Walker's wind proposal is hasty

From an editorial in the Appleton Post Crescent:

The issue of wind turbines and where to put them is a hugely controversial issue in Wisconsin. It's a hugely complex issue, too, with numerous perspectives and philosophies about it.

That's why Gov. Scott Walker's attempt to change the rules about wind turbine siting is hasty and ill-considered.

As part of his regulatory reform legislation, Walker wants to change the minimum distance from a turbine to the nearest property line from 450 feet to 1,800 feet.

By doing so, he's interjecting himself into a debate that has been going on for a long time — and had seemingly reached a conclusion — without a solid grounding of rationale.

The wind turbine issue has been most notable in eastern and northeastern Wisconsin because its wind patterns are conducive to generating power. In recent years, the debates had been conducted at the town or county level. They were often fierce debates, pitting neighbor against neighbor and sometimes family member against family member.

The prospect of a patchwork of regulations that may vary greatly led the Legislature to determine there should be a statewide standard. The Public Service Commission appointed an advisory committee to recommend one. Last year, the committee — stacked with wind energy proponents — came up with the 450-foot rule and another that said a turbine had to be 1,250 feet from a neighboring residence. The PSC approved the recommendation and the rules are supposed to take effect this year.

It's understandably a divisive — and personal — issue. If you were a property owner, would you want a turbine near your home? Would you be concerned about its effects on your property value, health and quality of life? Sure.

But there's also the perspective of economic development. Wind-turbine construction is a budding industry in Wisconsin. In fact, New North, the economic development organization for northeast Wisconsin, has a specific focus on promoting the many companies in our area that are or could be involved in building wind turbines.

Wind industry proponents say Walker's rule will kill their business in our state, costing $500 million in planned projects. They say Walker's just carrying the water for the Wisconsin Realtors Association. Those who identified themselves as being in the real estate industry gave more than $500,000 to Walker's $9 million campaign, according to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign.

Coalition discredits realtors’ wind assessment

A news release issued by the Wisconsin Energy Business Association:

A group of over 60 Wisconsin energy businesses and organizations distributed a memorandum to legislators today to respond to the factual inaccuracies and misrepresentations in a memorandum distributed by the Wisconsin Realtors Association last week, including the following points:
1. There is no credible evidence that existing wind development in Wisconsin has depressed property values in Kewaunee County.
2. There is no credible evidence that existing wind development in Wisconsin has depressed property values statewide.
3. The property value study cited by WRA contains several methodological errors and weaknesses that greatly reduce its value.
4. WRA’s discussion of windpower’s impacts on commercial and residential construction is wholly one-sided and overlooks the benefits from building energy-producing systems on rural land.
5. WRA’s characterization of the rule’s promulgation is inflammatory and untrue.
6. A longer setback distance is not necessary given PSC 128’s strict regulation of sound and shadow.

Walker needs to carefully weigh wind farm rules

From an editorial in The Northewestern, Oshkosh:

Gov. Scott Walker made an abrupt and startling U-turn in his pro-business, pro-jobs agenda last week when he proposed regulations that would cripple, if not kill, the wind energy industry in Wisconsin. It was a breath-taking about-face for Wisconsin's new governor who campaigned on sound bite slogans: "Help is on the way" and "Wisconsin is open for business." Apparently not for wind farms.

Walker's proposal would quadruple the wind turbine setbacks from property lines from 450 feet to 1,800 feet. If passed by the legislature, Walker's rule would make Wisconsin's wind farm regulations the strictest in the nation and would be a death sentence for wind farm development in Wisconsin, industry leaders said.
"It would in essence shut down wind energy in the state," Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association told the Wisconsin State Journal. "It is one of the most onerous regulations we have seen."

The cost: $1.8 billion in long-term investment in wind farm projects in the state, including $500 million over the next two years and an additional 950 jobs planned projects would create.
Given those facts, Walker's proposed regulation is perplexing on a number of fronts.

Skana, Tower Tech added to Obama's Manitowoc schedule

From an article in the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter:

Two Manitowoc businesses were added to President Barack Obama’s schedule for his visit to the Lakeshore today, it was announced Tuesday night.

Obama, who gave the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday night, is scheduled to tour Skana Aluminum Co. and Tower Tech Systems in Manitowoc this afternoon, according to a news release from the White House.

It had previously been announced that Obama will be arriving at Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay at about 10:35 a.m. today. From there, he’s scheduled to head to Manitowoc for a tour and speech at Orion Energy Systems that’s supposed to start at noon.

Tours of Skana Aluminum Co. and Tower Tech Systems are scheduled to occur after that.

Skana Aluminum Co., an aluminum manufacturer and rolling mill, opened in 2010. It has more than 70 employees and expects to reach 100 employees in 2011, with plans to fill about 15 positions for a second shift by the end of January, according to a news release from the White House.

Tower Tech Systems, a wind turbine tower manufacturer, opened in 2003 and employees more than 300 people.

New rules on wind farms will kill jobs

From an editorial in the Sheboygan Press:

If Gov. Scott Walker is all about creating jobs for Wisconsin residents, he will back off his support for new rules on wind farms.

Last year, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, in response to inconsistent siting rules adopted by individual communities, held hearings, reviewed scientific information and heard from health experts in an effort to come up with uniform standards sitting rules.

The PSC said the wind turbines, which generate electricity — and are responsible for hundreds of new jobs in Wisconsin already — must be located 1,250 feet from any residence and about 450 feet from property boundaries.

The PSC siting rules take into account the concerns of homeowners and are based on about 150 reports on medical and safety issues.

But new rules, which Walker backs, would put the setback from a residence at 1,800 feet — a distance that wind farm developers contend would drive them out of business and shut the door to this emerging technology and clean-energy process.

Keith Reopelle, the policy director for Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy group, said the rules Walker is backing will jeopardize nearly a dozen wind farm plans in the works.

Illinois wind advocates advise Wisconsin's renewable energy developers to 'Escape to Illinois'

From a news release issued by The Illinois Wind Energy Association:

(CHICAGO) -- Today the Illinois Wind Energy Association (IWEA) invited wind power developers working in Wisconsin to focus their efforts on Illinois, where Governor Pat Quinn and the Illinois General Assembly have worked to streamline regulations for the wind energy business.

Wind developers have been apprehensive about investing in Wisconsin since Governor Scott Walker proposed legislation that would effectively ban wind development from the Badger State. With these new job-destroying regulations on the table, IWEA is happy to highlight the much more business-friendly climate just to the south.

Recently introduced in the Wisconsin legislature, the War on Wind Initiative would dramatically extend setback distances from wind turbines in the state. If adopted, the bill would mandate a minimum setback requirement of 1,800 feet from neighboring property lines, far exceeding the setback distance from occupied dwellings specified in a rule issued by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.

"Even the strictest county setbacks in Illinois are nowhere near as extreme as what Wisconsin would have if this bill passes," said IWEA Executive Director Kevin Borgia. "Illinois has no statewide minimum setbacks."

As Denise Bode, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, said to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel last week, "it is one of the most onerous regulations we have ever seen."

"In light of Wisconsin's War on Wind, IWEA invites developers to focus their resources on Illinois," Borgia said. "Businesses with wind farm proposals in both states are likely to focus their efforts on locations with the most beneficial regulatory climate. If the legislation is adopted, that location will not be Wisconsin."

Green Bay area biomass debate divides Ashwaubenon

From an article by Steve Contorno in the Green Bay Press Gazette:

Jennie Streckenbach understands the need for new technology to solve future energy and waste problems. She just wishes the solution wasn't going to be placed a block away from her preschool.

"We have over 100 kids here," said Streckenbach, administrator at Just for Kids Child Care Center in Ashwaubenon. "It's really frightening what is out there for our kids right now. I just don't think it's the answer. I hope I'm wrong and all this is safe."

Down the street, at 3100 Packerland Drive, a subsidiary of the Oneida Tribe of Indians is planning to build a $23 million biomass plant that will convert municipal waste into power to be sold to Wisconsin Public Service. Construction on the project began in November but is expected to be stalled until spring while the necessary permits are obtained.

In the months after Oneida Seven Generations Corp. announced its intentions to build the 60,000-square-foot facility, local officials and area residents have opposed the project. Middle ground has been hard to find.

Proponents say the technology is an environmental godsend.

Opponents claim it will cause significant damage to the ecosystem.

For one side, the location is perfect; for the other, it couldn't be worse. It's either completely safe, or it's a public health disaster waiting to happen.

Let's try to keep wind turbine debate respectful

From an editorial in the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

The wind farms debate here and across the state has regained momentum in 2011, as communities continue to consider plans for the controversial turbines amid new rules and talk of additional regulations.

Officials have heard concerns from business interests and property owners alike, and we understand the topic has frustrated stakeholders on both sides of the issue. But recently reported incidents in the Brown County town of Morrison compel us to issue a call for civility in the ongoing debate, even as tempers flare and frustrations mount.

Thefts of wind turbine-related signs have been reported across Brown County, and Morrison town chairman Todd Christensen said sign vandalism has been reported as well. Last week, a man who supports turbines allegedly shoved a woman who opposes them after a Morrison town meeting, according to a Brown County Sheriff's Department report.

At issue are plans from Chicago-based company Invenergy to build a 100-turbine wind farm in the towns of Morrison, Glenmore, Wrightstown and Holland in southern Brown County. More than half of those turbines initially were scheduled to be built in Morrison, but the Public Service Commission deemed Invenergy's initial application incomplete, delaying the process, Christensen on Wednesday told a member of the Green Bay Press-Gazette editorial board.

In the meantime, Christensen and other officials have been trying to deal with animosity they never expected between neighbors. Morrison has just more than 1,700 residents — and while Christensen said it's relatively few who are making trouble, the issue has divided the town.

Walker’s Wind Siting Proposal Strips Local Control

For immediate release:
January 18, 2011

More information
Michael Vickerman
Executive Director
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Walker’s Wind Siting Proposal Strips Local Control

Mandating by statute an extreme setback distance for commercial wind turbines, Governor Scott Walker’s wind siting proposal would strip local governments of their ability to negotiate lesser setback distances with wind developers, according to RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy group.

Walker’s proposal would require a setback distance between a turbine and neighboring property line of 1,800 feet, which can be shortened only by an agreement between the project owner and owners of adjoining properties, entirely bypassing towns and counties.

Walker’s proposal would eliminate the ability of local governments to attract wind developments that would generate revenues in lieu of taxes to help buffer the expected cuts to local governments in the upcoming state budget.

A story in the Fond du Lac Reporter on January 12 quoted town and county officials as saying the wind project revenue helped save on property taxes by filling the gap between rising municipal expenses and declining state-paid shared revenue dollars.

“We’ve seen five towns in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties enter into joint development agreements specifying reasonable setback distances because town officials wanted to capture the economic benefits of hosting wind projects larger than 50 megawatts,” Vickerman said.

The statewide siting rule, approved by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and set to take effect March 1, preserved local government authority to specify less restrictive conditions.

“This unreasonable proposal is a steamroller driven by anti-wind special interests, like realtors, bent on denying local governments the ability to decide what’s in their best interests,” said Vickerman.

"We shouldn't have the Realtors Association dictating energy policy in this state"

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

About $500 million in investment in renewable energy over the next two years could be at risk if lawmakers approve Gov. Scott Walker's wind turbine siting bill.

The bill, praised by some as a strong defense of property rights, would erect the biggest hurdle to wind farm development in the nation, industry leaders said Friday.

"This will be the biggest regulatory barrier in terms of setbacks in the country," said Denise Bode, chief executive of the American Wind Energy Association, based in Washington, D.C. "You're adding a new regulatory barrier and putting a 'closed for business' sign on Wisconsin for wind development."

A restrictive environment for wind development would create a chilling effect for companies that manufacture parts for wind turbines and want to open plants in the state, following the lead of firms such as TowerTech in Manitowoc and Ingeteam, which is building a factory in the Menomonee River Valley.

Many states have no setback requirements, deferring to local units of government. Of those that do, none has a setback from turbines as deep as Wisconsin's new proposal, Bode said.

Walker's bill, proposed as part of a regulatory reform package, would mandate minimum setbacks of 1,800 feet between a wind turbine and the nearest property line. That compares with a setback of 1,250 feet from a neighboring residence approved by the Public Service Commission in a rule adopted last year and set to take effect this year.

Tom Larson, chief lobbyist for the Wisconsin Realtors Association, said the proposal is needed to protect homeowners who live near wind turbines. . . .

Dan Ebert, who chairs the state's wind siting advisory council, said the end result wasn't perfect, but did a better job at balancing the competing interests than Walker's bill does.

"We shouldn't have the Realtors Association dictating energy policy in this state," said Ebert, senior vice president at WPPI Energy in Sun Prairie. "This puts a stake through the heart of wind development in the state of Wisconsin."

Feel free to disagree, but don't be disagreeable

No one - pro or con - on wind energy development should engage in illegal or disrespectful behavior, as described in the article by Charles Davis in the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

Wind turbine debate gets physical in southern Brown County

Some residents have reported shoving and stealing as the community debates possible wind turbines in southern Brown County.

A woman who opposes wind turbines was allegedly pushed twice by a man who supports them on Tuesday following a town of Morrison meeting, according to a Brown County sheriff’s report. The suspect was allegedly picking up chairs when the incident occurred. The woman said the man bumped into her husband in a similar incident last year.

Chicago-based company Invenergy wants to build a 100-turbine wind farm in the towns of Morrison, Glenmore, Wrightstown and Holland. Progress has been slowed due to updated wind turbine rules.

An anti-wind turbine yard sign was stolen Wednesday from the 5700 block of Big Apple Road in the town of Glenmore, a sheriff’s report said. The sign alleged turbines were unhealthy. Similar incidents have been reported across Brown County.

The Morrison Planning Commission is holding a public meeting to update residents on changing wind turbine rules at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the town hall, 3792 Park Road.

Walker Proposal Would Torpedo $1.8 Billion in New Wind Power Investments

From a news release issued by RENEW Wisconsin:

The window on new wind power developments is likely to slammed completely shut by the end of 2011 under a proposal released by Governor Scott Walker, according to RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.

“As part of a larger proposal ostensibly to create jobs, Governor Walker unveiled new restrictions on wind energy development that, if adopted by the Legislature, would drive development activity worth $1.8 billion out of state,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin.

Governor Walker’s proposal would mandate minimum setbacks of 1,800 feet between a wind turbine and the nearest property line, a dramatic increase from the setback distance of 1,250 feet from a neighboring residence approved by the Public Service Commission in a rule that would otherwise take effect on March 1.

“There are very few locations in the entire Badger State that are windy and large enough, and located near transmission lines, to overcome such extreme constraints,” said Vickerman.

This setback requirement, which would be more stringent than any other statewide regulation in the nation, would also apply to permitted projects that have not begun construction, such as the two-turbine project in a Village of Cashton industrial park that was ready to begin construction this spring. A 99-megawatt project near Darlington in Lafayette County would also be blocked, said Vickerman.[For additional threatened projects see table below.]

“Because construction has commenced, We Energies’ 90-turbine Glacier Hills Wind Park in Columbia County will avoid these extreme restrictions,” said Vickerman. “Adoption of Walker’s proposal will draw the curtain on projects that would follow Glacier Hills, which will be able to power up to 45,000 homes.”

Walker seeks to halt wind projects, cut property tax relief, send jobs to other states

From an article by Colleen Kottke in the Fond du Lac Reporter:

Local municipalities are profiting from the wind. While many residents in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties live nowhere near the turbines dotting the landscape, the revenue stream from the towering towers is helping to offset increases in property taxes.

Last year, owners of Wisconsin’s four largest wind energy projects paid out nearly $2.8 million in rent to landowners hosting turbines and payments in lieu of property taxes to local governments, according to figures compiled by RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.
Fond du Lac County, which is home to 166 wind turbines, received a revenue payment of $625,000. Dodge County received $296,000 in payments for hosting 85 wind turbines.
“While we didn’t designate the income for anything in particular, we did use it to pay the bills of the county. Ultimately, it saves on property tax,” said Fond du Lac County Executive Allen Buechel.

Formula
Towns and counties do not collect property taxes from wind turbines but instead receive payments based on the generating capacity of each turbine, allocated under a formula adopted by the state Legislature in 2003.
Of the total revenue paid out to local governmental entities, counties retain two-thirds of the payments while townships hosting the turbines receive one-third. Payments to those local governments in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties will reach almost $1.6 million for 2010.

Wind energy developers negotiate lease agreements with landowners to host turbines on their property. Payments can be as high as $7,000 per turbine each year. Estimated rental payments to all Fond du Lac and Dodge county landowners will total slightly more than $1.2 million for 2010. Property owners hosting the 88 wind turbines in the Blue Sky Green Field wind farm in townships of Marshfield and Calumet divvied up a total of $440,000 paid to them by WeEnergies.

Marshfield Township Chairman John Bord said the $121,000 received from WeEnergies was used to keep rising property taxes in check in the town.

Expansion of Point Beach nuclear plant questioned

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Groups say state has enough electricity

Wisconsin doesn't need expanded power output from the Point Beach nuclear plant because the state has more than enough electricity to meet its needs, two advocacy groups said in a filing with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

NextEra Energy Resources Inc. has proposed expanding the total power output from the two-reactor plant by 17%. The plant supplies electricity to Milwaukee utility We Energies.

In a filing with the NRC, the Wisconsin Citizens' Utility Board and Clean Wisconsin raise questions about the plan, saying the NRC is relying on outdated information about the plant and its importance to the reliability of Wisconsin's power grid.

The NRC said the plant's output is needed to meet demand for power that's growing by 2% a year, citing a 2008 Wisconsin report. But the recession cut demand for electricity, and the state said the growth rate in demand has slowed to 1% a year, the groups say.

The groups also say the issue is "outdated and inaccurate" in contending that the project, known as an uprate, is needed in light of a weak transmission grid that has led Wisconsin to import power from Illinois.

But that is no longer the case, following billions of dollars of investment by American Transmission Co. in the eastern Wisconsin power grid and construction of new power plants, the consumer and environmental group said.

"The proposed . . . [updgrade] would actually result in needing to build more transmission in Wisconsin to enable (Point Beach) to export the uprate power out of state," the groups say.

American Transmission Co. has proposed a $173 million upgrade of the transmission line network in the Manitowoc County area to enable the full output of the nuclear plant to reach the rest of the power grid.

In light of the state's excess power supply, the PSC last year opened an inquiry into whether power plants should be mothballed or idled. Utilities say demand for power is expected to ramp back up as the economy improves.

Landowners and municipalities to reap millions from wind farm operations for 2010

For immediate release
January 10, 2011

More information
RENEW Wisconsin
Michael Vickerman
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

Landowners and Municipalities to Reap Millions from Wind Farm Operations for 2010

Owners of Wisconsin’s four largest wind energy projects will pay out approximately $2.8 million in rent to landowners hosting turbines and payments in lieu of taxes to local governments for 2010, according to figures compiled by RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide renewable energy advocacy organization.

Wind energy developers negotiate lease agreements with landowners to host turbines on their property. Payments can be as high as $7,000 per turbine per year. Estimated rental payments to all Fond du Lac and Dodge county landowners will total slightly more than $1.2 million in 2010.

Towns and counties do not collect property taxes from wind turbines but instead receive payments based on the generating capacity of each turbine, allocated under a formula adopted by the Legislature in 2003. Payments to those local governments will reach almost $1.6 million for 2010.

“These revenues help support farm families and rural Wisconsin communities.” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin. “It’s a much better deal for the state than sending dollars to Wyoming and West Virginia for the coal imported to Wisconsin to generate electricity.”

Gary Haltaufderheide, an employee of Madison-based Land Services Company, which negotiates land leases for large projects, like pipelines and wind turbines, says, “Farmers are smart business people and they’re very satisfied with the payments. One farmer saw the lease as a way to cover tuition payments for a child entering college.”

Four wind projects – Forward, Blue Sky Green Field, Cedar Ridge, and Butler Ridge – account for the payments to host landowners and local governments. Together these projects comprise nearly 90 percent of Wisconsin’s wind generation fleet.

When calculated over a 20-year contract period, total revenues should exceed $60 million, taking inflation into account.

Shirley Wind, the state’s newest wind power installation, will contributed another $80,000 a year, divided equally between Brown County, Town of Glenmore, local landowners, and neighbors within one-third of a mile of a turbine. The eight-turbine, 20-megawatt project began producing electricity in 2010.

Data tables

ECOS-FV meeting set for Jan. 12, Menasha

In order to give you all time to adjust to the new year, the first 2011 Meeting of ECOS-FV will be held Wednesday, January 12th rather than this Thursday at our normal and location in the Menasha Library. It will feature a community discussions on the Fox Valley 2011 Earth Week Flyer advertising effort , followed by advertising development planning for the February 3rd Food Panel.

Many local community business and organization representatives were invited to attend! We hope you will attend and help us format and advertise these community activities.

FOX VALLEY 2011 EARTH WEEK
Informational Meeting

DATE: Wednesday January 12, 2011
TIME: 6:30 PM
PLACE: Menasha Public Library, Lower Level Company E Room
Meeting is free and open to the public as always!

Agenda
1. Welcome and Introductions – Roger
Earth Week 2011 Program
2. Contact Information: Kathy
Kathy Thunes at kthunes@eastcentralrpc.org or (920)751-4770 days
Roger Kanitz at (920)722-6438 evenings
3. Information for flyer (see handout)
4. Enhancement of flyer (links to more information, website)
5. Sponsoring organizations
6. Printing, Distribution and Advertising
7. Deadlines
8. Community-wide challenge proposal/discussion – Mike
9. Summarize Earth Week Discussions – Kathy
Feb 3rd Food Panel
10. Feb 3rd Food Panel Plans and Ad Planning Discussion - Sadie
11. Other Items for Discussion
12. Adjourn - Roger

Biogas plant to supply energy to UW-Oshkosh

From an article by Rick Barrett of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will soon use food waste and yard waste to produce electricity and heat for the campus.

An anaerobic bio-digester will convert the waste into biogas, which will fuel an on-campus power generator.

When completed this year, the $3.5 million system is expected to generate 5% to 10% of the university's electricity, according to UW-Oshkosh officials.

It also will produce heat for campus buildings and serve as a renewable energy laboratory.

Through energy savings, university officials say the system could pay for itself in seven to 10 years.

UW-Oshkosh ranks 35th in the nation on the Sierra Club's list of environmentally conscious colleges.

"We are not just talking about it. We are doing some things," Tom Sonnleitner, UW-Oshkosh vice chancellor for administration, said Monday.

An anaerobic digester is a system that converts energy stored in organic materials into methane that's used to power a turbine or engine that produces electricity. Excess heat can be used in buildings, and leftover solids can be used as animal bedding or fertilizer.

Wisconsin is the national leader in creating energy from cow manure-using digesters.

The UW-Oshkosh system will use about 8,000 tons of organic waste per year, including garbage from campus cafeterias. It also could use waste from food-processing plants, yard waste such as grass clippings, animal bedding from dairy farms, and methane gas from a nearby sewage treatment plant.

Much of the material normally would be headed for a landfill, said Carolyn Chappell, an engineer with BIOFerm Energy Systems, a Madison firm that's building the bio-digester.

It is the first commercial-scale system of its kind in the United States, according to BIOFerm, whose parent company is in Germany where there are thousands of bio-digesters.

Four agribusinesses honored with Governor's Award for Excellence in Energy Management

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

MADISON, Wis. (December 30, 2010) – Floral Plant Growers, LLC, McMillan Farms, Peterson's Dairy LLC, and Rosendale Dairy were recently honored for earning the prestigious Governor’s Award for Excellence in Energy Management. This award recognizes businesses dedicated to adopting energy-efficient and sustainable practices in Wisconsin.

With the help of Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, in partnership with Alliant Energy, Marshfield Utilities, Oconto Electric Cooperative, We Energies, and Wisconsin Public Service, these four Wisconsin agribusinesses launched aggressive energy-saving efforts and continue to investigate new technologies and find more ways to save energy throughout their businesses.

Since 2008, Floral Plant Growers, LLC of Denmark, Wis. has saved more than 144,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity and 211,000 therms of natural gas annually. To reduce energy use in its greenhouses, Floral Plant Growers, LLC installed power-vented unit heaters and replaced double poly film roof glazing with double infrared (IR) poly film; upgraded to energy-efficient lighting; and installed occupancy sensors. Floral Plant Growers LLC is also keeping up with preventive maintenance, utilizing thermal blankets, and reducing air infiltration. These efforts add up to $240,000 in annual energy cost savings.

“Energy is a significant cost driver at Floral Plant Growers, LLC so finding ways to reduce natural gas and electricity costs is just one way we are working to become a more sustainable company while ensuring we are here for our customers for many years to come,” said Scott Lueder, Floral Plant Growers, LLC president.