by jboullion | Dec 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
From the newly released handbook on “Community Wind Financing,” published by the Environmental Law & Policy Center:
. . . community wind [i]s any project up to 20 MW which was “initiated and (at least partially) owned locally.”
Community wind power projects represent a relatively small, but growing, share of the wind energy market. As of July 2008, community wind projects accounted for at least 736 MW of the total installed wind energy projects in the United States, primarily in the Midwest, and more have been developed in the last year. These projects are largely owned by farmers and other local investors, schools, tribes and municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. Such local ownership generates powerful economic and social benefits for rural areas. . . .
This updated Handbook provides the latest information on financing community wind projects, including ownership structures, roles of financial intermediaries, and sources of federal and state financial support. Although building these projects has become easier over time as landowners have benefited from the experiences of the community wind pioneers, understanding and accessing financing opportunities remains perhaps the most important requirement for a successful project.
by jboullion | Dec 1, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Alliant Energy:
December 1, 2009 – The Alliant Energy Foundation is offering scholarships to recognize outstanding community leadership in young people and help first-time college students attain their academic goals. Up to 25 $1,000 scholarships will be awarded in the fall of 2010 through the Alliant Energy Foundation Community Service Scholarship Program.
“We believe in supporting education throughout our Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin communities and one of many ways we can do that is through awarding scholarships to deserving young adults,” said Julie Bauer, Alliant Energy Foundation Executive Director. “We are proud to offer these scholarships to benefit talented students and their families.”
To be eligible, scholarship applicants must have participated in a leadership role in community service work or volunteer activities. They must also meet the following criteria:
+ Be age 24 or under;
+ Be a dependent child of a current customer, or be a current customer, of one of Alliant Energy’s utility subsidiaries (Interstate Power and Light or Wisconsin Power and Light);
+ Reside within the Alliant Energy service territory at the time of application; and
+ Plan to enroll in, for the first time, beginning in the fall of 2010, a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university, or vocational-technical school located within Iowa, Minnesota or Wisconsin.
by jboullion | Nov 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Joe Knight in the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram:
“This is the age of oil, but the age of oil is about to end,” said Lori Snyder of UW-Eau Claire’s geology department.
In 1950, the U.S. did not import any oil. Today, we still like our cars, and we have to import 60 percent of the oil we use to support our driving habit, she said.
Vehicles may have gotten a smaller and more fuel efficient since the 1950s, but our appetite for energy – the majority of it coming from fossil fuels – is huge. Today the average American uses three times the amount of energy we used in 1950, Snyder said.
Snyder and J. Brian Mahoney, also of the geology department, discussed the future of fossil fuels and energy Tuesday night for an “Ask A Scientist” program at UW-Eau Claire.
An audience of mixed ages attended, and many asked questions of the scientists, but the answers they received painted a less-than-reassuring picture of our energy future.
Fossil fuel basically is solar energy trapped by plants and bugs – sometimes millions of years ago – that never completely decomposed. We have extracted the fuels and used it to power our cars, heat our homes and generate our electricity, but supplies are becoming scarce, the geologists said.
Oil supplies in the U.S. peaked in the 1970s, Mahoney said. World supplies of oil that is readily accessible are peaking now, he said.
There are some alternative sources of oil, such as sand tars in Alberta, Canada, which are being mined, but they require a substantial amount of energy to extract and are costly to the environment, Mahoney said.
We still have an abundance of coal in the U.S. – enough to meet our electrical needs for 200 to 250 years, Snyder said. Unfortunately, coal is the dirtiest fossil fuel for emissions. We’re already altering the composition of the atmosphere, and continuing at the current rate or increasing emissions brings about more questions about climate change and what life on Earth might be like in 100 years, Mahoney said.
“It’s taking us to a place we don’t really understand,” he said.
by jboullion | Nov 25, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Brian E. Clark on WisBusiness:
In an oral decision Tuesday, the state Public Service Commission approved an average rate hike of roughly $60 million, or 6.4 percent, for Alliant Energy. It will go into effect Jan. 1.
Officials said the ruling will mean average residential customers will see a monthly jump in their electric bills of about $6.10. The PSC also raised the company’s natural gas rates by about $5.5 million, amounting to a monthly increase of approximately $1.50 for gas distribution service.
“Today’s action struck a balance between a utility that needs more revenue to continue to provide reliable service, and a customer base that is working its way through hard economic times,” PSC Chairman Eric Callisto said. “At the end of the day, we cannot allow a regulated utility to fall off the cliff. Today’s decision kept the current recession in mind while keeping the lights on and keeping the utility moving forward.”
The Madison-based company had initially requested an increase of more than $100 million, or 10 percent. The PSC staff, in an audit, recommended a $73 million boost, or about 7.8 percent on average.
Part of the rate increase will cover declining sales for the utility. Since 2008, it has lost several major industrial customers, including the huge General Motors plant in Janesville. Another part of the rate increase will pay for the utility’s investment in the Bent Tree wind farm in Minnesota.
Charlie Higley, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, said he was he was “glad the PSC was able to approve a more reasonable rate increase than that sought by the utility.
“That said, the PSC could have done more to lower rates, especially given the bad economy faced by consumers.”
by jboullion | Nov 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From RENEW Wisconsin’s brief filed with the Public Service Commission in support of the Glacier Hills Wind Park:
The design of the proposed Project is in the public interest first and foremost because it will be powered by wind rather than fossil fuels. Wind energy is a locally available, self-replenishing, emission-free electricity source. Fossil fuels, on the other hand, must be imported, are available in limited quantities, and emit pollutants. Moreover, using wind energy furthers the State’s policy goal that all new installed capacity for electric generation be based on renewable energy resources to the extent cost-effective and technically feasible. Wis. Stat. § 1.12(3)(b).
In his direct testimony, RENEW Wisconsin witness Michael Vickerman outlined a number of other public policy objectives that would be advanced by the construction of Glacier Hills. These include:
1. Helping Wisconsin Electric Power Company (“WEPCO”) meet its renewable energy requirements under Wis. Stat. § 196.378(2)(a)(2)d;
2. Securing adequate supplies of energy from sustainable sources;
3. Protecting ratepayers from rising fossil fuel prices;
4. Reducing air and water emissions from generation sources;
5. Preserving working farms and pasture land;
6. Generating additional revenues for host towns and counties;
7. Reducing the flow of capital out of Wisconsin for energy purchases; and
8. Investing Wisconsin capital in a wealth-producing energy generating facility within its borders.
