by RENEW Wisconsin | Mar 28, 2014 | Uncategorized
A Tom Content article in the Miwaukee Journal Sentinel featured Rep. Gary Tauchen (R) discussing his and Rep. Chris Taylor’s (D) new Clean Energy Choice legislation, which would open new financing mechanisms for solar and biogas in Wisconsin:
One of the biggest trends in sustainable power nationally is solar and finance companies — rather than homeowners or businesses — paying the upfront cost for solar panels.
A bill just introduced in Madison aims to get Wisconsin on that bandwagon. The bill isn’t going to pass but was introduced to get the conversation started on an issue that is strongly opposed by state utilities.
Republican Rep. Gary Tauchen (R-Bonduel), a co-sponsor with Democratic Rep. Chris Taylor (D-Madison), said the bill is needed to help boost construction of more waste-to-energy projects on Wisconsin farms.
A quote from Rep. Tauchen:
The number of digesters in Wisconsin “has been pretty constant for the last 10 years, and so we’re not really moving forward in any big way, as far as renewables,” he said. “And we have a lot of potential, especially in a state with over 1.2 million dairy cows to take advantage of a resource here that we have a lot of — manure — and make methane or compressed natural gas out of it.”
[READ MORE]
by RENEW Wisconsin | Mar 24, 2014 | Uncategorized
Legislation would allow more customer options for renewable energy
On Friday, Representatives Gary Tauchen (R-6, Bonduel) and Chris Taylor (D-76, Madison) introduced a Clean Energy Choice bill that would allow Wisconsin farms, businesses, and citizens additional financing options for sourcing renewable energy produced on their property.
The bipartisan legislation would clear up a “gray area” of Wisconsin’s public utility law, which is stifling customer efforts to access renewable energy. If adopted, the law would affirm the property rights of homeowners, farmers, businesses, and local governments to use renewable energy produced on their own property, no matter how the project is financed.
In over 23 states, renewable energy developers can install, own and operate a renewable energy system, such as a farm biodigester or a solar power system, and sell the output to the host customer. These arrangements have proven tremendously popular in those 23 states, with over $3.4 billion invested into renewable energy through these arrangements in 2013. However, very little of this investment flows to Wisconsin because of the lack of clarity in current law.
“The present situation is like walking into an automobile dealership and being told, ‘You must own the car you drive, you’re not allowed to lease it’. This is a big barrier for many customers. We are advancing Clean Energy Choice to provide common sense financing solutions for important projects that put the power in consumer hands,” said RENEW Wisconsin’s Michael Vickerman.
“This policy also helps customers lock in a fixed electricity rate from these systems today and insulate themselves from increasing electric rates,” said Vickerman. “In particular, these financial arrangements benefit school districts, local governments, houses of worship, farmers, food processors, and retailers.”
Nationally, Kohl’s Department Stores and Wal-Mart are using developer arrangements to power more than 365 of their stores with solar power, at a cost savings to the companies.
A recent national poll conducted by Zogby Analytics found that 69% of homeowners want more choices when it comes to their own energy and electricity supply. “Consistent with that finding, this bill would empower citizens to chart their own energy future. We applaud Representatives Tauchen and Taylor for reaching across the partisan divide to launch the public discussion on a policy that will prove critical for Wisconsin’s energy future,” Vickerman said.
by RENEW Wisconsin | Mar 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
From the La Crosse Tribune,
an article on a great new development in Westby:
Dairyland Power Cooperative is expanding its renewable energy resources with the addition of a commercial solar project in Westby.
The new solar installation will be about 520 kilowatts and could produce enough energy to power nearly 60 homes. The project will be adjacent to Vernon Electric Cooperative’s headquarters on Hwy. 27.
Dairyland has signed an agreement with Clean Energy Collective to purchase the renewable energy produced by this large solar facility, which will be developed, owned and managed by Clean Energy Collective of Boulder, Colo. Construction of the facility is scheduled to begin this spring and expected to be operational by June 1, 2014.
“For many years, we have been steadily adding renewable resources to our system while balancing reliability and affordability for our members,” said Bill Berg, president and CEO. “Solar-powered generation was part of our long-term resource plan, and this project is a good fit with Dairyland’s overall strategic plan.”
Dairyland’s renewable, including wind, biogas, biomass, hydro and solar) resources provide about 12.5 percent of the energy delivered to its members, which is ahead of current renewable energy requirements in Wisconsin.
Dairyland is proceeding with its first commercial solar project announced in January along Hwy. 52, north of Rochester, Minn.
by RENEW Wisconsin | Mar 3, 2014 | Uncategorized
Five Reasons Solar’s Win Over Gas in Minnesota is Just the Beginning | Institute for Local Self-Reliance
John Farrell | Feb 28, 2014
Solar advocates were popping corks when a New Year’s Eve ruling by an administrative law judge in Minnesota said that distributed solar arrays were a more cost-effective resource than natural gas to meet Xcel Energy’s peak power needs. The energy media were aflutter for weeks, but many missed the bigger significance.
If solar trumps gas for peaking power in Minnesota, there’s little reason to be building new natural gas peaking capacity anywhere in the country. Ever again.
Let’s look at the 5 reasons why solar’s triumph over natural gas is likely to stick…
[READ MORE]
by jboullion | Feb 20, 2014 | Uncategorized
The following article by Tom Content was published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on 2/20/2014
Milwaukee’s solar initiative is looking to expand on its first group-buy solar initiative last year, which helped lead to more than 30 installations across the city.
That’s three times as many solar installations than in 2012, and the city credits the growth to a solar group-purchase program that began in the Riverwest neighborhood.
The public-private partnership helps residents take advantage of lower-cost solar installations through volume purchasing. The group buy was responsible for 16 installations in Riverwest, along with another in Bay View.
“The solar group-buy model has proved successful because it provides education on the technology, financing solutions and utilizes the strength of volume purchasing to bring the cost down even more,” said Amy Heart, manager of Milwaukee Shines, a project of the city’s Office of Environmental Sustainability.
The Solar Bay View initiative kicked off Wednesday, with more informational sessions scheduled in the weeks ahead. Enrollment will take place between now and May.
Solar Bay View’s sponsors include Riverwest Cooperative Alliance, Milwaukee Shines and the Midwest Renewable Energy Association.
The program is open to Milwaukee-area residents outside Bay View, but its main focus will be within the neighborhood.
“The concept of a group-purchasing program fits right in with the principles of cooperatives everywhere. People come together to meet an otherwise unmet need,” said Peter Murphy, who works with the Riverwest Cooperative Alliance, an organization comprised of local cooperatives. “In this case, the Bay View neighborhood has a unique opportunity to show the rest of Milwaukee how people power can accomplish meaningful and practical goals, like energy independence.”
Paula Papanek of Bay View put 12 solar panels on her roof a few years back and was able to take advantage of the Riverwest group purchase last year to install 18 more panels on her garage. She’s volunteered to advise neighborhood residents on what questions to ask and provide feedback on her own experience.
“It’s important that homeowners have the opportunity to talk to somebody who’s done it as opposed to hearing from a sales rep,” she said.
Adam Gusse, vice president of H&H Solar Energy Services in Madison, said the Riverwest group purchase program followed a similar one in Madison.
Group-buy participants saved about 20% compared with a solar installation of a comparable size, Gusse said.
Some of the savings came about because so many projects were physically close together, from buying greater quantities of panels, and from reduced sales and marketing costs, he said.
“It was really great to have a coalition of many different organizations coming together to make for what is a great success for solar in Milwaukee,” Gusse said.
