Commentary: How Wisconsin regulators 'tax' renewable energy

Michael Vickerman's commentary in Midwest Energy News on the recent changes in WI renewable energy. Find the original post here.

Commentary: How Wisconsin regulators ‘tax’ renewable energy

RENEW Wisconsin's Michael Vickerman

Starting next January, the price of purchasing renewable energy voluntarily through monthly utility bills will spike to all-time highs, thanks to recent decisions rendered by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) on two popular “green pricing” programs.

The thousands of Madison Gas & Electric (MGE) customers participating in the utility’s Green Power Tomorrow program will see their premiums jump from 2.5 cents/kWh to 4 cents/kWh. That’s an increase of 60 percent. To translate this into dollars and cents, an average MGE customer consuming 500 kWh of electricity per month and subscribing at the 100 percent level will pay $90 more in 2013 for the same amount of renewable kWh sold this year.

Residential customers of Milwaukee-based We Energies (WE) will see an even larger percentage increase next year. In that utility’s rate case, the PSCW jacked up the premium paid by Energy for Tomorrow subscribers by nearly 73 percent, from 1.39 cents to 2.4 cents/kWh. Energy for Tomorrow has more than 20,000 subscribers.

Back in 1999, the year both programs were launched, MGE and WE customers paid an extra 3.33 cents and 2.04 cents/kWh, respectively, for the renewable energy they sponsored. Come January 1st, MGE and WE will likely share the dubious distinction of being the only utilities in the country offering renewable energy at a higher rate than they did in the 1990’s. So much for progress.

Adding insult to injury, renewable program subscribers will be subject to general rate increases approved by the PSCW this November. The utilities sought higher rates to recover the costs of retrofitting older coal-fired power stations with modern pollution controls. The fact that the renewable generators leveraged by program participants will never need pollution control retrofits is wholly disregarded in determining the size of the premium.

This is unquestionably a subsidy that flows from program participants to all ratepayers.

How did this happen?
Since 1999, renewable generation costs have tumbled, while productivity has improved.
A frustrated program subscriber might well ask: If base utility rates are going up, and the cost of renewable electricity is declining, why are premiums going up instead of down?

The short answer is that wholesale electricity prices have sagged in recent years, owing to a combination of unsustainably low natural gas prices, stagnant demand, and rapid expansion of wind power displacing higher-cost generation. In contrast, the price of renewable energy procured under long-term contracts held steady. When prices dropped in the wholesale market beginning in late 2008, the gap between system energy and renewable sources widened.

Though accurate, the above explanation is deeply unsatisfying, because the wholesale “market” is concerned about one thing only: the marginal cost of producing electricity into the grid. Nothing else matters, including the expenditures approved by the PSCW to reduce emissions from older generators. Even though retail customers wind up footing the bill for those upgrades, the wholesale market does not treat pollution control retrofits as marginal costs. Not one cent paid by ratepayers for these expenditures is reflected in the prices that renewable generators compete against.

The net effect of this disconnect is to artificially suppress the price of electricity from older and dirtier generators relative to newer and cleaner electricity producers. Real markets factor in the cost of upgrading and replacing capital equipment that manufacture the product bought by customers. What we have instead is an artificial contrivance that sacrifices long-term considerations like clean air, resource diversity and regulatory risk for the short-term reward of low prices.

Indeed, it would be difficult to design a more punitive market structure for renewables than the one we have at present.

‘Swimming up a waterfall’
Pricing renewable energy against a market operating in real time also undermines a valuable attribute of renewable energy, namely its inherent price stability. In this environment, the only way a customer can directly benefit from a fixed-price energy source like solar is to self-generate at his or her premises to reduce consumption of grid-supplied electricity.

In setting the premium size, the PSCW relied on pricing data at a time when the regional wholesale market was near its cyclical bottom. Electricity prices are now edging upward as forward prices of natural gas have rebounded from historic lows earlier this year. It’s a safe bet that wholesale electricity prices will continue to increase in 2013.

This sets up the very real possibility that WE and MGE will collect more revenue than is necessary to cover the cost spread between system energy and the renewable energy supplies servicing their customers. Unfortunately, the next time the base premium for each utility can be adjusted is January 1, 2015.

For at least a century now, fossil fuels have been the default resource option for most utilities. Against this institutional bias, switching to renewable energy is akin to swimming upstream. But given how far backward the PSCW bent to accommodate utilities’ continued reliance on coal and natural gas, quite a few renewable energy subscribers may balk at the prospect of swimming up a waterfall.

In fairness to MGE and WE, the price hikes approved by the PSCW went well beyond the incremental increases proposed by the two utilities. That’s because the agency relies solely on the wholesale “market” metric described above that filters out all societal benefits from the equation. To the agency, renewables are another source of electrons that deserve no special consideration. And, in reaching its decision, the PSCW disregarded the potential impact that abrupt price hikes might have on customer participation.

Programs outliving their usefulness?
A significant loss in subscribership would be a regrettable outcome if the programs were still viable vehicles for leveraging new sources of renewable energy. Sadly, that is no longer the case.

Earlier this decade, WE and MGE pulled the plug on a popular feature of their programs, specifically the special solar energy buyback rates that were funded with participant dollars. This innovation, which spurred the installation of hundreds of solar electric systems in their territories, succeeded in elevating MGE and WE’s stature while achieving the aims of their participating customers. However, when the utilities eliminated their solar incentives, they also removed the principal rationale for subscribing to their programs.

It seems quite clear that the current crop of voluntary renewable energy programs have outlived their usefulness. They are stagnating under a market structure that distorts and amplifies their true costs as well as a regulatory climate that greatly discounts their benefits to ratepayers. What were once dynamic vehicles for increasing supplies of renewable energy are now little more than feel-good marketing exercises running on autopilot. The value proposition to customers just isn’t there anymore.

There is nothing out there to prevent utilities from revitalizing their green pricing programs and making them useful once again. Such an undertaking, however, would require them to do something they haven’t done before: present an affirmative case for adding more renewables into their energy mix.

To do that effectively, utilities would need to recognize that the fossil energy path leads to a dead-end and that renewables ought to be the default resource option going forward. From that starting point, designing a program in which modest customer premiums actually result in additional supplies of renewable energy should be a simple and straightforward exercise.

It’s the very least a responsible utility should do to reduce the impact of generating electricity on the one planet we are privileged to call home.

Michael Vickerman is program and policy director of RENEW Wisconsin, a sustainable energy advocacy organization. RENEW Wisconsin is a member of RE-AMP, which also publishes Midwest Energy News.

Find the original article post here.

Sheboygan aldermen to hear solar panel proposal

From an article in the Sheboygan Press by Dan Benson. Third-party ownership gets a look in Wisconsin:

Sheboygan aldermen will get their first look Tuesday night at a proposal to install solar panels on city buildings at no cost to the city and would hopefully lower the city’s electric costs.

Members of the city’s Sustainable Sheboygan Task Force, which examines ways the city can operate in a more environmentally friendly way, and representatives from Arch Electric in Plymouth will make the presentation to the council’s Committee of the Whole at 5 p.m. in the third floor council chambers at City Hall.

The key to the proposal is using a financing plan in which the city would lease the panels from Arch Electric. The energy savings would be greater than the lease costs, said Jennifer Lehrke, a local architect and task force member.

“It would not cost the city anything because the panels are owned by a third party,” she said. “The investors who do this get to take advantage of tax credits and accelerated depreciation and as a lease there is a small interest being paid to the investors.”

The task force is recommending that the council finance a study to see which buildings would be the prime candidates for solar panels. Lehrke estimated the study would cost less than $5,000. Lehrke estimated the study would take two or three months to complete.

If adopted, the plan would would be the first in the state, she said.

“We would be a forerunner in the state. It’s a way to distinguish Sheboygan, probably the first of its kind in the state,” she said.

Arch Electric owner Ed Zinthefer confirmed that.

“It’s never been done in Wisconsin,” he said.

His company has installed solar panels on a number of local projects, including the Maywood Environmental Center and at Ebenezer and First Congregational United Churches of Christ.

Former Common Council member Jeanne Kliejunas, also a member of the task force, said Arch Electric is one of the most experienced solar installation companies in the state that until now has worked mostly with private clients.

“They would like to expand into the municipal market,” she said.

Solar powering your community with Clean Energy Choice

Clean Energy Choice (sometimes called third-party ownership) allows a customer to get electricity from a third-party which installs and maintains a renewable energy system on the customer's premises.

With Clean Energy Choice, customers don't have to put any money upfront, the major barrier to installing renewables. The customer either buys the output directly from the third-party owner or pays to host the energy-producing equipment and uses the electricity without any further cost under a long-term contract.

From a presentation by Michael Vickerman, RENEW director of policy and program, at Solar Powering Your Community, October 11, 2012: 

• No up-front capital required from host customers 
• Allows nonprofit entities to partner w/ for-profit companies that can use the 30% federal tax credit 
• Based on a successful model for delivering energy efficiency (performance-based contracts) 
• Could lower energy costs for customers over the contract life 
• Hugely successful in states that allow it (e.g., California and Colorado) 
• It’s your premises, after all 

America Votes Solar - Across Party Lines

From Solar Energy Industries Association:

SEIA released its annual public poll examining what likely voters think about solar, and the results are resounding: American voters love solar. The poll found that more than nine out of 10 (92 percent) of likely voters feel that the U.S. should develop and use more solar energy.

...

This support was strong across the political spectrum with 84 percent of Republicans, 95 percent of independents, and 98 percent of Democrats agreeing. And that's not all -- voters want the government to do more to foster and grow the solar industry, including providing federal and state financial incentives.

Read the poll highlights here.

India's Blackout Lesson: Coal Failed, Small Solar = Big Results

From a story by Justin Guay, Sierra Club International Program:

Of course they still have to face the problems they have inherited from trying to copy/paste a centralized grid from the West. So what can they do to solve peak problems with the grid they already have in place? Deploy lots and lots of distributed solar and efficiency.

That's because, unlike coal, solar for the most part is available when you need it - during peak hours. Which is why it's great to see States like Gujarat taking the lead in roof top solar programs with the support of the IFC. And efficiency makes the peaks smaller so you need less power in the first place.

The irony here of course is that distributed generation has always been ignored as trivial compared to the real need for a large scale 'modern grid.' That’s because policymakers and commentators lack the imagination to understand the fact that when aggregated, small can be very, very big.

Take the hidden truth behind India's modern grid (as my colleague Jigar Shah points out): it is actually already a distributed system that is largely powered by filthy, costly diesel gen sets. That’s because power outages are so frequent that businesses and wealthy individuals have been forced to pay for this backup generation to ensure power. This is a tremendous opportunity for companies seeking targeted diesel replacement strategies to save people and companies tremendous amounts of money, while providing reliable power.

Kohl's solar initiative powers 30 locations in 2012

From a news release issued by Kohl's Department Stores:

MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. -- Kohl’s Department Stores (NYSE:KSS) today announced that the company will expand its solar program by nearly 25 percent in 2012, installing solar at approximately 30 additional Kohl’s locations. While some of the new solar sites will be in states such as California, Connecticut and Maryland where Kohl’s already has a solar presence, additional sites will be located in new solar states for Kohl’s, including Massachusetts, New York and Ohio.

On average, the solar panels will supply 20 to 50 percent of each store’s energy. Construction of the solar panel arrays on the first phase of stores began this spring. Once the installations are complete by the end of 2012, Kohl’s expects to have more than 150 solar locations across 13 states.

Solar PV system installed on First Congregational Church, UCC in Sheboygan

A news release issued by Arch Electric:

Arch Electric recently installed and commissioned a 19.32-kilowatt solar electric (PV) system for First Congregational Church, UCC in the City of Sheboygan.

The solar array consists of 84 solar modules and was installed on the roof of the church building with a custom-designed ballast rack system that required only 1 roof penetration into the building.

On an annual basis the Solar PV System will produce over 24,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and save the church more than $2,800.

The solar panel manufacturer has a facility in Georgia, the racking system was designed and manufactured in Southeast Wisconsin, and the NABCEP Certified installers from Arch Electric are local residents. Based in Plymouth, WI, Arch Electric is a leading designer and installer of renewable energy throughout the Midwest, having commissioned over 2-Megawatts of renewable energy on businesses, homes, churches, farms, YMCA’s and other organizations.

Arch Electric also installed a solar electric system at St. Nicholas Senior Apartments in Sheboygan.

Solar PV System Installed on St. Nicholas Senior Apartments, Sheboygan

A news release issued by Arch Electric:

Arch Electric recently installed and commissioned a 30-kilowatt solar electricity (PV) system for St. Nicholas Redevelopment in the City of Sheboygan. The solar array was installed on the roof of the St. Nicholas Senior Apartments located at 916 Huron Ave. One hundred twenty six (126) solar modules were installed on a custom-engineered steel racking system. On an annual basis the Solar PV System will produce over 36,000 kilowatt hours of electricity and save the property over $4,300.

The solar panel company has a production facility in Georgia, the racking system was designed and manufactured in Southeast Wisconsin, and the NABCEP Certified installers from Arch Electric are local residents. The former St. Nicholas hospital building was renovated into Senior Apartments in 1980.

Based in Plymouth, WI, Arch Electric is a leading designer and installer of renewable energy throughout the Midwest, having commissioned close to 2-Megawatts of renewable energy on businesses, homes, churches, farms, YMCA’s and other organizations.

Solar energy has come to downtown Green Bay park

From an article by Scott Cooper Williams in the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

. . . City and industry leaders Tuesday dedicated two solar energy panels designed to educate the public about the alternative energy source.

The square, flat panels erected at Leicht Memorial Park could generate enough electricity to light up the city-owned park — or two average-sized homes.

Mayor Jim Schmitt said he hopes adults and children will visit the downtown park to see solar energy in action and consider its usefulness.

Partnering on the project with Wisconsin Public Service Corp. also demonstrates the city's commitment to sustainable government services, Schmitt said.

"It just shows where Green Bay is going," the mayor said during dedication ceremonies Tuesday at the riverfront park.

WPS officials earlier this year approached the city about a solar energy installation on city property. After some discussion, the two sides agreed that downtown was the best place to enhance public understanding about it.

The utility company spent about $32,000 to install 20-foot-tall panels that will rotate to follow the sun's movements.

Company officials called it the first use of solar energy in downtown Green Bay.

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.

FdL couple harnesses solar power, sells it back to Alliant Energy

From an article by Monica Walk in the Fond du Lac Reporter:

Can you imagine watching your electric meter roll backward — legally?

Jeanne and John McDowell know that delight, thanks to the solar panels they installed on their home’s roof last fall. The 18 panels on the back of their home generate more power than the couple consumes and the excess is sold back to Alliant Energy.

“We generate far more than we are using,” Jeanne McDowell said. “The money we earn pays for our electricity, fees, charges and taxes, and some of our gas usage. This summer, we have earned a two-month credit and will apply that toward future bills.”

The McDowells are among three households and one business in Fond du Lac currently generating solar power, said Alliant Associate Product Manager in Renewables Tracy Vail. It’s a small but growing group, Vail said.

A bi-directional digital meter installed in the McDowells’ laundry room clocks the electricity produced, as well as the amount the McDowells use. An inverter mounted in the same location hooks into the main fuse box and changes the current from direct (DC) to alternating (AC) for use in the home.

Nearby, the McDowells keep a daily log of their energy creation. By mid-July, they had saved 55,000 pounds of CO2 and logged more than 3,300 kilowatt hours since the panels went live. For comparison, a watt is the gauge of how much energy an appliance burns in one hour, and a compact fluorescent bulb burns 12-14 watts in an hour.

“Eleven a.m. is the best time” for energy generation, John McDowell noted. “And a cool, sunny day creates more electricity than a hot, sunny day when the UV is blocked.”

Environmental conservatives
Their life experiences and current living situation influenced the McDowells’ decision to install the solar panels. Together, the couple has lived and worked abroad as teachers for a number of years in Germany and Japan, where solar panels may be compulsory in all new construction by 2030, according to a May report in the Nikkei business daily.

“We’ve lived in countries where energy is more expensive,” Jeanne noted. “And, we’ve always had an environmental conscience.”

Now online: Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly

The Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly, the newsletter of RENEW Wisconsin, features these article:

Siting Rule Suspension Rocks Wind Industry
In a move that sent shock waves through the wind industry in Wisconsin, a joint legislative panel voted on March 1 to suspend the wind siting rule promulgated by the Public Service Commission in December 2010.

Community Biogas Project Fires Up
Home to 400 dairy farms, Dane County recently dedicated a community-scale manure-to-methane generating system designed to reduce nutrient runoff into the Yahara Lakes.

Insty Prints: Mpower ChaMpion
But if I can help other businesses make some of the harder choices by being more vocal, then I’m willing to help.

Manitoba Hydro: A Washout?
On behalf of our members and the many businesses and individuals who support the continued expansion of Wisconsin’s renewable energy marketplace, RENEW Wisconsin is here to express opposition to AB 114 (and its companion SB 81), and urges the Legislature not to pass this bill.

Verona Firm Begins Work on “Epic” PV
With the commissioning of its 1,300-module solar electric canopy spanning its parking deck, Epic Systems joins an elite group of Wisconsin companies embracing on-site energy capture to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. At 360 kilowatts (kW), Epic’s new photovoltaic system is the largest solar array in Dane County and the third largest in Wisconsin.

Calendar of Renewable and Energy Efficiency Events
June 17-19, 2001 The Energy Fair. Custer, WI. The nation’s premier sustainable energy education event. Three days of workshops, demonstrations, and exhibits highlighting renewable energy and sustainable living. For details see www.midwestrenew.org.

July 8-10, 2011 EcoFair360. Elkhorn, WI. Join hundreds of exhibitors and presenters and thousands of attendees who will Make Green Happen for three days of education, exploration and inspiration. For details see www.ecofair360.org.

July 16, 2011 Western Wisconsin Sustainability Fair. Menomonie, WI, Dunn County Fair Grounds. Exhibitors from business, government, and non-profi t groups, speakers, workshops, music, energy effi cient vehicles, a photo contest, and a tour of the Cedar Falls Dam. See http://sustainabledunn.org for more information.

July 30, 2011 8th Annual Kickapoo Country Fair. LaFarge, WI. The Midwest’s Largest Organic Food and Sustainability Festival. Food, music, bike and farm tours, cooking demonstrations, theater, kids’ activities, dancing. More information at www.kickappoocountryfair.org.

October 1, 2011 Solar Tour of Homes and Businesses. All across Wisconsin. Owners open their doors to let people see how renewable energy is practical, reliable, and affordable in today’s economy. The homes and businesses often include other energy efficiency and renewable technologies. For details see http://nationalsolartour.org.

October 26, 2011 Wisconsin’s Solar Decade Conference. Milwaukee, WI. Now in its seventh year, the Wisconsin
Solar Decade Conference is your opportunity to see fi rsthand the latest developments in the world of solar energy. For details see www.solardecade.com.

Energy groups oppose bill to undermine Wisconsin's renewable energy commitment

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.

Fox Valley Lutheran High School receives solar energy grant

From an article in the Appleton Post Crescent:

APPLETON — Fox Valley Lutheran High School has received a $150,000 solar energy grant from Wisconsin Focus on Energy and We Energies.

In April, 156 solar panels were installed on the roof of the school's media center. The goal is to generate electricity and lower energy costs at the school. According to estimates, the 36-kilowatt photovoltaic system will help reduce the school's energy costs by nearly $4,300 annually.

School officials said this renewable energy system generates electricity in a quiet and reliable way without creating air or water pollution. The panels cost $247,455 to install.

An interactive page has been posted to the school's website, www.fvlh.org, to teach students about solar energy and other renewable energy technologies, and to monitor the output of the solar cells.

Donations fund Sturgeon Bay school's solar panels

From an article by Samantha Hernandez in the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

The Sturgeon Bay School Board has received a donation from Sturgeon Bay Utilities to help offset the costs of the district's new solar panels.

The board accepted the grants Wednesday from Jim Stawicki, SBU general manager.

Stawicki, acting as a representative for both Sturgeon Bay Utilities and Wisconsin Public Power Inc., presented the two grants, from WPPI for $25,000 and one from SBU for $19,000.

The district also received a grant for about $20,000 from Wisconsin Focus on Energy.

The grants will be used to offset the costs of the district's solar panels, the monitoring system, and the new touch-screen kiosk in the front entrance of the high school. The kiosk allows users to view various statistics that pertain to the solar panels including the amount of energy produced and a diagram of the panels.

The panels were installed in March on the roof of the high school, said Russ Cross, district manager of buildings and grounds.

There are two rows of solar panels, 22 in all, and each panels has 60 photovoltaic cells. The panels are visible from Michigan Street, which runs past the high school.

Cross is not certain how much the panels will save the school in the long run.

"It's hard to speculate. The amount of power it's supposed to generate (is) roughly equivalent to powering two average-size homes for a year," Cross said.

Notre Dame Academy installs new solar electric system

From an article by Richard Ryman in the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

Green Bay Notre Dame Academy dedicated a new solar electric system on Monday and is preparing for renovation of its auditorium over the summer.

The Catholic high school dedicated a system designed and installed by Solar Innovations of Waukesha. Solar Innovations is owned by former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann.

Robert Pauly, president of Notre Dame, 610 Maryhill Drive, Green Bay, said the system cost about $181,000, and was paid for in part by a $143,000 grant from Focus on Energy and Wisconsin Public Service Corp. He credited science teacher Steve Kircher with discovering and applying for the grant.

The solar panels will generate 41,400 kilowatts a year and save $4,261 annually in electric costs, giving it about a seven-year payback on the school's portion of the project. It will save an estimated $95,000 over 15 years and $216,300 over 25 years, taking into account escalating energy costs, Pauly said. It is rated to last 30 to 50 years.

"Solar Innovations told us it is the largest solar system in Northeastern Wisconsin," Pauly said.

Earth Day Economics: A Green and Prosperous Future

From an article in the Shepherd Express by Doug Booth, a retired Marquette University economics professor, a founder of the Driftless Area Land Conservancy, and author of The Coming Good Boom: Creating Prosperity for All and Saving the Environment Through Compact Living:

The astounding success of the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, under the tutelage of a true Wisconsin hero, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, marked the coming of age of the environmental movement in this country. Environmental victories in the 1970s included the passage of such landmark legislation as the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species acts. Earth Day ushered in a new environmental era, and today the quality of our lives is much improved for it.

Unfortunately, our work remains unfinished.

Our single greatest environmental threat today is global warming brought to us by the burning of fossil fuels to power our cars, heat our homes, grow our food and fabricate and operate all our wonderful consumer gadgets. Scientists tell us that greenhouse gases from fossil fuels act like a "tea cozy" around the Earth, bringing forth dangerous environmental harms reported in the news on a daily basis—a shrinking polar ice cap, rising sea levels, more powerful storms, droughts and wildfires.

Reducing Fossil Fuel Consumption
Bringing global warming to a halt can be accomplished with a simple act—freeing ourselves from the environmental tyranny of fossil fuels. Some will say this is easier said than done, but doing so will bring on what I call a "good boom" that will lift all our boats. The "good boom" will be an economic expansion created through compact urban living, clean energy, more grassland and less corn, green cuisine, letting forests grow old and more. It will also help us address global warming. . . .

Wind and Solar Are the Future's Power Sources
Necessary to moving beyond fossil fuels is a switch to truly clean sources of renewable energy. Notwithstanding Gov. Scott Walker's attempt to bring wind energy to a screeching halt with onerous regulations, both wind and sun are the primary energy sources of the future. For example, California lawmakers recently approved a rule requiring utilities to derive one-third of their power from renewable energy sources within 10 years. As we do more of anything in our economy, its cost inevitably falls. This is happening already for both wind and solar energy. The Great Plains is on track to becoming the Saudi Arabia of wind energy, and throughout the Midwest industrial belt, old factories are quickly being refitted to produce wind generators and solar panels. Despite the naysayers, the wind and solar energy revolution is under way, bringing forth an abundance of new jobs—windsmiths, solar panel installers, weatherization specialists, solar engineers, wind and solar equipment fabricators and, here in Milwaukee, urban farmers.

To be sure, the fossil fuel industry will resist going quietly and will defend to the death its right to pollute the atmosphere without cost. Eventually, the industry will lose this battle and will pay the public piper through some form of a tax on greenhouse gas emissions.

Focus offers competitive grants to businesses for large renewable energy projects

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

Completed proposals due April 30, 2011

MADISON, Wis. (March 11, 2011) – Today, Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities’ statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, announced that businesses can compete for incentives for large renewable energy systems. The Large Renewable Energy System Competitive Incentives allow Wisconsin businesses and organizations to apply for funds to help implement large renewable energy systems.

Businesses can receive an incentive of up to 30 percent of the project costs to complete a renewable energy project that is well-researched, documented, and justified. Eligible, large-scale renewable energy systems may include: solar electric, solar hot-water, wind electric, biomass energy, and anaerobic digestion (biogas).

“Renewable energy technology offers businesses deeper energy cost savings after energy efficiency measures are implemented.” said Ken Williams, Focus on Energy’s business programs director. “Focus’ large renewable energy competitive incentives help businesses defray some of the upfront investment cost of a renewable energy system, resulting in a quicker payback."

Any type of business, school, government entity, agribusiness, and apartments/condo facilities can apply for a Focus competitive incentive. The application and details are available online at focusonenergy.com/competitive_incentives. Applications are due by April 30, 2011.

'Green' job market continues to experience growth

From an article by Sarah Kloepping in the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter:

MANITOWOC — Richard Larson, president of Manitowoc-based GreenSky Energetics Inc., said the industry for energy-efficiency products is growing and will continue to do so.

"The future holds higher energy costs, and might I be so bold to say you'd have to be stupid to not look at these devices, because they will definitely lower your energy costs," he said.

Larson said GreenSky, which installs solar heating systems throughout the state, does not anticipate hiring more employees in the near future, but he thinks the industry as a whole will continue to expand.

"GreenSky is not anticipating hiring more, and it's because there are more contractors now that are installing them," he said. "So, there is more competition. I think overall the industry is going to hire more. It's a win-win all the way across the board. There are no losers in this green-energy job sector scenario."

Promising future
Jenny Heinzen, wind energy technology instructor at Lakeshore Technical College, said she has witnessed many students get jobs out of school in both "small wind," which includes residential, small business and farm projects, and "big wind," or utility-scale projects.

"Three graduates are working on large wind farms in Wisconsin, and a few are working on large wind farms in other states," she said. "Additionally, at least six are employed in small wind and working in Wisconsin.

Neenah budgets for wind turbines or solar project

From an article by Duke Behnke in the Appleton Post-Crescent:

NEENAH — Proponents of renewable energy have convinced the Neenah Common Council to budget $250,000 next year to build either a system based on solar power or wind turbines at the city garage.

The project would be designed to generate 50,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually, or about 25 percent of the electrical needs of the Tullar Road garage.

The city would fund the project by borrowing $100,000 and drawing $150,000 from cash reserves. Proponents anticipate receiving $150,000 in financial incentives — $100,000 from We Energies and $50,000 from Focus on Energy — to replenish the cash reserves.

The electrical costs at the city garage total about $20,000 a year. If the system covered 25 percent, or $5,000 annually, the payback period would be about 20 years.

Ald. John Ahles, co-chairman of the Sustainable Neenah Committee, asked the council not to forget about the educational and environmental benefits of the project.

"It will help educate this council, and it will help educate future councils," Ahles said.