by jboullion | Dec 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Bob Geiger, staff writer for Finance & Commerce:
Last week, there was a minor change to the web site of Xcel Energy – an unobtrusive box picturing a wind turbine along with the words, “Learn more about Xcel Energy’s climate action.”
But the minor graphic signals a major effort at the Minneapolis-based utility – to promote its renewable energy efforts, as well as its support for a proposed federal policy aimed at limiting greenhouse gases.
The site lays out Xcel Energy’s game plan for dealing with climate change, and includes an endorsement of a uniform federal policy for a cap-and-trade system that is intended to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started the process to cap carbon dioxide emissions as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, established more than 30 years ago to deal with local and regional pollution.
In posting its support of a cap and trade system that charges polluters for emissions of greenhouse gases, Xcel Energy is taking the corporate position that such a system encourages technological change to lower such emissions.
In the meantime, Xcel itself is “looking to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions in Minnesota by 22 percent from 2005 levels” by 2020, said Betsy Engelking, director of resource planning for the utility.
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Governor Jim Doyle:
OCONOMOWOC – Governor Jim Doyle announced today a $190,570 grant for Roundy’s Supermarkets to help complete energy efficient lighting projects at its facility in Oconomowoc. The funding through the state’s Focus on Energy program builds on Governor Doyle’s efforts to make Wisconsin a national leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency.
“Wisconsin has a tremendous opportunity to be a leader in clean energy,” Governor Doyle said. “With this funding, we will be able to help Roundy’s become more energy efficient, so they can retain their competitive edge, reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, and create jobs.”
The project will save Roundy’s nearly $400,000 annually in energy costs and conserve enough energy to power 450 homes each year. It will also significantly reduce carbon emissions. Roundy’s recently replaced nearly 2,000 metal halide fixtures with high bay fluorescent fixtures. Nearly 1,600 of them have occupancy sensor controls to dim when the area is not in use.
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Bob Geiger, staff writer for Finance & Commerce:
Last week, there was a minor change to the web site of Xcel Energy – an unobtrusive box picturing a wind turbine along with the words, “Learn more about Xcel Energy’s climate action.”
But the minor graphic signals a major effort at the Minneapolis-based utility – to promote its renewable energy efforts, as well as its support for a proposed federal policy aimed at limiting greenhouse gases.
The site lays out Xcel Energy’s game plan for dealing with climate change, and includes an endorsement of a uniform federal policy for a cap-and-trade system that is intended to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has started the process to cap carbon dioxide emissions as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act, established more than 30 years ago to deal with local and regional pollution.
In posting its support of a cap and trade system that charges polluters for emissions of greenhouse gases, Xcel Energy is taking the corporate position that such a system encourages technological change to lower such emissions.
In the meantime, Xcel itself is “looking to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions in Minnesota by 22 percent from 2005 levels” by 2020, said Betsy Engelking, director of resource planning for the utility.
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an editorial in the Sheboygan Press:
Gov. Jim Doyle’s 2006 campaign promise of having four University of Wisconsin campuses completely “off the grid” by 2012 and get their energy needs from renewable sources was an ambitious one.
Unfortunately, it has turned out to be an impossible task.
Doyle said that campuses at Oshkosh, River Falls, Green Bay and Stevens Point were to work toward energy independence as a way to show that it can be done. Doyle has pushed hard for Wisconsin to research and implement alternative energy sources, especially renewable sources — wind, solar and biomass. The goal is to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, especially oil bought from foreign countries.
The four schools were to start producing their own electricity or buy it from utilities using the renewable sources of energy, Doyle said in 2006. The challenge also would spark energy conservation on the four campuses.
But with just two years to go, the promise far outshines the reality.
Still, there has been significant progress.
UW-Green Bay, which specializes in environmental education, has reduced its energy use by 26 percent since 2005.
UW-River Falls is studying the use of wind turbines on the campus farm to generate electricity. . . .
If the governor deserves any criticism for his promise, it is that he set an unrealistic timetable and did not ensure that there was adequate funding.
But Wisconsin must continue to do the research and find the technology that will not only reduce reliance on fossil fuels, but also ensure that energy in the future will be less costly.
by jboullion | Dec 29, 2009 | Uncategorized
From the conference announcement issued by the Energy Center of Wisconsin:
The Wisconsin Geothermal Association (WGA) conference will benefit anyone in the geothermal industry including engineers, designers, equipment dealers, and well drillers. With increasing public interest in geothermal technology, it is more important than ever that everyone in the industry maintain the highest standards possible. . . .
The WGA is a non-profit organization advocating for the usage of geothermal heating and cooling systems in Wisconsin. The WGA is a source of information for anyone interested in utilizing a geothermal system for a home, business, or school.
Geothermal systems have been proven to deliver excellent occupant comfort in this region, while saving energy and reducing emissions. The systems take advantage of the earth’s constant year-round ground temperature to provide heating, cooling and hot water in a variety of applications.
Conference registration.
by jboullion | Dec 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
From Focus on Energy:
Wisconsin residents who would like to learn how energy efficient their home is compared to similar homes in their area – and what they can do to increase that efficiency – now have a new online resource to help them do just that. By visiting LiveEfficientlyWithFocus.com, residents can walk through a simple assessment of their home’s current energy use, receive a ranking of its efficiency, get energy saving tips, and even create an account if they’d like to email results to their Home Performance consultant or log in at another time to change responses after improvements have been made.
by jboullion | Dec 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
From Focus on Energy:
Wisconsin residents who would like to learn how energy efficient their home is compared to similar homes in their area – and what they can do to increase that efficiency – now have a new online resource to help them do just that. By visiting LiveEfficientlyWithFocus.com, residents can walk through a simple assessment of their home’s current energy use, receive a ranking of its efficiency, get energy saving tips, and even create an account if they’d like to email results to their Home Performance consultant or log in at another time to change responses after improvements have been made.
by jboullion | Dec 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:
(December 21, 2009) — Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide resource for energy efficiency and renewable energy, in partnership with We Energies, awarded Ace Industrial Properties $77,300 after it completed several major green building initiatives at its new 484,000 square-foot Muskego warehouse.
Together the projects will save more than 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually compared to a conventional building of its size – saving enough energy to power 125 Wisconsin homes for a year. Ace Industrial Properties will also benefit from saving approximately $95,000 on its energy bills at the warehouse each year. . . .
The cash incentives from Focus were used to install major energy savers including:
· More than 1,000 high-performance T8 electronic fixtures, which can save up to 40 percent more energy, last 4,000 hours longer, and provide a better light quality than standard systems.
· Motion-controlled occupancy sensors installed on all light fixtures, which can reduce the lighting system operating time by up to 50 percent.
· High-efficiency cooling was also installed in a few areas throughout the building.
Not only do these upgrades save the property management company money, but they are also environmentally-friendly. The annual environmental benefits are equivalent to offsetting more than 2,400 barrels of oil from being burned – eliminating 2 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere.
by jboullion | Dec 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Kristin Tillotson in the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
As the biggest storm of the season so far descends on the Twin Cities, some lucky homeowners are getting expert help battening down the hatches and lowering their utility bills. The bonus? It’s costing them peanuts.
The Center for Energy and the Environment (CEE) in Minneapolis and Neighborhood Energy Connection (NEC) in St. Paul, both nonprofits dedicated to energy efficiency, began pilot programs in the fall in select neighborhoods. Their crews replace light bulbs, wrap fiberglass blankets around water heaters and weatherstrip doors. All the homeowners receiving these customized services had to do was attend a free workshop, then pay $30. Besides the installed products, they get utility-bill savings averaging $127 a year.
Xcel Energy Inc. and CenterPoint Energy pay both programs’ labor costs as part of their efforts to meet state-mandated conservation goals. But in January the two utilities will begin offering Home Energy Squad, their own joint program, to other customers in the seven-county metro area. It will be a limited version of the neighborhood-focused visits offered by NEC and CEE, and will expand over the next three years. You must be a customer of Xcel electric and either Xcel gas or CenterPoint gas to be eligible. This is the first time the utilities have collaborated on such a broad scale, said Todd Berreman, who oversees CenterPoint’s conservation programs.
by jboullion | Dec 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Lisa Kaiser in the Shepard Express (Milwaukee):
Supporters of a proposed clean energy bill promise that not only will the new green energy standards help the environment, but that they will also help the state’s bottom line.
If passed by the state Legislature, the proposed Clean Energy Jobs Act would increase the amount of electricity to be generated by renewable energy, change building codes, implement new energy standards for appliances and cars sold in the state, revise the state’s requirements for new nuclear power plants, and require the state Department of Transportation (DOT) to consider greenhouse gas emissions when planning a new transportation project.
The bill, built on recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming, would require 25% of the state’s energy to be produced from renewable sources by 2025 and encourage businesses and residents to conserve energy and increase energy efficiency measures.
Taken together, the bill’s provisions would cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions 22% by 2022 and 75% by 2050.
The bill will be introduced in the state Legislature after the winter break, and supporters would like to deliver it to the governor’s desk by April 22, 2010, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
