State urged to beef up clean energy policies to create jobs

From an article by Judy Newman in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Two reports show Wisconsin has a significant renewable power industry, but with a stronger state commitment, it could be saving more energy and creating more jobs.

Wisconsin has more than 300 businesses involved in wind or solar energy, providing more than 12,000 jobs, according to a study by the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago.

It found 171 Wisconsin companies that either produce, sell or install wind power equipment or plan wind development.

Another 135 companies are part of the solar energy industry. For example, Cardinal Glass makes solar panels in Mazomanie; Helios recently opened a solar panel factory in Milwaukee.

"These are real jobs; these are real businesses. Many are existing businesses that are branching out into new product lines," said Howard Learner, the center's executive director.

Appleton Coated: Offers five Green Power Utopia options

From a news release issued by Appleton Coated:

Combined Locks, Wis. (Oct. 10, 2011) – Appleton Coated has transitioned its renewable electricity purchasing to renewable energy credits (RECS) from Green-e® certified energy sources. Now, Green Power is a standard offer in five grades of the Utopia® brand of coated printing papers: Utopia Premium, Utopia One (sheets and web), U1X:Green (sheets and web), Utopia Two (sheets) and U2:XG (sheets and web). Effective Oct. 3, 2011, these five grades feature Green-e certified Green Power.

“One hundred percent of the electricity used to manufacture these products is matched with RECS from Green-e certified energy sources -- primarily wind. Purchasing Utopia papers with Green Power increases support for building clean, efficient, wind-powered facilities and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Demonstrating this forward-thinking commitment to the environment by choosing Green Power Utopia requires no additional effort or cost,” says Ferkó Goldinger, advertising and promotion manager.

Customers also may specify Green Power for Appleton Coated’s papers that do not include this as standard. Those choosing this option will be charged a small additional cost and will be provided with a certificate of purchase plus the Green Power logo, if requested.

Learn more about Appleton Coated’s environmental focus and features in the "Utopia Green Zone”. This online resource presents an easy, interactive format to compare up to four product choices and calculate the environmental savings.

Lena High School dedicates solar panel

From an article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

Lena High School is among the 47 high schools in Northeastern Wisconsin to be awarded Wisconsin Public Services's SolarWise for Schools distinction.

In August, the school received a 2-kilowatt solar-electric system awning mount on the front exterior of the school.

Middle and high school students attended a dedication ceremony for the solar-electric system on Oct. 6, in the high school gymnasium.

Speakers included Lena District Administrator David Honish, WPS Community Foundation representative Karmen Lemke, State Sen. Dave Hansen, WPS Renewable Energy Manager Mike Moore and Lena Science Teacher Linda Schraufnagel.

Following the dedication ceremony students in grades 1-12 attended a renewable energy fair sponsored by Wisconsin Public Service. Students went on a scavenger hunt to learn about different types of renewable energy, energy conservation, electrical safety, played with solar toys, built solar bead bracelets, viewed different bird and osprey nests, rode the energy cycle, learned about career opportunities in the energy field and viewed a new Chevy Volt electric hybrid vehicle.

Every May, Lena High School students will have the opportunity to compete in more than a dozen different solar contests at Solar Olympics, held at one of three UW campuses. Students from all SolarWise schools compete in contests such as solar sculpture, solar car race, solar water heater, solar cooker, solar marketing campaign, photography and more.

The system was donated to the school by the WPS Community Foundation as part of the SolarWise for Schools program.

No excuse to stall rules on wind farms

From an editorial in the Racine Journal Times:

The wind turbines have stopped turning in Wisconsin, figuratively speaking. For months, the rewrite of rules governing the siting of wind energy farms has been stalled. New investments and new jobs also have been stalled because of that, and there is no good reason for it.

When Gov. Scott Walker took office in January he worked to short-circuit the rule-making process which was then almost complete after two years. The Public Service Commission had reached a compromise with interest groups which would have placed the wind turbine towers about 450 feet away from the nearest property line but no less than 1,250 feet from the nearest residence. Walker wanted the property line setback increased to 1,800 feet.

Ultimately, a legislative committee didn’t act on a bill containing Walker’s proposed standard and instead ordered the PSC to start over. That’s where the process remains. A member of the agency told the Wisconsin State Journal that talks have made no progress and are stuck over the same old issues: noise, setback distance and effect on the value of neighboring properties.

If there is no progress by March the PSC’s original regulations will take effect anyway, but wind farm opponents have no incentive to negotiate. All they have to do is wait. Either wind energy proponents capitulate and give them what they want, or the Legislature writes a new law which gives them what they want or Walker, with his new power to review regulations first, will give them what they want.

There is a high price for this stalling. Since the rules were becalmed, five major wind energy projects have been suspended or canceled. Those would have infused about $1.6 billion in economic development and created about 1,000 temporary full-time jobs. By contrast, the proposed northern Wisconsin iron mine which the Legislature is looking to accommodate is supposed to bring a $1.5 billion investment and 700 jobs.

Clean energy event draws dozens to Lakeshore Tech College

From an article in the Sheboygan Press:

An event to highlight the potential of using clean energy in Wisconsin drew dozens of people Thursday to Lakeshore Technical College in Cleveland.

The event, "Capturing Wisconsin's Clean Energy Potential: Benefits for Homeowners, Jobseekers and Students," included a campus renewal energy tour followed by a panel discussion with educators and area business and labor leaders who discussed the economic and environmental benefits of investing in clean energy.

It was sponsored by the Sierra Club of Wisconsin.

"Wisconsin has an opportunity to create thousands of jobs, clean up our air and catch up with other states and countries by modernizing our energy systems," said Shahla Werner, chapter director, Sierra Club–John Muir Chapter, in a press release issued by the organization on Friday.

"Right now we are sending over $16 billion dollars a year out of state to pay for fossil fuels," Werner said. "Recent decisions to curtail wind development and cut funding for Focus on Energy might be penny smart, but they are pound foolish. Focus on Energy has created over 24,000 small business private sector jobs since its creation just over a decade ago."

Focus on Energy programs save residents and homeowners $300 million per year, and that is money in your pocket that is staying in the state, unlike coal or natural gas that we bring in from out-of state," said Kevin Hogan, Focus on Energy outreach manager.

"Sometimes I wonder what really is considered a "green job." It's not just the people who put up wind turbines and solar panels, but it's also all the people who manufacture clean energy components and the people work at the business offices. But it goes beyond that to include healthcare workers and other service professionals, people who work at grocery stores and gas stations — everyone who economically benefits from interacting with this emerging work force" said Matt Boor, Lakeshore Technical College Wind Energy Instructor. . . .

PSC needs to establish firm wind rules

From an editorial in the Manitowoc Herald Tribune Reporter:

It is becoming increasingly difficult to gauge which way the political winds are blowing when it comes to establishing rules on siting wind farms in Wisconsin.

The state Public Service Commission isn't close to coming up with a solution that would appease wind developers on the one hand and property owners, who claim turbines affect their health, on the other.

The Manitowoc County Board in September voted against a one-year moratorium on large wind turbine construction in the county, in effect saying it is growing impatient with the PSC.

Developers are growing increasingly impatient. Tim Polz, vice president of Midwest Wind Energy of Chicago, said his company was ready to develop a large wind farm in neighboring Calumet County but put it on hold because of the uncertainty about state siting rules. The company had spent three years and about $1 million developing the project.

"Right now, we just don't have a path forward in Wisconsin," Polz said. "The uncertainty is just too much now."

Into the mix comes State Sen. Frank Lasee, R-Bellevue, who earlier this week introduced a bill that would require a statewide moratorium on future wind turbines until the PSC receives a report from the Department of Health Services regarding the health impacts on people and animals.

It is uncertain how far such a report is away, or how long it would take.

Gov. Scott Walker earlier introduced a bill to increase — from 450 feet to 1,800 feet — setbacks for wind turbines from the nearest property line.

That proposal was lauded by wind industry critics and the real estate industry, but officials in the wind industry said the governor's proposal would ruin their business in Wisconsin.

Manitowoc County rejected in 2009 a developer's proposal to erect a wind farm in the Mishicot area, in part because of the lack of clear rules and oversight. It is becoming a familiar scenario as the PSC continues to drag its feet.

Firm standards and rules are needed — and quickly. The longer this drags out, the more likely it becomes that local ordinances will conflict with state standards. Local lawmakers are becoming increasingly impatient with the state on this issue.

The longer we go without a firm set of rules, the less confidence local municipalities will have in the PSC's ability to find a workable solution.

The PSC should build some measure of local control into its solution, but the agency must meet the challenge of becoming the go-to agency on the basic rules of wind tower siting.

Walker opposition to wind power shows “open for business” is just hot air

From an editorial in The Northwestern, Oshkosh:

Since taking office in January, Gov. Scott Walker's administration has breathlessly reminded anyone who'd listen that Wisconsin is "Open for Business." That is beginning to sound like little more than hot air. The willingness of the administration to speed job creation appears tied to the willingness of job creators to see to it that the governor's campaign war chest is stocked enough to help him hold onto his job.

New rules for wind farms operating in Wisconsin were supposed to go into effect earlier this year. After the governor submitted a bill to dramatically increase the setback requirement, a legislative committee put the rules on hold and sent them back to the Public Service Commission for reconsideration, where they've sat in limbo since March.

Meanwhile, the state is losing out on millions of dollars in economic investment and hundreds of jobs, the Wisconsin State Journal reports. Midwest Wind Energy, for example, already invested about $1 million on a wind farm project in Calumet County. In all, it expected to spend more than $200 million on the project, and hire 150 to 200 construction workers over 18 months and five to eight permanent workers.

"Right now, we just don't have a path forward in Wisconsin," Tim Polz, vice president of Midwest Wind Energy, told the State Journal. "The uncertainty is just too much now."

According to the newspaper, five utility farm projects have been suspended or canceled since March, costing the state $1.6 billion in lost economic development and almost 1,000 temporary, full-time jobs.

It's a safe rule of thumb that most policy inconsistencies can be traced to campaign donors. The governor's more stringent property setbacks were supported by the real estate industry, which donated more than $598,000 to his campaign.

Walker refuses to break wind siting deadlock

From an article by Clay Barbour in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in potential economic development are stuck in limbo as officials continue to argue over new wind siting rules.

The new rules, more than a year in the making, were suspended earlier this year just before they were to go into effect. A legislative committee sent them back to the Public Service Commission, which was tasked with finding a compromise between both sides.

Now, some seven months later, PSC officials say they are no closer to a deal than when they started. Meanwhile, wind farm developers such as Midwest Wind Energy and Redwind Consulting are sitting on their hands, and their money.

“Right now, we just don’t have a path forward in Wisconsin,”said Tim Polz, vice president of Midwest Wind Energy, a company that suspended work earlier this year on a large wind farm in Calumet County. “The uncertainty is just too much now.”

Polz said Chicago-based Midwest already spent three years and about $1 million on the Calumet County project. In full, the company expected to spend upward of $200 million on the project, employ 150 to 200 construction workers for up to 18 months and five to eight people full time after that. . . .

Walker said he is aware of the stress caused by the delay but feels it is important any rules be fair to both sides, respecting property rights and the future of the wind industry.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Frank Lasee, R-De Pere, plans to introduce a bill Monday to call for a moratorium on wind turbines until the PSC receives a report from the Department of Health Services on possible health effects of wind farms.

“It is more important to fully vet, understand and communicate to the public the potential changes than the specific timing of when they are adopted and enacted.” Walker said. “It is important to note that whatever proposed changes are made, there are effects on a number of different areas of the economy.”

New North may be on leading edge of growing biodegester industry

From an article by Rich Redman on Insight:

Don’t let waste go to waste. That’s Gary Radloff’s thinking. The interim director of the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative (WBI) housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison says “we have the opportunity to take waste and make something of it!”

Radloff, who recently keynoted a roundtable session called Biogas Opportunities in Wisconsin and The New North at Short Elliott Hendrickson in Appleton, is a firm believer that “this region of the country is well positioned to take advantage of the bio-economy – lots of historical experience with wood pulp and agriculture.”

Biogas is produced by the anaerobic (absence of oxygen) decomposition of organic matter. Waste such as cow manure, crop residue or byproducts from milk and cheese plants is fed into a closed vessel called a biodigester. There, microbes in the presence of heat and absence of oxygen break down the organic matter to create biogas, which is made up of 50 to 75 percent methane.

The methane can be then combusted for electricity and heat or upgraded for use in pipelines or transportation fuel. Depending on the digester technology chosen, there can be two other valuable byproducts of the decomposition process: nutrient-rich solids that can be used for fertilizer, animal bedding, particle board or fill dirt; and a non-odorous liquid rich in nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus that can be applied to farm fields as fertilizer.

The interest in biogas has grown significantly in the past 15 years, Radloff says. Germany is the world leader in this technology, with more than 6,000 plants.

In contrast, as of December 2010, there were only 152 farm scale biogas facilities in the United States. Wisconsin leads all states with 26 on-farm plants.

The Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative’s 2011 strategic plan points out that about 82 percent of Wisconsin’s energy comes from out-of-state sources. About $18 billion leaves the state each year to purchase energy for businesses, power to heat homes and fuel vehicles. The same research shows that, if the 23 million tons of manure produced each year were converted to natural gas, Wisconsin would offset 4.4 percent of its energy need – a $185 million underutilized opportunity.

ECOS-FV meeting, Oct. 6, 6:30 pm, Menasha Library

The October meeting of ECOS-FV will focus its agenda on a discussion with the members of the Town of Menasha Sustainability Committee to develop an action plan regarding the proposed educational TV programing of sustainability topics as noted in the proposed attachment below drafted by Maury. This should be a great evening and everyone is encouraged to attend to help develop this program over the coming months! There is room for many talented folks to be involved in this effort!

This meeting will be held:
Location: Menasha Library, corner of Racine and First Streets
Time: 6:30 PM
Room: Company E Room, Lower Level
Date: Thursday, October 6th
This meeting is free and open to the public!