by jboullion | Apr 3, 2009 | Uncategorized
An editorial in The Tomah Journal:
One of these days, the world will no longer have access to fossil fuels. Oil and coal are finite resources, and while they might last well into the 22nd, 23rd or 24th centuries, they will be depleted at some time in our history. And long before they run out, they will become more difficult and expensive to extract. Remember the oil that John McCain wants to get from the Atlantic Coast? Drilling there can’t be sustained until oil hits $60 per barrel and stays there, which translates into at least $2.50 for a gallon of gas.
Renewable energy must replace fossil fuels sometime, and the process may as well start now. Part of the solution is wind energy. Unfortunately, it has proven to be a contentious issue in Wisconsin. It’s almost impossible for a private-property owner to put a wind turbine on his or her property without the threat of a lawsuit. Wind projects in the Monroe County townships of Ridgeville and Wilton have been halted by ordinances that, in effect, outlaw wind-generated power.
Wind power won’t reach its full potential until the state establishes uniform standards for siting wind turbines. Obviously, health and safety concerns must be considered in any legislation. Opponents have legitimate concerns over noise, flicker and ice buildup. However, it’s an unavoidable reality that that energy generation must occur somewhere. Would wind-turbine opponents like an oil refinery in the township? How about a coal-fired power plant? A nuclear power plant? Even solar power creates controversy. A solar developer in California is stymied because he can’t get powerlines built across the desert.
While wind can’t come close to filling our energy needs, it certainly has a role to play in a diversified, renewable energy network. Somehow, we must resolve the tension between a public that wants all the conveniences of modern life but doesn’t want to live anywhere near a facility that makes those conveniences possible. An honest debate over statewide standards for wind turbines would be a good start.
by jboullion | Apr 2, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Samanta Marcus in the La Crosse Tribune:
The race for La Crosse mayor that comes to a head in just eight days is a study in contrasts.
La Crosse voters in the February primary set up a contest between an experienced woman backed by big Democrats and a young novice with conservative support.
Matt Harter and Dorothy Lenard rose to the top of a field of seven, ousting incumbent Mayor Mark Johnsrud, who came in fifth in the primary. . . .
Harter: Harter has been among the sustainability plan naysayers, though he objects to being labeled an opponent.
He said he thinks the plan will wind up costing the taxpayers, and leaders have to be sure to balance economic sustainability with environmental sustainability. Calling the plan overreaching, Harter said it’s in need of some editing, alluding often to a passage on discontinuing the annual Rotary Lights holiday display in Riverside Park.
“These things are things I think we should create an awareness of, but allow (people) to make their decisions on their own,” he said.
Lenard: A member of the city’s Joint Oversight Committee on Sustainability, Lenard helped author and introduced the ambitious 67-page plan calling for major reductions in energy consumption and shifts to renewable energy sources. She defended the document when opponents called it a threat to the free market and the American way of life.
At a recent forum hosted by a conservative watchdog group, Lenard said she was surprised they couldn’t get behind it.
“It is about conserving. It’s about being efficient. It’s about reducing fuel usage. Sustainability really is about savings,” said Lenard, who also penned the legislation designating La Crosse an eco-municipality. “It is about savings. I just have to prove it to you. And my job as mayor would be to bring you in and prove it to you.”
by jboullion | Apr 1, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a column by Dave Skoloda in the Coulee News:
We’ve been warming our house with the sun using passive solar design for 25 years. Now we’re ready to take the next step, either with solar panels for electricity or solar water heating. So the story in The New York Times about a surge of interest in a new payment system for solar electric was of great interest.
The Times reported that one of the reasons Germany and other European nations are much further ahead of the United States in adopting solar power is the financing technique. In Germany, for example, a homeowner with a rooftop solar system might receive a payment for excess electricity that is fed back into the grid four times that of electricity generated at a coal-fired power plant.
As the Times reported, this makes the electrical consumer rather than the taxpayer responsible for the subsidy for green energy.
Gainesville, Fla., has become the first U.S. city to adopt such a policy. California is considering it and bills to adopt it have been introduced in Washington and Oregon as well.
According to the Gainesville Regional Utilities Web site, the utility had received enough applications to meet the 4-megatwatt program caps for 2009 and 2010. The fixed rate for the 20-year life of the contract starts at 32 cents per kilowatt hour or 26 cents depending on size and application of the installation and decreases over time. For comparison, the average retail electric rate in Wisconsin was 11.69 cents per kilowatt hour, according to the February report of the Energy Information Agency.
A spokesperson for the Gainesville utility said in a telephone interview that the program had attracted mainly businesses (36 for ‘09 and 20 for ‘10) that benefit from the depreciation; residential properties are more likely to choose an upfront rebate on an installation, she said.
The solar program will generate less than 10 percent of the utility’s total needs, she added.
Xcel Energy, which supplies electric power here, gives its Colorado customers an incentive for installing solar panels, but the program called “Solar Rewards” is not available in Wisconsin.
David Donovan, regulatory policy manager for Xcel’s Wisconsin and Michigan district, said that the Colorado program was in response to state mandates. Xcel has an experimental feed-in-tariff program for renewable energy in Wisconsin but it was not sized appropriately for solar and it doesn’t have the subsidy of the Gainesville program. The company is reviewing the policy, he said.
Other solar incentives are offered in Wisconsin under the Focus on Energy program, but not the long-term incentive pricing contract offered in Gainesville.
Still, it’s a start on capturing the potential for solar power.
by jboullion | Mar 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
A news release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation:
Any commuter in Wisconsin who would like to find someone to “share the ride” to work, may now access the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT’s) interactive ride matching service online. A program that was originated several years ago for residents of the heavily populated southeastern region of the state is now available statewide.
“We are pleased to offer this interactive service to commuters across the state,” said WisDOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi. “Ridesharing saves money for commuters, reduces the number of cars on the road during the busiest hours of the day and reduces pollution from car exhaust. Now, commuters in areas that are faced with some of the longest commutes will have an equal opportunity to find carpool matches.”
Karen Schmiechen, program manager for the Wisconsin Rideshare Program, said the program is easy to use, free and without obligation. Commuters enter their commute information and immediately receive matches for carpooling, vanpooling, park and ride lots and even biking. The computer shows matches with similar commutes and work hours. Bikers are also matched by level of expertise. Users make their own contacts with matches to set up ridesharing arrangements.
The program was computerized two years ago, and has become so popular WisDOT decided to make it available to all state residents.
Wisconsin is one of many states and municipalities across the country offering this service. As gasoline prices fluctuate, and the economy remains unstable, ridesharing is a viable alternative, saving dollars and the environment.
For more information go to the state’s Rideshare Web site.
by jboullion | Mar 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a story reported by Sara Kronenberg on WKBT-TV:
It’s an ongoing search for new, green solutions that will not only save money, but also the the environment.
Community, county and school leaders met Tuesday at the La Crosse Center for “Our Energy Future,” a conference about new energy answers.
Wisconsin is on its way to developing more widespread green energy solutions that could save organizations money.
Organizers say making the transition from coal burning dependency might require people to scale back on their own energy needs.
“The answers are always local, always personal,” says Dave Dumke with the Wisconsin Counties Association. “They’re always in your own home, in your own business, and if you’re governing a school district. If we have massive change like that, we’ll solve the problem.”
