by jboullion | Mar 2, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Clean Wisconsin:
Madison, Wis – Despite big oil and coal spending hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to confuse and turn the public against the Clean Energy Jobs Act, Wisconsin residents and businesses demonstrated overwhelming support for the bill in recent legislative hearings, with supporters outnumbering opponents by more than a 2 to 1 ratio, according to data recently obtained from the Wisconsin State Legislature.
“Attendance at the hearings shows that Wisconsinites support the Clean Energy Jobs Act, despite the attempts of big oil and coal lobbyists to sour public perception with misinformation and deceptive advertising,” said Keith Reopelle, Senior Policy Director at Clean Wisconsin. “Energy independence may be bad for the big oil and coal companies, but it’s good for the hard-working people of Wisconsin.
Supporters of this bill realize that greater energy independence means higher profits for Wisconsin businesses, more jobs, and a cleaner, healthier environment.”
In an attempt to weaken the Clean Energy Jobs Act, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) and big oil and coal companies have flooded the capital with lobbyists and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertisements and studies that use biased, outdated and discredited information to attack the bill.
Despite this misinformation campaign, individuals supported the bill 2 to 1 at recent legislative hearings, with actual businesses supporting the bill by a 3 to 1 margin.
by jboullion | Mar 1, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a commentary by Michael Vickerman, RENEW’s executive director:
In the next six weeks the Legislature will make a truly momentous decision on the state’s energy future. Either it can embrace an ambitious 15-year commitment to invigorate the state’s economy through sustained investments in clean energy or decide to coast along on current energy policies until they lapse and lose their force and effect.
Arguably the most innovative feature in the Clean Energy Jobs Act, as it’s now called, is a proposed requirement on larger electric providers to acquire locally produced renewable electricity with Advanced Renewable Tariffs (ARTs). These are technology-specific buyback rates that provide a fixed purchase price for the electricity produced over a period of 10 to 20 years, set at levels sufficient to recover installation costs along with a modest profit. Now available in more than a dozen nations in Europe as well as the Province of Ontario, ARTs have proven to be singularly effective in stimulating considerable growth in small-scale production of distributed renewable electricity. . . .
Consider the much-vaunted Dane County Cow Power Project, which should be operational before the end of the year. Using anaerobic digestion technology, this Waunakee-area installation will treat manure from three nearby dairy farms and produce biogas that will fuel a two-megawatt generator. This community digester project, the first of its kind in Wisconsin, will be built with private capital and a State of Wisconsin award to support a technology that reduces the flow of phosphorus into the Yahara Lakes. A second digester project is also planned for Dane County.
The key element that makes the financing of this project work is the special biogas buyback rate that Alliant Energy, the local utility, voluntarily put in place a year ago. With the higher rate, the project’s return on investment was sufficient to interest outside investors. . . .
If we are serious about neutralizing the algae blooms that turn the Yahara lakes green each year, we’ll need to adopt a clean energy policy, including ARTs, that facilitates the development of biodigesters in farm country.
by jboullion | Feb 28, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Tomah Journal:
Solid Waste Manager Gail Frie offered a plan to generate energy and extend the life of Monroe County’s Ridgeville landfill at Monday’s meeting of the Solid Waste Management Committee. The committee approved $14,000 to begin the initial planning for the gas to energy project.
Frie, who was Vernon County’s solid waste manager for 18 years, said he had put a lot of study into the project. He said, “Every citizen of Monroe County should have a direct benefit from this project.”
The solid waste manager told the committee that he had “…done a lot of thinking…” on the plan so that the county had no cost. He did not want to tie up county bonding for a landfill project. He added that his focus was on saving money and extending the life of the landfill.
The gas to energy project is a $6 million proposal funded with United States Department of Agriculture grants and loans and funds from partners including Alliant Energy, Focus on Energy and Gundersen-Lutheran. Food waste would be the principal source of energy. The county would save over $500,000 in landfill operation costs. Gundersen-Lutheran would buy the electricity generated by the plan.
by jboullion | Feb 26, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Alliant Energy:
Grasslands Will Be Preserved and Restored to Benefit Farmers and Provide Renewable Energy
MADISON, Wis. — A new initiative announced today will demonstrate how diverse native prairies in southwest Wisconsin have the potential to provide income to farmers, better habitat for wildlife and homegrown and renewable energy to businesses.
The Alliant Energy Foundation is providing $100,000 per year over the next three years to The Nature Conservancy to establish demonstration projects that harvest biomass from native and restored prairies in the Military Ridge Prairie Heritage Area in southwest Wisconsin.
“This is the first project of its kind in the region and one that will explore how we can create new economic opportunities for area farmers,” said Barbara Swan, Alliant Energy Foundation President. “It’s a great way to preserve some of our best grasslands for future generations.”
Mary Jean Huston, director of The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin, said new strategies are needed to protect the state’s grasslands, which are at risk even though they provide excellent wildlife habitat and help preserve water quality.
Military Ridge is one of the state’s best opportunities for grassland conservation because it includes more than 60 native prairie remnants and pasture land within a 50,000-acre grassland landscape located in Dane and Iowa counties.
“The best way to keep Military Ridge’s lands and waters in good natural condition is to demonstrate good conservation practices,” Huston said. “This generous gift from the Alliant Energy Foundation will help us protect this incredible landscape for nature and people alike.”
by jboullion | Feb 25, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Clean Wisconsin:
Largest collaboration in state to commit to 25% renewable energy production by 2025
VIROQUA, WI – Over the next year, two counties and eight local communities in Southwest Wisconsin’s Driftless Region will become the largest collaboration in state history to plan their energy independence.
Vernon and Crawford counties, along with the communities of Fennimore, Prairie du Chien, Viroqua, Ferryville, Gays Mills, La Farge, Soldiers Grove and Viola, plus Viroqua-based energy planners and consultants E3 Coalition, just won a $65,000 grant from the state’s Office of Energy Independence. The final plan will outline how the group can get 25 percent of their electricity, heating and transportation fuels from renewable resources by 2025, or a 25×25 plan. In addition to the state grant, the communities raised $46,400 in monetary and in-kind support.
“The Driftless Region has a long tradition of self-sufficiency and sustainability, and those are the goals of our planning efforts,” said Todd Osman of E3 Coalition. “At the same time, it’s difficult for small communities to tackle energy issues on their own. We’re very pleased to be working together with two counties, three cities and five villages.”
In the late 1970s, Soldiers Grove responded to repeated flooding by recreating itself as the nation’s first solar village. Today, Gays Mills is integrating sustainability measures into its reconstruction process, following recent floods. La Farge is home to Organic Valley, the largest member-owned organic food cooperative in the country and a leader in biomass and biodiesel initiatives.
The first step in the planning process is documenting local governments’ current energy and fuel use. Then, the communities will identify potential energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy projects. Throughout the planning process, E3 will work with local communities to hold educational workshops and events for government staff and members of the public.
