by jboullion | Jan 22, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Judy Newman in the Wisconsin State Journal:
If you’re a Wisconsin Power & Light customer, you may soon pay more for electricity.
WPL is expected to file an emergency request with state regulators for permission to raise rates. Just last month, the Madison utility company agreed to hold electric rates steady for 2009 and reduce natural-gas rates by $4 million.
The reason: the recession.
WPL is losing millions of dollars in revenues that had been pouring in when business was booming and factories were busy. Now, the General Motors plant in Janesville is down to a few dozen workers and the Domtar paper mill at Port Edwards is closed. Both were among WPL’s top 10 power users.
Throughout southern Wisconsin, untold numbers of businesses are paring production and staff. That means less electricity is being used and WPL is collecting less money.
“We are sharing the pain being felt across our service territory,” Bill Harvey, chairman and chief executive of WPL’s parent company, Alliant Energy, told a conference call with analysts in December.
WPL won’t say how much electricity GM and Domtar had been using but said that together, the price they paid for power amounted to 1 percent of the utility’s revenues.
Harvey projected WPL’s sales this year will be 6.4 percent, or $30 million, lower than those anticipated in the recent rate settlement, which was based on 2007 figures. “Because of this significant downward shift in forecasts, we will likely file an emergency rate case,” he told analysts. . . .
Madison Gas & Electric and Milwaukee-based We Energies said they have no plans to seek a rate boost based on recession-impaired revenues. But both of those utilities have discussed the possibility of seeking increases to help meet pension costs.
by jboullion | Jan 21, 2009 | Uncategorized
A media release issued by Natural Resources Consulting, Inc.:
NRC was awarded a grant to evaluate the potential impacts of wind energy development on migrating birds and bats in the Upper Mississippi River Valley. NRC will lead stakeholders from the wind energy industry, natural resource agencies, conservation groups, and research community in a series of workshops to consider migratory patterns and standardized methods to evaluate the potential impacts of wind energy facilities on migrating birds and bats.
The Upper Mississippi River Valley is recognized as a globally important bird migration corridor. Increasing interest in locating wind energy facilities along the Mississippi River corridor has created a need for objective and cost-effective methods to evaluate and mitigate potential impacts on migrating birds and bats. The workshops will bring together a diverse stakeholder group to identify research needs and objectives, build consensus on appropriate study design and methods, and expedite the process for the mutual benefit of resource agencies and wind developers.
“We are excited about this opportunity to discuss and reach a consensus on how to best evaluate migration behaviors in this part of Wisconsin” said Dave Siebert, Director of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Office of Energy.
Louise Clemency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), added, “The Service commends NRC’s proactive approach in addressing potential impacts to birds and bats from wind energy development within the Upper Mississippi River Valley.”
Funding for this project is made possible by a grant from the Focus on Energy “Environmental and Economic Research Program” (EERP), which supports the understanding of environmental and economic impacts of energy use.
Perhaps the results will be relevant to all wind projects in the Midwest.
by jboullion | Jan 20, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a newsletter article by R. J. Pirot, Director, Legislative Relations, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC):
By 2015, state law requires ten percent of the state’s electricity to come from renewable resources. WMC is already doing its part to meet that goal. Through Madison Gas and Electric, WMC voluntarily buys half of its electricity from wind generation power plants.
Unfortunately, some local communities are starting to virtually ban development of small wind farms, stymieing Wisconsin from meeting its renewable energy goals. WMC is already working with the Wisconsin Legislature on setting fair and uniform standards to encourage wind farm development, helping Wisconsin meet its renewable energy law.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has authority over all power plant proposals in excess of 100 megawatts, including wind energy power plants. Local units of government have permitting authority over all power plants under 100 megawatts, including wind energy power plants. Some local units of government have imposed expensive, time-consuming and scientifically-unjustified restrictions on the development of wind energy power plants.
For example, a new Trempealeau County ordinance forbids building a wind turbine within one mile of a habitable building, effectively banning building small wind farms in the county. Other communities have taken similar action and, as a result, investment in and installation of approximately 400 megawatts of wind energy power plants are stalled in Wisconsin.
Rather than allowing a patchwork of varying local regulations, the Wisconsin Legislature should take swift action to have fair and uniform standards for wind turbines set throughout Wisconsin. Wind speeds in Wisconsin are high enough to support development of additional wind turbine farms and wind is a cost effective way to meet the state’s ten percent renewable energy law. While solar, biomass, biogas and hydroelectricity, too, will help meet this ten percent renewable energy requirement, wind power is projected to account for 95 percent of Wisconsin’s renewable energy production.
by jboullion | Jan 19, 2009 | Uncategorized
The connection between gardening and energy might seem weak at first glance, but growing your own food can cut the energy needed for food production and transportation, especially if the food comes from far away.
From a news brief in the Onalaska-Holmen Life-Courier:
Get Sustainable Trempealeau County will present “Starting From Seed: Everything You Need to Know to Begin Your Spring Garden Now” on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 7 p.m. at the Trempealeau Village Hall, 24455 Third St.
“Starting From Seed” is the first Talking Sustainability Forum of 2009, with several more to come. The program will feature area gardener Mary Graziano, who will demonstrate simple ways to start this year’s vegetables and other plants indoors.
The workshop will cover everything people need to know for starting their own garden seeds including:
+ Equipment and lighting;
+ Correct soil conditions;
+ Temperature;
+ Types of seeds (including heirloom varieties);
+ Caring for seedlings;
+ Other resources for finding seeds and equipment.
Graziano has been gardening for more than 30 years and has been starting her own plants for 15. She has a solar-heated, all-season greenhouse where she starts plants for her garden and to sell locally.
In the past five years, Graziano has begun growing heirloom varieties and also has grown native prairie plants and grasses.
by jboullion | Jan 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a media release issued by Governor Doyle:
MADISON – Governor Doyle announced today a major investment in Wisconsin communities working toward energy independence and a clean energy future. To assist local efforts, Governor Doyle awarded over $400,000 in grants to 23 community groups working to create a “25×25” Plan to meet the Governor’s goal of generating 25 percent of the state’s electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025.
“Wisconsin Energy Independent Communities are critical leaders in the state’s efforts to clean our air and water, create jobs, and save money for our communities,” Governor Doyle said. “I am confident that this investment will help create a clean energy roadmap that will boost energy efficiency, expand renewable energy use, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and save taxpayers money.”
The Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership is the first of its kind in the nation and is an integral part of Governor Doyle’s ambitious goal for the state to become the nation’s leader in the drive toward energy independence. The partnership includes counties, cities, villages, towns, tribes, and schools in the state that have committed to Governor Doyle’s “25×25” challenge. Currently, there are over 70 communities committed to Governor Doyle’s challenge, with over 250 more communities interested in participating.
The 2009 Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership pilot communities are: Brown County, Oneida Tribe, City of Washburn, City of Ashland, City of Bayfield, Town of La Pointe, Town of Bayfield, Ashland County, Bayfield County, Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Village of Osceola, Osceola School District, City of Marshfield, City of Columbus, City of Evansville, City of Platteville, City of Lancaster, the City of Oconomowoc, Town of Fairfield, Village of Spring Green, Town of Spring Green, and the River Valley School District.
