by jboullion | Mar 31, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Matthew Olson in the Kenosha News:
Kenosha could obtain more than $900,000 in federal funds to improve energy efficiency, which the city hopes can complement other funding the city is seeking.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced last week that the state of Wisconsin and Wisconsin municipalities are eligible for $37.1 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation block grants. The city of Kenosha is eligible for $902,500 as part of that funding.
These grants are intended for energy-efficiency strategies, conserving energy through transportation programs and material conservation programs, among other potential projects. Municipalities will need to submit an application to the Department of Energy for proposed projects to use these funds.
Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman said the city proposed several projects to the state while seeking federal stimulus money that would fit under these energy guidelines. Those projects include a $4 million request to convert all of the city’s street lights to light-emitting diode (LED) technology in an effort to reduce energy use and costs. The city installed LED lights along 39th Avenue, between 60th and 67th streets, last fall.
by jboullion | Mar 31, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Suppliers to the auto industry may want to shift their focus to wind components, given incentives for renewable energy included in the federal stimulus package.
Wisconsin has always been a supply-chain state, to the farm industry with implements, then to the auto industry with motors. But the effort to woo the wind-power industry to the state is centered north of Milwaukee, the former machine shop to the world.
The focus on wind is coming from The New North, the economic development initiative of northeastern Wisconsin, home to Tower Tech in Manitowoc, Badger Transport in Clintonville and dozens of other suppliers to the wind industry.
The wind industry had been growing at a record pace year after year until it was hit by the economic slowdown like other businesses, said Jeff Anthony of the American Wind Energy Association.
The wind industry’s growth has been something to watch, said Al Johnson, president of Badger Transport, which ships the wind industry’s oversized components.
“We do everything,” he said. “We do the towers and the blades and the cells.”
Johnson’s company has been involved in the wind industry since 1997, and seen it grow from less than one-third of his company’s sales to more than 90% today.
“I was involved in it when it was feast or famine for quite a number of years.”
Companies clustered
Across northeastern Wisconsin, 95 companies are supplying the wind industry, creating an economic cluster that the region seeks to capitalize on.
“When we focus on the wind industry, our message is not: ‘Come to northeast Wisconsin and build your wind farm,’ but rather: ‘Come to northeast Wisconsin if you are involved with the supply-chain side of the wind industry,’ ” said Josh Morby, spokesman for The New North.
by jboullion | Mar 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
A news release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation:
Any commuter in Wisconsin who would like to find someone to “share the ride” to work, may now access the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT’s) interactive ride matching service online. A program that was originated several years ago for residents of the heavily populated southeastern region of the state is now available statewide.
“We are pleased to offer this interactive service to commuters across the state,” said WisDOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi. “Ridesharing saves money for commuters, reduces the number of cars on the road during the busiest hours of the day and reduces pollution from car exhaust. Now, commuters in areas that are faced with some of the longest commutes will have an equal opportunity to find carpool matches.”
Karen Schmiechen, program manager for the Wisconsin Rideshare Program, said the program is easy to use, free and without obligation. Commuters enter their commute information and immediately receive matches for carpooling, vanpooling, park and ride lots and even biking. The computer shows matches with similar commutes and work hours. Bikers are also matched by level of expertise. Users make their own contacts with matches to set up ridesharing arrangements.
The program was computerized two years ago, and has become so popular WisDOT decided to make it available to all state residents.
Wisconsin is one of many states and municipalities across the country offering this service. As gasoline prices fluctuate, and the economy remains unstable, ridesharing is a viable alternative, saving dollars and the environment.
For more information go to the state’s Rideshare Web site.
by jboullion | Mar 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
A news release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation:
Any commuter in Wisconsin who would like to find someone to “share the ride” to work, may now access the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s (WisDOT’s) interactive ride matching service online. A program that was originated several years ago for residents of the heavily populated southeastern region of the state is now available statewide.
“We are pleased to offer this interactive service to commuters across the state,” said WisDOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi. “Ridesharing saves money for commuters, reduces the number of cars on the road during the busiest hours of the day and reduces pollution from car exhaust. Now, commuters in areas that are faced with some of the longest commutes will have an equal opportunity to find carpool matches.”
Karen Schmiechen, program manager for the Wisconsin Rideshare Program, said the program is easy to use, free and without obligation. Commuters enter their commute information and immediately receive matches for carpooling, vanpooling, park and ride lots and even biking. The computer shows matches with similar commutes and work hours. Bikers are also matched by level of expertise. Users make their own contacts with matches to set up ridesharing arrangements.
The program was computerized two years ago, and has become so popular WisDOT decided to make it available to all state residents.
Wisconsin is one of many states and municipalities across the country offering this service. As gasoline prices fluctuate, and the economy remains unstable, ridesharing is a viable alternative, saving dollars and the environment.
For more information go to the state’s Rideshare Web site.
by jboullion | Mar 30, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a story by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
A federal carbon tax should be enacted but the money should be sent back to taxpayers, a leading climate scientist suggested Wednesday.
James Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York,who has been studying the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere for decades, said Wednesday that the U.S. government should enact a carbon fee-and-dividend that would persuade consumers to change how they use energy and reward those who reduce their carbon footprints.
“The person who does better than average in reducing carbon emissions will actually make money,” he said.
In a keynote address to the Renewable Energy Summit in Milwaukee, Hansen said a national global warming policy is needed to thwart and reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
“We have reached a point where there is a crisis,” he said. . . .
Under Hansen’s proposal, a tax, equivalent to $1 per gallon of gas would raise $670 billion a year, which would result in $3,000 being sent back to every adult in the country, and $1,500 per child, capped at a maximum of $9,000 for a family of four or more.
Hansen urged President Barack Obama to “have a fireside chat” to discuss the need for a carbon fee and of the need for Americans to change their energy habits.
A tax would also be a step toward energy independence from imported oil, said Hansen, who said a representative of the government of Saudi Arabia bristled at the idea during a dinner conversation.
“They realize that if you did this, the next time gasoline is $4 a gallon, $2 or $3 would stay in the U.S. and just be distributed back to the citizens as a dividend rather than all $4 going to the Middle East,” Hansen said.
by jboullion | Mar 28, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a news release posted on Yahoo! Finance:
WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Energy Composites Corporation (OTCBB:ENCC – News) announced today that it has become a member of the American Wind Energy Association, the trade association that promotes wind power growth through advocacy, communication and education. In addition to the company’s membership, Sam Fairchild, ECC’s Chief Executive Officer, will take an active role in helping AWEA push its renewable energy agenda forward.
Fairchild praised AWEA’s tenacity and strength as an advocate of renewable energy solutions, noting that “AWEA is the national voice for the U.S. wind industry, with a strong record of success and an excellent portfolio of information and analytic resources available to its members. Membership in AWEA strengthens our launch platform for the Company’s wind energy strategy, including blade manufacturing and MRO services. Over the next several weeks we will share with investors each of the concrete steps we are taking to make that strategy a reality.”
Fairchild added that “ECC’s commitment to the wind market is very strong — we see composites playing a larger and larger role in the successful transformation of wind power as the nation’s alternative energy solution. ECC’s advancements in design, materials, production techniques and product technologies will provide us with a significant competitive edge as we roll out our wind market penetration strategy. We are also focused on expanding our field services capability to become a major player in composites maintenance, repair and overhaul for the wind sector.”
Jamie Mancl, ECC’s founder and President, noted, “I am confident that we can bring as much value to AWEA as we expect membership in the organization will bring to us. We believe that greater use of advanced composites in the wind energy supply chain will drive substantially higher financial returns to wind farm developers and greater value to the nation as a whole.”
by jboullion | Mar 27, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Larry Bivins in the Wausau Daily Herald:
WASHINGTON — Wausau will receive nearly $200,000 for energy efficiency and conservation projects, President Barack Obama’s administration announced Thursday.
The money is part of more than $37 million the Department of Energy has allocated for Wisconsin under Obama’s economic recovery package. In addition to the $183,900 for Wausau, the department has designated $374,000 for Marathon County. . . .
Activities the money can support include energy audits and making residential and commercial buildings more energy efficient, improving building codes and inspections, and creating financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements. It also can go toward transportation programs that conserve energy, projects that reduce or capture greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, and making traffic signals and street lights more energy efficient.
by jboullion | Mar 26, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a story reported by Sara Kronenberg on WKBT-TV:
It’s an ongoing search for new, green solutions that will not only save money, but also the the environment.
Community, county and school leaders met Tuesday at the La Crosse Center for “Our Energy Future,” a conference about new energy answers.
Wisconsin is on its way to developing more widespread green energy solutions that could save organizations money.
Organizers say making the transition from coal burning dependency might require people to scale back on their own energy needs.
“The answers are always local, always personal,” says Dave Dumke with the Wisconsin Counties Association. “They’re always in your own home, in your own business, and if you’re governing a school district. If we have massive change like that, we’ll solve the problem.”
by jboullion | Mar 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From two presentations by Michael Vickerman at the 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit, Milwaukee:
Getting Serious About Solar Hot Water
Value Proposition to System Owner
+ Less expensive (on a life-cycle basis)
+ Predictable return
+ Negligible risk
Value Proposition to Society
+ Emission-free
+ Non-depleting
+ Indigenous
+ Highly secure
SHW Potential in Wisconsin
+ Can offset between 2.6% to 4.1% of NG use
+ Avoiding 150 million therms/year
+ Saving $150 million annually (2006 prices)
+ Offsetting 820,000 metric ton of CO2
Economic Development Impacts of Renewable Energy
Economies of scale are achieved by shrinking the labor contribution relative to output, which explains why utility-scale energy is less expensive than do-it-yourself energy.
Distributing renewable energy through customer-sited systems increases job-hours per energy unit produced as well as promoting entrepreneurship and small business development. . . .
From Small Systems – Big Results in Germany:
+ Utilities are required to accept power from customer-sited RE systems through fixed, long-term buyback rates
+ 15% of Germany’s electricity now generated from renewables
+ In 2007 $14 billion invested in RE
+ Germany has half the world’s PV capacity
+ Payoff: 300,000 people employed in the RE sector.
And in Wisconsin:
+ 338 Focus on Energy-funded RE systems installed
+ 40% increase over 2007
+ $3.5MM incentives obligated
+ Full-service installers — 35 PV; 24 biogas; 64 SHW; 21 wind; 15 biomass.
From another presentation at the Wisconsin Wind Energy Supply Chain Workshop:
Windpower in Wisconsin: Outlook for 2009 and Beyond
Why Promote Windpower?
Clean = Environmental
Non-depleting = Energy Security
Fixed Price = Risk Management
Creates Wealth = Economic Development
Scalable to Utilities = Practicality
The current Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will yield an additional ~4.2 billion kWh/yr of qualifying renewable electricity by 2015, assuming no load growth.
Assuming that windpower generates 90% of that quantity, about 1,600 MW of wind capacity must come on line between 2004 and 2015 to satisfy the RES.
by jboullion | Mar 24, 2009 | Uncategorized
From two presentations by Michael Vickerman at the 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit:
Getting Serious About Solar Hot Water
Value Proposition to System Owner
+ Less expensive (on a life-cycle basis)
+ Predictable return
+ Negligible risk
Value Proposition to Society
+ Emission-free
+ Non-depleting
+ Indigenous
+ Highly secure
SHW Potential in Wisconsin
+ Can offset between 2.6% to 4.1% of NG use
+ Avoiding 150 million therms/year
+ Saving $150 million annually (2006 prices)
+ Offsetting 820,000 metric ton of CO2
Economic Development Impacts of Renewable Energy
Economies of scale are achieved by shrinking the labor contribution relative to output, which explains why utility-scale energy is less expensive than do-it-yourself energy.
Distributing renewable energy through customer-sited systems increases job-hours per energy unit produced as well as promoting entrepreneurship and small business development. . . .
From Small Systems – Big Results in Germany:
+ Utilities are required to accept power from customer-sited RE systems through fixed, long-term buyback rates
+ 15% of Germany’s electricity now generated from renewables
+ In 2007 $14 billion invested in RE
+ Germany has half the world’s PV capacity
+ Payoff: 300,000 people employed in the RE sector.
And in Wisconsin:
+ 338 Focus on Energy-funded RE systems installed
+ 40% increase over 2007
+ $3.5MM incentives obligated
+ Full-service installers — 35 PV; 24 biogas; 64 SHW; 21 wind; 15 biomass.
From another presentation at the Wisconsin Wind Energy Supply Chain Workshop:
Windpower in Wisconsin: Outlook for 2009 and Beyond
Why Promote Windpower?
Clean = Environmental
Non-depleting = Energy Security
Fixed Price = Risk Management
Creates Wealth = Economic Development
Scalable to Utilities = Practicality
The current Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will yield an additional ~4.2 billion kWh/yr of qualifying renewable electricity by 2015, assuming no load growth.
Assuming that windpower generates 90% of that quantity, about 1,600 MW of wind capacity must come on line between 2004 and 2015 to satisfy the RES.
