, WI
- Laura West, West Winds Renewable Resources, LLC Plover, WI
- Sr. Janet Weyker, Director Eco-Justice Center Racine, WI
- Terry Wiggins Earth Justice Ministry of the First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI
- Sally Wiley, Gaea’s Farm Walworth, WI
- Tom Wilson HOME REMEDIES Residential Energy Services, Viroqua, WI
- Northern Thunder, Eau Claire, WI
- Dona Wininsky American Lung Association in Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI
- Dean Wolff Milwaukee Solar Milwaukee, WI
- Niels Wolter, Owner Madison Solar Consulting Madison, WI
- Mark Yeager Sun & Daughters Solar, LLC Rhinelander, WI
- Jim Yockey, CEO Seventh Generation Systems Integration Madison, WI
- John Young Resource Solar Madison, WI
- Bruce Zahn, Architect Milwaukee, WI
- Michael Zander, CEO Biogas Direct Sauk City, WI
- Ed Zinthefer, President Arch Electric, LLC Plymouth, WI
– END –
by jboullion | Jan 24, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a guest commentary by Keith Reopelle and Charlie Higley in the Janseville Gazette:
In spring 2011, Gov. Scott Walker and legislative leaders significantly cut funding to Focus on Energy, the energy efficiency program that helps residents and businesses lower energy bills. A recent legislative audit demonstrates that the benefits of Focus on Energy more than double the program’s costs, and legislators should quickly restore lost funding in order to maximize the program’s cost-saving potential.
Focus on Energy was created in 2001 to help homeowners and businesses reduce energy costs. More than 2 million Wisconsin residents and businesses have participated in the program.
The statewide program helps keep energy bills affordable for all Wisconsinites by reducing energy use and preventing the need to build expensive new power plants and transmission lines that we all pay for with increased electricity bills.
In addition, Focus on Energy helps reduce the amount of money we spend to fuel our power plants. Wisconsin spends $12.5 billion every year on imported electricity and dirty, out-of-state fossil fuels. Much of that is spent on coal, oil and natural gas to generate electricity and heat our homes. Investing in energy efficiency is the No. 1 way we can reduce that and keep money circulating within our own economy.
The audit released by the bipartisan Legislative Audit Bureau confirms that Focus on Energy successfully lowers energy bills and provides environmental and economic benefits that far outweigh program costs. For every $1 invested, residents and businesses save more than $2 on energy bills, according to the audit. This helped save more than $264 million on energy bills in 2010 alone. Since its inception, Focus on Energy has helped residents and businesses save more than $2 billion. . . .
Keith Reopelle is senior policy director at Clean Wisconsin, the state’s largest environmental advocacy organization. Contact him at kreopelle@cleanwisconsin.org. Charlie Higley is executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin. Contact him at higley@wiscub.org.
by jboullion | Jan 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a report by Alex Brasch on RENEW’s Energy Policy Summit:
MADISON, Wis. – Can local governments work together with citizen action groups to effectively transition America away from reliance on fossil fuels? The answer in Wisconsin and Colorado seems to be yes.
Members of Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry convened in Madison for the RENEW Wisconsin Energy Policy Summit last week. The diverse crowd of renewable energy manufacturers, installers, state utilities, environmental advocacy groups, university representatives, and government officials, including Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, came together to focus their efforts on retaking the initiative in the fight for a more sustainable energy future for Wisconsin.
Members heard from keynote speaker Leslie Glustrom, a biochemist who belongs to a similar organization in Boulder, Colo. – a group that recently led a successful ballot initiative to authorize creation of a municipal utility in that city.
Don Wichert, founder of RENEW and former chief of energy resources with the Wisconsin Department of Administration and current director of renewable energy services at the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation created the advocacy group more than 20 years ago to address government officials about clean energy development in the state.
Wichert said Wisconsin spends nearly $6 billion per year on imported coal, petroleum, and natural gas. “As a renewable energy advocacy group composed of concerned citizens, clean energy businesses, environmental organizations, and government employees, RENEW Wisconsin seeks to change the way people think about and consume energy through a combination of advocacy, education, and creative partnerships with state and local governments, businesses, utilities, and citizen groups,” Wichert said.
Michael Vickerman, long-time executive director of RENEW, expressed optimism that, “despite current rollbacks of renewable energy policies, including the suspension of clean energy incentives and a weakening of state laws that leverage utility-purchased renewable energy, there is still a network of supportive local officials throughout the state.” He challenged advocates to resist acquiescing to the current political situation, and instead, use the sum influence of the clean energy industry, including non-profits and concerned citizens, to drum up support for clean energy development. Vickerman provided three guiding principles as a springboard to start discussion on how to retake the initiative.
First, reframe the message by presenting the industry’s true potential as a group of highly-motivated, dynamic organizations with a unifying business plan that will generate green jobs. Second, assert the fact that renewable energy is something intensely desired by businesses and citizens, because it gives customers more options, businesses increased market appeal, and a surefire pathway to more local jobs. And finally, pursue community-owned renewable projects that will keep energy production local and redirect investment into the area economy.
