by Katherine Klausing | Mar 15, 2018 | Programs, RENEW Wisconsin, Solar
Monday March 12, 2018, Madison.
For More Information
Katherine Klausing, RENEW Wisconsin
608-255-4044 x5, 614-406-1105
Katherine@renewwisconsin.org
Solar for Good, an initiative from the renewable energy advocates at RENEW Wisconsin, will offer grant funding this spring to assist nonprofit organizations with installing solar panels on their facilities.
The program is funded through a donation from philanthropists Cal and Laurie Couillard of Deerfield.
“The solar energy boom is having a positive impact throughout Wisconsin, from keeping more of our energy dollars in our pockets to protecting our natural resources,” said Katherine Klausing, Engagement Manager at RENEW Wisconsin. “That’s why we want to help local nonprofit organizations and houses of worship, who are working every day to improve our communities, join the solar movement. By installing their own solar PV systems, these organizations will be able to generate their own clean, renewable energy, save money on their utility bills, and reinvest the energy cost savings back into their work. “
This spring, Solar for Good will award a total of $110,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations and houses of worship to assist them in installing solar photovoltaic systems. The grant program will fund up to 20% of the cost of a solar array, with a grant cap of $10,000 for solar arrays sized less than 75 kW and a grant cap of $20,000 for arrays 75 kW and above.
Solar for Good will also offer small grants for technical assistance, including professional solar site assessments and engineering services, to get projects started and see them through to success. The program plans to offer both a spring and a fall grant cycle each year and be sustained for three years or more. RENEW Wisconsin and Solar for Good aim to use the grants to help organizations going solar to spread the word about their solar investments and educate their communities about the benefits of solar.
In 2017, the program offered grants to 16 nonprofit organizations across Wisconsin, including a food pantry, a shelter for homeless veterans, and several houses of worship. When all the projects are completed, the grants will have supported over $1.2 million in solar investment and added 573 kilowatts (kW) of new solar electric projects to the state.
“We were thrilled to have received a Solar for Good Grant,” said Barbara Roder. Her congregation at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Fond du Lac was one of the 2017 grantees. “This incentive was just what we needed to move us from thinking about solar to doing it.”
How to Apply
Organizations can learn more and apply HERE.
In order to be eligible, the organization must be a registered nonprofit organization located in Wisconsin, be in good financial standing, be ready to install solar and agree to participate in educating community members about the benefits of solar energy. If approved for a grant, all fundraising, design and installation for the solar project must be completed within 12 months.
Applications for this round of funding must be received by Monday April 9, 2018. Decisions and funding announcements will be made by Wednesday April 15, 2018.
For organizations looking at solar for the first time, technical assistance grants are available to fund a solar site assessment (up to $250) or engineering review (up to $500) for their solar array. These applications will be reviewed separately from the applications for grants for solar installation and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
by Michael Vickerman | Feb 23, 2018 | Renewables, Solar, Utilities, Wind
Madison Gas & Electric’s efforts to transition to a low-carbon energy resource mix are accelerating, as documented in recent correspondence from company president and CEO Jeff Keebler. These sustainability initiatives will, according to Keebler, enable MGE to reduce carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 (base year 2005), a central objective of the company’s Energy 2030 framework. Beyond that, Keebler states that MGE will continue its pursuit of deep decarbonization through 2050, the year it aims to have achieved an 80% reduction in carbon emissions from 2005 levels.
A number of initiatives highlighted in MG&E’s letter stand out.
- Ground has been broken on the company’s 33-turbine, 66 megawatt (MW) wind power plant in northeast Iowa. The Public Service Commission (PSC) approved MGE’s application to build its Saratoga wind farm in November.
- The PSC is reviewing a request from MGE and two other utilities to purchase the Forward Wind Energy Center located in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties. Chicago-based Invenergy built the 86-turbine, 142 MW project, which started producing electricity in May 2008. The PSC is likely to approve the sale next month.
- MGE is teaming up with WEC Energy Group, the state’s largest electric utility, to build and own solar projects that will when completed become the largest of its kind in the state. MGE’s share of these installations will amount to 50 MW, which is expected to generate enough electricity to match the annual usage of 16,500 households. Across Wisconsin today, solar generating capacity totals 85 MW. This project will require PSC approval.
MGE is also working with larger customers to supply them with electricity from new renewable energy sources built in the utility’s service territory. Under MGE’s Renewable Energy Rider program, commercial customers should be able to access renewable electricity produced off-site at a cost comparable to standard service.
Finally, MGE is partnering with the City of Madison to accelerate the electrification of the latter’s bus fleet. Madison’s first three electric buses will arrive in 2019. Electrification of fleet vehicles is one of the areas of collaboration specified in a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding taking effect in September 2017.
For more information on MGE’s sustainability initiatives, visit www.energy2030together.com
by Michael Vickerman | Feb 8, 2018 | Wind
As reported in the American Wind Energy Association’s (AWEA) most recent snapshot of market activity, U.S. developers and electric utilities installed more than 4,000 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity in the fourth quarter of 2017, accounting for more than half of the total wind generation placed in service over the last 12 months. In the final three months of 2017, 29 new wind farms came online across 16 states, including the 49-turbine, 98 MW Quilt Block project in southwest Wisconsin.
The 7,000 MW of wind turbines built last year pushed total U.S. capacity to more than 89,000 MW, which in an average year should produce enough electricity to equal the annual consumption from 26 million households. Wind power accounts for more than 8% of U.S. generating capacity in the United States today according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Development activity last year was particularly robust in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Iowa. Large wind energy projects also sprouted up across the Upper Midwest, the second-most active region after the Southern Plains states.
Quilt Block is the first utility-scale wind energy installation to come online in Wisconsin since WEC Energy’s Glacier Hills project in 2011. Owned and operated by Houston-based EDP Renewables, Quilt Block is now the most productive wind power project in the Badger State. La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative purchases the output from this project to supply the distribution cooperatives and municipal utilities in its system.
According to the AWEA report, the powerful growth experienced by the wind industry last year should continue in 2018 and beyond. The pipeline of wind farms under construction or in advanced development totals 28,668 MW, about one-third of the wind generating fleet now operating in the United States. Projects in the development pipeline should be completed and operating before the end of 2019.
Said AWEA ceo Thomas Kiernan in a press release: “This American success story will continue, with the wind project construction and advanced development pipeline four times greater than the amount installed in 2017. That means tens of billions in additional infrastructure investment is on its way to the United States of America.”
Among Upper Midwest states (see table below), the near-term outlook for future wind development ranges from very active (states beginning with the letter “I”) to quiet (Missouri and Wisconsin). In Wisconsin, there is no project in the development pipeline right now, a consequence of the ongoing absence of policy drivers for renewables and the comparative ease of permitting and building wind projects in neighboring states. It should be noted that two Wisconsin utilities are planning to add wind power to its power supplies this year, Madison Gas & Electric from a 66 MW installation in Iowa, and WPPI Energy from a 132 MW project in Illinois.
by Michael Vickerman | Jan 29, 2018 | Biogas, Focus on Energy, Geothermal, Policy, Solar
Focus on Energy, the state’s ratepayer-funded energy efficiency and renewable energy program, continues to yield dividends for Wisconsin’s economy.
An independent analysis of program investments in 2015 and 2016 shows that energy savings from completed projects generated $208 million in economic benefits and supported about 1,200 jobs annually.
The Cadmus Group, an independent third-party evaluator, found that Focus on Energy achieved a benefit-cost ratio of $3.24 per dollar spent without factoring in broader economic impacts such as job creation. When broader economic impacts are factored into the analysis, the benefit-cost ratio rises to $4.77 per program dollar invested.
Cadmus released its findings in a January 2018 report submitted to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, which oversees the Focus on Energy program.
“A $4.77 return on investment shows Focus on Energy is one way Wisconsin encourages economic development and grows its favorable business climate,” said Public Service Commissioner Lon Roberts in a press release dated January 29, 2018.
“When a business saves money by saving energy, it also becomes more globally competitive,” Commissioner Roberts added.
For more information, view the full report or executive summary on Focus on Energy’s website, www.focusonenergy.com.
by Tyler Huebner | Jan 23, 2018 | Biogas, Policy, RENEW Wisconsin, Renewables, Solar, Wind
There was a palpable sense of excitement and our largest crowd ever (330 attendees), for our 7th Annual Renewable Energy Summit held January 18th. This year’s Summit, “Connecting to a Powerful Future,” included NextEra Energy Resources as a Presenting Sponsor.
Wind energy is coming back to Wisconsin as evidenced by the 2017 addition of Quilt Block Wind Farm, which was awarded the Renewable Energy Project of the Year.
Solar energy had its best year ever – for the 3rd consecutive year. The total amount of solar power capacity in Wisconsin has grown to 80 megawatts, enough to power over 10,800 Wisconsin homes. That’s up from 42 megawatts twelve months ago and 25 megawatts the year before that.
Our panel of utility executives and our solar industry speakers described the growth in solar, and the future opportunities on the horizon.
And biogas, which has struggled in recent years, is finding new opportunities. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi described the county’s plans to transform their landfill from electric generation to gas injection to a pipeline, and how it will also facilitate local biodigesters to do the same.
Bringing home our theme of “Connecting to a Powerful Future,” we learned how to improve our clean energy communications from Jane Bloch of Tusculum Consulting. Jane’s specialty in conveying the benefits of clean energy to broad audiences will help all of us continue to expand renewable energy in Wisconsin.
We also named John & Mary Frantz of Madison and Cal & Laurie Couillard of Deerfield Renewable Energy Champions for their support and philanthropy which enables RENEW Wisconsin to continue growing. John & Mary have been matching donors to our Ride with RENEW bicycle events, and Cal & Laurie founded Solar for Good to help Wisconsin mission-driven nonprofits “go solar.”
Our exhibition hall had 27 vendors, our most ever, and the networking was consistently described by many attendees as “excellent.”
Please check out the presentations from the day and photos of the event, and plan to join us at next year’s event!
Also, we encourage you to check out the media coverage of the day:
RENEW Wisconsin: Big Increase in Solar Energy Expected in Next Few Years (Chuck Quirmbach, Wisconsin Public Radio, January 18, 2018)
Cost-Effectiveness of Solar, Other Renewables Expected to Keep Growing (Alex Moe, WisBusiness.com, January 19, 2018)
Thank you to our 2018 Summit Sponsors!
by jboullion | Jan 11, 2018 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 11, 2018
CONTACT:
Tyler Huebner
tyler.huebner@renewwisconsin.org
(608) 255-4044 x1
RENEW’s seventh annual Renewable Energy Summit, set for January 18, 2018, will furnish the occasion for recognizing the leading lights in Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry and spotlighting the developments that made 2017 such a stellar year. Titled “Connecting to a Powerful Future,” RENEW’s Summit will take place at Monona Terrace in Madison; registration starts at 8:00 AM and the program runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The recognition ceremony will begin at 2:00 PM.
Last year saw the first large-scale wind power plant go up in Wisconsin since 2011. Quilt Block, a 49-turbine, 98-megawatt (MW) project developed by Houston-based EDP Renewables is now online, producing power under contract to La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative, whose four-state service area includes 18 member cooperatives and 10 municipal utilities in Wisconsin.
Representing a capital investment of $167 million, EDP’s Quilt Block project will produce enough renewable electricity to power more than 25,000 Wisconsin residences while providing millions of dollars in local aids to the Town of Seymour and Lafayette County, as well as lease payments to participating landowners over the plant’s operating life.
At the Summit, RENEW will honor Quilt Block Wind Farm as Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Project of the Year. Recognizing the strong collaboration forged by project participants, RENEW will present plaques to representatives of the developer (EDP Renewables), the utility purchaser (Dairyland Power Cooperative), local governments (Town of Seymour, Lafayette County), and participating landowners.
Last year marked the emergence of RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good, a program that provides grants to nonprofit institutions that seek to install solar electric systems on their buildings. Initiated by donations from Deerfield-based philanthropists Cal and Laurie Couillard, Solar for Good awarded 16 grants in 2017 supporting the installation of 573 kilowatts (kW) of new solar electric projects to serve such entities as public charter schools, food pantries, houses of worship, and nursing care facilities.
For their philanthropy that made possible the Solar for Good program, Cal and Laurie Couillard will receive honors as Renewable Energy Champions.
Also set to receive honors as Renewable Energy Champions are John and Mary Frantz, both retired physicians and long-time renewable energy advocates now living in Madison who have been generous supporters of RENEW Wisconsin’s work to expand renewable energy. In recent years, their generosity has taken the form of providing matching donations to “Ride with RENEW,” a fundraising event held in autumn featuring bicycle tours of noteworthy renewable energy projects in Wisconsin.
The recognition segment will also draw attention to other milestones and notable achievements in 2017, including the following:
- All 15 solar arrays built by SoCore Energy (Illinois) and GroSolar (Vermont) under contract to Dairyland Power are now producing electricity. Three of the arrays, located in New Auburn, Phillips, and Roberts, are the state’s largest in operation.
- Xcel Energy’s Wisconsin utility commissioned a 1 megawatt (MW) array in Eau Claire, which now supplies energy to its shared solar subscribers.
- SunPeak designed and built the state’s largest rooftop solar electric system in operation, a 1.2 MW array atop the American Family Insurance headquarters building in Madison.
- Eagle Point Solar installed 350 kilowatts (kW) of solar generation atop two schools in the Northland Pines School District, which now has more solar capacity than any other K-12 district in Wisconsin.
- SunVest Solar and Current Electric teamed up to design and install 800 kW of solar capacity on six rooftops in the Oneida Nation reservation in Brown County.
- Contractors partnered with local nonprofits to launch five residential group solar purchase programs across Wisconsin. Together these initiatives result in 158 installations totaling nearly 1,000 kW of new solar capacity.
“These award winners and honorable projects deserve recognition for the benefits they are bringing Wisconsin’s people and economy,” said Tyler Huebner, RENEW Wisconsin’s Executive Director. “These honorees are leading the way towards a clean, vibrant, and self-sustaining Wisconsin energy future.”
For more information on the 2018 Summit program agenda, speakers, and registration, please visit http://www.renewwisconsin.org/2018_Summit/index.html.
###
RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization dedicated to renewable energy in Wisconsin. We advance and defend policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, and geothermal energy. More information is available on RENEW’s Web site at www.renewwisconsin.org.
by Jodi Jean Amble | Jan 11, 2018 | Advocacy, Policy, RENEW Wisconsin, Renewables, Solar, Wind
RENEW’s seventh annual Renewable Energy Summit, set for January 18, 2018, will furnish the occasion for recognizing the leading lights in Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry and spotlighting the developments that made 2017 such a stellar year. Titled “Connecting to a Powerful Future,” RENEW’s Summit will take place at Monona Terrace in Madison; registration starts at 8:00 AM and the program runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM. The recognition ceremony will begin at 2:00 PM.
Last year saw the first large-scale wind power plant go up in Wisconsin since 2011. Quilt Block, a 49-turbine, 98-megawatt (MW) project developed by Houston-based EDP Renewables is now online, producing power under contract to La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative, whose four-state service area includes 18 member cooperatives and 10 municipal utilities in Wisconsin.
Representing a capital investment of $167 million, EDP’s Quilt Block project will produce enough renewable electricity to power more than 25,000 Wisconsin residences while providing millions of dollars in local aids to the Town of Seymour and Lafayette County, as well as lease payments to participating landowners over the plant’s operating life.
At the Summit, RENEW will honor Quilt Block Wind Farm as Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Project of the Year. Recognizing the strong collaboration forged by project participants, RENEW will present plaques to representatives of the developer (EDP Renewables), the utility purchaser (Dairyland Power Cooperative), local governments (Town of Seymour, Lafayette County), and participating landowners.
Last year marked the emergence of RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good, a program that provides grants to nonprofit institutions that seek to install solar electric systems on their buildings. Initiated by donations from Deerfield-based philanthropists Cal and Laurie Couillard, Solar for Good awarded 16 grants in 2017 supporting the installation of 573 kilowatts (kW) of new solar electric projects to serve such entities as public charter schools, food pantries, houses of worship, and nursing care facilities. For their philanthropy that made possible the Solar for Good program, Cal and Laurie Couillard will receive honors as Renewable Energy Champions.
Also set to receive honors as Renewable Energy Champions are John and Mary Frantz, both retired physicians and long-time renewable energy advocates now living in Madison who have been generous supporters of RENEW Wisconsin’s work to expand renewable energy. In recent years, their generosity has taken the form of providing matching donations to “Ride with RENEW,” a fundraising event held in autumn featuring bicycle tours of noteworthy renewable energy projects in Wisconsin.
The recognition segment will also draw attention to other milestones and notable achievements in 2017, including the following:
- All 15 solar arrays built by SoCore Energy (Illinois) and GroSolar (Vermont) under contract to Dairyland Power are now producing electricity. Three of the arrays, located in New Auburn, Phillips, and Roberts, are the state’s largest in operation.
- Xcel Energy’s Wisconsin utility commissioned a 1 megawatt (MW) array in Eau Claire, which now supplies energy to its shared solar subscribers.
- SunPeak designed and built the state’s largest rooftop solar electric system in operation, a 1.2 MW array atop the American Family Insurance headquarters building in Madison.
- Eagle Point Solar installed 350 kilowatts (kW) of solar generation atop two schools in the Northland Pines School District, which now has more solar capacity than any other K-12 district in Wisconsin.
- SunVest Solar and Current Electric teamed up to design and install 800 kW of solar capacity on six rooftops in the Oneida Nation reservation in Brown County.
- Contractors partnered with local nonprofits to launch five residential group solar purchase programs across Wisconsin. Together these initiatives result in 158 installations totaling nearly 1,000 kW of new solar capacity.
“These award winners and honorable projects deserve recognition for the benefits they are bringing Wisconsin’s people and economy,” said Tyler Huebner, RENEW Wisconsin’s Executive Director. “These honorees are leading the way towards a clean, vibrant, and self-sustaining Wisconsin energy future.”
For more information on the 2018 Summit program agenda, speakers, and registration, please visit http://www.renewwisconsin.org/2018_Summit/index.html.
by jboullion | Jan 9, 2018 | Uncategorized
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JANUARY 9, 2018
Jim Boullion Named RENEW Wisconsin’s Director of Government Affairs
MADISON
– Renew Wisconsin’s Executive Director Tyler Huebner has named Jim Boullion as
Director of Government Affairs to lead the organization’s policy and advocacy
efforts in Madison.
“Jim brings us years of
experience in Wisconsin politics and a broad network of relationships with
utilities, business, labor and other politically active organizations that are
critically important in our efforts to advance renewable energy in Wisconsin.”
Huebner said.
In his new role, Boullion will be working on state and federal
issues to increase the utilization of Wisconsin generated renewable energy that
will power a strong, healthy and vibrant Wisconsin through lower energy costs,
increased energy security and stable, good paying jobs.
“I joined RENEW because of its leadership role in the
exciting changes that are happening in the renewable sectors of the energy
industry. Renewable energy technology and pricing has reached a tipping point
where it is becoming a mainstream and critical component of our energy mix, now
and in the future.” commented Boullion.
Jim is a life-long resident of Wisconsin and attended the
University of Wisconsin – Madison. He
has served as Director of Government Affairs for various trade associations in
Wisconsin over the past 25 years, including 16 years with the Associated
General Contractors. He is a Past President of the Association of
Wisconsin Lobbyists, worked in the Wisconsin State Assembly for 9 years and
served in Governor Walker’s administration as Administrator of the Division of
Policy Development in the Department of Safety and
Professional Services.
RENEW Wisconsin is
a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing renewable energy in Wisconsin.
We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas,
local hydropower, and geothermal energy. More information is available on
RENEW’s website: www.renewwisconsin.org.
###
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Tyler Huebner
(608) 255-4044 x1
Jim Boullion
(608) 255-4044 x4
by Jodi Jean Amble | Jan 9, 2018 | RENEW Wisconsin
Renew Wisconsin’s Executive Director Tyler Huebner has named Jim Boullion as Director of Government Affairs to lead the organization’s policy and advocacy efforts in Madison.
“Jim brings us years of experience in Wisconsin politics and a broad network of relationships with utilities, business, labor and other politically active organizations that are critically important in our efforts to advance renewable energy in Wisconsin.” Huebner said.
In his new role, Boullion will be working on state and federal issues to increase the utilization of Wisconsin generated renewable energy that will power a strong, healthy and vibrant Wisconsin through lower energy costs, increased energy security and stable, good paying jobs.
“I joined RENEW because of its leadership role in the exciting changes that are happening in the renewable sectors of the energy industry. Renewable energy technology and pricing has reached a tipping point where it is becoming a mainstream and critical component of our energy mix, now and in the future.” commented Boullion.
Jim is a life-long resident of Wisconsin and attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has served as Director of Government Affairs for various trade associations in Wisconsin over the past 25 years, including 16 years with the Associated General Contractors. He is a Past President of the Association of Wisconsin Lobbyists, worked in the Wisconsin State Assembly for 9 years and served in Governor Walker’s administration as Administrator of the Division of Policy Development in the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
by jboullion | Dec 19, 2017 | Uncategorized
Immediate release
December 19, 2017
More information
Tyler
Huebner, Executive Director
608.255.4044 x 1
National Leaders & Wisconsin Executives to Headline January
Renewable Energy Summit
RENEW Wisconsin will host
its seventh annual Renewable Energy Summit on Thursday, January 18th, 2018, at Monona
Terrace in Madison. The theme of the event, “Connecting to a Powerful Future,” will highlight the
significant expansion of renewable power underway in Wisconsin, both at the
customer and utility level, and the need to broaden connections to continue
this momentum.
This one-day event will
feature two keynote speakers.
Abby Hopper
is the CEO of the national Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) in
Washington, DC. The solar industry has grown at a 20% annual
clip the past five years as installation costs have declined rapidly. This is
creating great opportunities in up-and-coming markets like Wisconsin! Abby oversees all of SEIA’s activities,
including government affairs, research, communications, and industry
leadership. SEIA is at the forefront of national solar advocacy, including the
recent Federal tax overhaul and import tariff threat.
Jane Bloch
is Principal at Tusculum Consulting,
where she is a clean energy communications expert. She comes to our Summit to
share best practices on how to effectively communicate about clean energy with
different audiences. She has spent the
last decade advancing clean energy policies through strategic communications,
stakeholder engagement, and philanthropic investment. Jane grew up spending her
summers in the Northwoods, near Minocqua, where she learned to love canoeing
and loon calls.
The event will begin with
a recap of 2017 and outlook to 2018 by RENEW Wisconsin’s Board Chair Amy Heart
and Executive Director Tyler Huebner. At 9:30am, three Wisconsin utility executives will participate in a panel
session discussing their companies’ investments and programs for renewable
energy such as wind, solar, and biogas.
WI Utility Executives Roundtable
The lunch panel will feature experts from Wisconsin’s renewable energy industry.
Driving Wisconsin’s Renewable Energy Markets
The program will feature
networking opportunities with exhibitors and attendees, as well as a social
hour following the close of the formal program.
Summit registration is open
and over 100 individuals and company representatives have already signed
up. Rates are $125 for Members of RENEW
Wisconsin, $155 for non-members, $125 for government and non-profit employees,
and $35 for students and elected officials and their staff. Membership with
RENEW starts at $35 for individuals and $200 for businesses and organizations.
An impressive set of
corporate and organizational sponsors, showcased on the final page, have signed
up to attend.
RENEW
Wisconsin Summit Event Sponsors as-of December 18, 2017
-END-
RENEW
Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in
Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind
power, biogas, local hydropower, and geothermal energy. More information is
available on RENEW’s website: www.renewwisconsin.org.
