by jboullion | May 31, 2011 | Uncategorized
From a presentation by Michael Vickerman Wind Powering America All States Summit in Anaheim, CA, May 26, 2011:
In January 2011, All Hell Broke Loose:
• PSC 128 [statewide wind siting rule] clears legislative review in December;
• Gov. Walker introduces bill Jan. 11 in special session (SB 9) that threatens to bring wind development to a standstill;
• Most important provision in SB 9: greatly extends minimum setback requirement;
• PSC rule: 1.1 x total height from property lines (400-500 ft.);
• SB 9: 1,800 feet from property lines.
How Problematic Are 1,800 ft. Setback Requirements to SitingWind Turbines?
Consider Glacier Hills – a 90-turbine wind project under construction in two townships in Columbia County characterized by a low density of population:
• No. of turbines beyond a 1,250 ft. setback requirement from non-participating residences: 75 to 80;
• No. of turbines beyond an 1,800 ft. setback requirement from property lines: 2 to 5.
by jboullion | May 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
From statements issued by three groups in opposition to Assembly Bill 146:
“Clearly, this bill is a drastic step in the wrong direction for our state. The Wisconsin Energy Business Association therefore opposes this attack on renewable energy in our state.” – Wisconsin Energy Business Association. Full statement.
We strongly recommend that this bill not be approved as it solves no known problem in Wisconsin and seeks only to roll-back policies on renewable energy that have served the state well and are otherwise benefitting Wisconsin residents with cleaner air and lower prices for electricity. – Wind on the Wires. Full statement.
Fresh attack on Wisconsin voters’ desire for a renewable energy standard would kill wind projects and sap state’s economy, say wind energy advocates – American Wind Energy Association. Full statement.
by jboullion | May 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
From statements issued by three groups in opposition to Assembly Bill 146:
“Clearly, this bill is a drastic step in the wrong direction for our state. The Wisconsin Energy Business Association therefore opposes this attack on renewable energy in our state.” – Wisconsin Energy Business Association. Full statement.
We strongly recommend that this bill not be approved as it solves no known problem in Wisconsin and seeks only to roll-back policies on renewable energy that have served the state well and are otherwise benefitting Wisconsin residents with cleaner air and lower prices for electricity. – Wind on the Wires. Full statement.
Fresh attack on Wisconsin voters’ desire for a renewable energy standard would kill wind projects and sap state’s economy, say wind energy advocates – American Wind Energy Association. Full statement.
by jboullion | May 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
7th annual Small Wind Conference with an industry-leading lineup of 46 speakers and 7 poster presentations at the , June 14-15 in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
Keynote address by Randy Udall, Community Office of Resource Efficiency.
Tuesday, June 14 at 7:00am – June 15 at 6:00pm
More info http://smallwindconference.com
by jboullion | May 17, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Don Huagen in Midwest Energy News:
One of the larger reviews of renewable portfolio standards was a 2008 report (PDF) from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The study looked at data on a dozen state renewable policies enacted before 2007. The estimated impact on electricity rates varied by state, but it was a fraction of a percent in most cases and just over 1 percent in two states, Connecticut and Massachusetts. “There is little evidence of a sizable impact on average retail electricity rates so far,” the report concluded.
One of the report’s co-authors, Galen Barbose, said in an interview that they are collecting data for an updated version of the report. So far he said he hasn’t seen any new information to suggest their conclusion about rate impacts will change significantly in the next edition.
A 2009 study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration modeled the potential impact of a 25 percent nationwide renewable electricity standard. It, too, noted that rate impacts would vary by state, with renewable-rich regions like the Great Plains and Northwest meeting the targets more easily. Overall, though, it projected no impact on rates through 2020, followed by a less than 3 percent increase by 2025. By 2030, however, it projected little difference in rates with or without a national renewable mandate.
The Minnesota Free Market Institute and American Tradition Institute reached a very different conclusion in an April 2011 report (PDF), which claims Minnesota’s renewable electricity standard is going to cause rates in the state to skyrocket by as much as 37 percent by 2025.
Utilities’ experiences vary
Xcel Energy, the state’s largest utility, has come up with a much smaller number: $0.003. That’s the difference Xcel forecasts between its projected per-kilowatt-hour energy price in 2025 under its proposed wind expansion plan compared to a hypothetical scenario in which it stopped adding new wind capacity after 2012.
Asked to comment on the Free Market Institute’s study, Xcel Energy spokesman Steve Roalstad said, “It doesn’t seem to be moving in that direction.” The cost of adding renewable energy sources, especially wind, continues to fall and has become very competitive with traditional generating sources, he said.
