by jboullion | Oct 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Steve Cahalan in the La Crosse Tribune:
With the flip of a switch Wednesday, a new renewable energy system at City Brewery’s wastewater pretreatment plant began generating electricity from methane gas previously flared off as waste.
The Gundersen Lutheran-owned system resulted from a unique partnership between the health care provider and the brewery.
It is part of Gundersen Lutheran’s plan to lower its energy costs and be energy independent by 2014, through conservation efforts and renewable energy projects.
The brewery project is expected to generate about
3 million kilowatt hours a year, about 8 percent of the electricity used at Gundersen Lutheran’s La Crosse and Onalaska campuses. That also is enough electricity to power 299 homes, Gundersen Lutheran officials said.
With the new system, biogas from the brewery’s pretreatment plant is cleaned by removing water and impurities. What’s left is methane gas that is burned in the system’s engine.
Heat generated from the engine is captured and recycled back to produce heat for the brewery’s waste treatment process.
Brewery waste goes to its pretreatment plant before being sent to the city of La Crosse’s nearby wastewater treatment plant. Gundersen Lutheran officials said Wednesday it’s possible that biogas from the city’s plant also might be used to create electricity in the future.
by jboullion | Sep 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Wausau Daily Herald:
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association is sponsoring its annual Wisconsin Solar Tour this weekend.
The tour showcases businesses and homes that are energy efficient, sustainable or are powered with renewable energies.
Organizers expect a big turnout this year as more and more people are looking to make energy efficiency upgrades to their homes and look to alternative energy. On top of normal grants given out by Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is giving additional tax incentives — typically up to 30 percent — to people doing such projects.
There are several Marathon County businesses and homes participating in the tour. For a complete list visit the-mrea.org.
The business portion of the tour is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. Home tours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
If you’re in the Stevens Point area this weekend, Wisconsin Public Service, in conjunction with MREA, is sponsoring guided bus tours of local solar homes and businesses as part of the annual Wisconsin Solar Tour.
More information and registration details here.
by jboullion | Sep 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
Two surveys released on September 28, 2009, produced widely different results on Wisconsinites’ opinions on climate change and renewable energy.
From a news release about the survey conducted by the Forest County Potawatomi:
[Crandon, Wisc.] In anticipation of state legislation to reduce greenhouse gasses which cause climate change, a recent statewide poll shows a majority of Wisconsin voters favor action by the State of Wisconsin to reduce carbon emissions.
When asked, “Do you favor or oppose the State of Wisconsin taking action to reduce (its) emissions of gases like carbon dioxide in Wisconsin that cause global warming?” nearly three-fourths of voters (70%) favor the State of Wisconsin taking action to reduce carbon emissions. Only 24% of voters oppose taking action.
Support for action to reduce emissions also crosses party lines, with majorities of Republicans (53%), independents (67%) and Democrats (87%) favoring action by the State of Wisconsin.
“Carbon pollution threatens to dramatically change our world for the worse,” said Forest County Potawatomi Attorney General Jeff Crawford. “We have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment.”
The poll also found that two-thirds of Wisconsin voters favor requiring utilities to generate 25% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
From the press release on the survey conducted by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce:
MADISON – With jobs dominating the public’s mind, a statewide poll of voters found over 60 percent say Wisconsin should not enact its own global warming policies, favoring national and international approaches, WMC reported Monday.
Also, voters oppose global warming proposals that hit them in the pocketbook with increased energy prices or potential job losses, the poll found. In 2007, Governor Jim Doyle convened a Global Warming Task Force that called for numerous new regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The Legislature is likely to consider some of those proposals later this session.
by jboullion | Sep 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
Two surveys released on September 28, 2009, produced widely different results on Wisconsinites’ opinions on climate change and renewable energy.
From a news release about the survey conducted by the Forest County Potawatomi:
[Crandon, Wisc.] In anticipation of state legislation to reduce greenhouse gasses which cause climate change, a recent statewide poll shows a majority of Wisconsin voters favor action by the State of Wisconsin to reduce carbon emissions.
When asked, “Do you favor or oppose the State of Wisconsin taking action to reduce (its) emissions of gases like carbon dioxide in Wisconsin that cause global warming?” nearly three-fourths of voters (70%) favor the State of Wisconsin taking action to reduce carbon emissions. Only 24% of voters oppose taking action.
Support for action to reduce emissions also crosses party lines, with majorities of Republicans (53%), independents (67%) and Democrats (87%) favoring action by the State of Wisconsin.
“Carbon pollution threatens to dramatically change our world for the worse,” said Forest County Potawatomi Attorney General Jeff Crawford. “We have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment.”
The poll also found that two-thirds of Wisconsin voters favor requiring utilities to generate 25% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
From the press release on the survey conducted by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce:
MADISON – With jobs dominating the public’s mind, a statewide poll of voters found over 60 percent say Wisconsin should not enact its own global warming policies, favoring national and international approaches, WMC reported Monday.
Also, voters oppose global warming proposals that hit them in the pocketbook with increased energy prices or potential job losses, the poll found. In 2007, Governor Jim Doyle convened a Global Warming Task Force that called for numerous new regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The Legislature is likely to consider some of those proposals later this session
by jboullion | Sep 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
Two surveys released on September 28, 2009, produced widely different results on Wisconsinites’ opinions on climate change and renewable energy.
From a news release about the survey conducted by the Forest County Potawatomi:
[Crandon, Wisc.] In anticipation of state legislation to reduce greenhouse gasses which cause climate change, a recent statewide poll shows a majority of Wisconsin voters favor action by the State of Wisconsin to reduce carbon emissions.
When asked, “Do you favor or oppose the State of Wisconsin taking action to reduce (its) emissions of gases like carbon dioxide in Wisconsin that cause global warming?” nearly three-fourths of voters (70%) favor the State of Wisconsin taking action to reduce carbon emissions. Only 24% of voters oppose taking action.
Support for action to reduce emissions also crosses party lines, with majorities of Republicans (53%), independents (67%) and Democrats (87%) favoring action by the State of Wisconsin.
“Carbon pollution threatens to dramatically change our world for the worse,” said Forest County Potawatomi Attorney General Jeff Crawford. “We have a responsibility to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment.”
The poll also found that two-thirds of Wisconsin voters favor requiring utilities to generate 25% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
From the press release on the survey conducted by Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce:
MADISON – With jobs dominating the public’s mind, a statewide poll of voters found over 60 percent say Wisconsin should not enact its own global warming policies, favoring national and international approaches, WMC reported Monday.
Also, voters oppose global warming proposals that hit them in the pocketbook with increased energy prices or potential job losses, the poll found. In 2007, Governor Jim Doyle convened a Global Warming Task Force that called for numerous new regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The Legislature is likely to consider some of those proposals later this session.
