by jboullion | Sep 20, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Kevin Murphy in the Wausau Daily Herald:
MADISON — The Citizens Utility Board wants the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to take a harder look at the environmental impact a power plant planned for Rothschild might have.
CUB asked the PSC last week to reconsider its preliminary decision not to conduct an environmental impact statement for the 50 megawatt, biomass-fueled generating plant We Energies wants to build on the south side of the Domtar paper mill.
PSC staff has conducted a preliminary environmental assessment, or EA, of the project that found it would pose no significant threat to the quality of the human environment. CUB said, however, that that conclusion is contrary to PSC staff’s own preliminary determination that the plant will have significant impacts unless mitigation measures are implemented.
by jboullion | Sep 9, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Kathleen Foody in the Wausau Daily Herald:
ROTHSCHILD — State regulators, opponents and proponents of a proposed biomass plant in Rothschild agreed Wednesday to hold a Nov. 30 public hearing on the project.
Attorneys for We Energies, the Milwaukee utility behind the plan, and other interested groups gathered in Madison to set the timeline.
The $255 million project announced in September 2009 would burn woody biomass, creating electricity for We Energies to sell and steam to power the Domtar Mill’s paper-making process.
We Energies needs the facility to be operational by the end of 2013 to qualify for federal tax credits and meet renewable energy requirements for utilities. The company has pushed for approval by state regulators at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources by the end of the year to meet that goal.
The location and specific time of the hearing has not been set, PSC spokeswoman Teresa Weidemann-Smith said.
by jboullion | Aug 31, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a story by Heather Sawaski on WAOW-TV, Wausau:
PARK FALLS (WAOW) — Flambeau River Papers in Park Falls is going to get a little greener.
Company leaders say when the new biomass plant is complete, the mill will use all of its waste energy, making it the first mill in North America not to use any fossil fuels. That’s a far cry from where the future of the paper mill stood just over 4 years ago. That’s when CEO Butch Johnson bought it out of bankruptcy. That’s when the idea of a biomass refinery in the Northwoods started to take shape.
“We’re no smarter than the guys before us that went bankrupt,” Johnson explained. “What can we do differently with our operation so we can ensure our employees, our partners in our project that we’re going to keep going? So we looked at a green initiative from the get go.”
The $300 will convert biomass from bark and sawdust into diesel for domestic markets.
Johnson says between logging, construction, and operation, the plant will bring in hundreds of jobs.
“We buy currently about 140,000 cords of wood for this paper mill,” he said. “With the bio-refinery, we would be buying an additional 365,000 cords of wood.”
by jboullion | Aug 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Wausau Daily Herald:
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission released its first assessment today of a proposed biomass plant in Rothschild, declining to perform an environmental impact statement demanded by opponents of the project and environmental groups.
In the preliminary finding released through the PSC site this afternoon, the commission members found the project would not have a “significant impact” on the surrounding community. Under state statutes, no environmental impact statement is necessary with that finding.
The commission members did take issue with the high level of particulate matter and other emissions from the plant predicted by air quality models. But the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has authority over air quality issues.
by jboullion | Aug 25, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the Department of Workforce Development:
PARK FALLS – Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced a $463,488 Wisconsin Industry Partnership grant to train workers for biofuel production in Northern Wisconsin, further advancing Governor Doyle’s agenda to grow the state’s clean energy economy.
“This training grant is another example of Governor Doyle’s strategic investments to help Wisconsin create jobs and seize the opportunity to be a leader in the clean energy economy,” Secretary Gassman said. “These funds will help ensure that workers will be job ready as the biofuels industry expands in northern Wisconsin.”
Secretary Gassman awarded the grant to the Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board, DWD’s regional partner that proposed the Bio-Energy Sector Training project. The board worked with 15 employers in the biofuel, logging and paper production sector, including Flambeau River Papers, which will be powered by the new Flambeau River BioFuels bio-refinery plant once it is operational in 2013.
Through the grant, current employees and unemployed or underemployed workers will receive training in technology covering areas such as biomass harvesting and management. Chemical plant and system operators, chemists and first-line supervisors are among the jobs that will be supported through the 12-month grant project. With over $490,000 in local matching resources, total funding for the training project will surpass $900,000.
