by jboullion | Jan 16, 2014 | Uncategorized
2014 RENEW Wisconsin Energy Policy Summit
We
Mean Business
Summary
RENEW Wisconsin hosted its
third annual Energy Policy Summit, We Mean Business, on Friday, January 10, 2014, at the Pyle Center on the UW-Madison
campus. Although our previous summits pulled
in large audiences and sparked many lively discussions, by all accounts RENEW’s
We
Mean Business summit topped them all.
By the numbers:
- 241 registered
- 211 attended
- 3 standout keynote talks
- 3 renewable energy business and policy panel
sessions
- 6 interactive breakout group discussions, each
supported by its own policy brief
- 6 clean energy projects inducted to the Million
Watt Club
- 7 people and/or organizations recognized as
Renewable Energy Leaders
- One gala social with beer, chicken skewers,
and veggies
The purpose of the Summit
was to inform, engage, and inspire those in attendance with the vast potential
of renewable energy to invigorate Wisconsin’s economy and help it compete for
new business ventures, while stimulating job growth and protecting the environment. The vast majority of attendees received those
themes in mega doses.
A few quotes from e-mails
received shortly after the event:
·
”What an honor to be part of such a class
production! Thank you so much.”
·
“What a great summit! It did so much of
what I look for in an event like that with all the great info updates, various
incredible contexts for all amazing initiatives and progress, and plenty of
inspiration during a tough sledding season.”
·
“Just wanted to say thank you and
congratulations. The Summit always gets better. You all did a great
job with the speakers.”
·
“Great job with this year’s
conference. In my humble opinion, this was by far the best one you guys
have put on yet, and it may be hard to top in 2015. Great, engaging speakers
throughout the day, and good panels too.”
There were three major themes that reverberated
throughout the day:
1
A major transformation is occurring in
the energy sector, driven by distributed applications of energy efficiency and
renewable energy, which is rendering the traditional energy production business
model increasingly obsolete.
2
Wisconsin is lagging behind the Midwest,
much of the US, and the world in adopting and adapting to this new business
model, dampening the state’s prospects for sustained job growth.
3
The opportunity for Wisconsin to
dramatically increase its use of clean renewables still exists, but only
through strengthening its policies along the lines suggested by RENEW.
All the Energy Policy Summit speaker talks (that
were electronic) are located on the RENEW Website: http://renewwisconsin.org/2014_Summit/agenda.html
Tom Still’s commentary on the Summit (linked below) was published in the Appleton Post Crescent. Still is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Technology Council and acted as a moderator for the Research, Jobs, & Innovation Panel during the Summit.
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20140118/APC03/301180307/Tom-Still-column-Striking-an-energy-generation-balance-Will-Wisconsin-late-dinner-?nclick_check=1
by jboullion | Jan 13, 2014 | Uncategorized
This past Friday, January 10th, RENEW Wisconsin hosted its third annual Energy Policy Summit. The Summit was a great success and RENEW would like to thank all of the sponsors, speakers, and attendees who made it possible.
Below is an article by Thomas Content of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that recaps the Summit’s topics and speeches.
As other states lead, WIS. renewable businesses aim to catch up
Renewable energy businesses that want to develop projects in Wisconsin are having success in other states, while looking for ways to develop more projects here.
DVO, a Chilton-based company that is the state’s leading builder of waste-to-energy digesters, is actively pursuing projects in places like Serbia, Chile and Vietnam as well as Vermont and other states, said Melissa Van Ornum of DVO.
DVO is seeing less demand to build projects in Wisconsin after utilities increased the price they would pay to buy the electricity generated by the dairy farm digesterse in the state.
Wisconsin is still the nation’s leader in development of waste-to-energy digesters, but other states are catching up fast, she said.
Matt Neumann of Sunvest Solar in Pewaukee said his company has been actively installing solar projects around the country, including Missouri. Of more 212 projects the company has in the pipeline this year, just one is in Wisconsin, he said.
Wisconsin needs to open the door to more solar through allowing third-party ownership of solar projects, which enable solar developers to own the panels and homeowners and businesses to lease the panels on their rooftops, he said.
Renewable energy supporters need to find ways to reach across the aisle to find support from the Republican Party, said Neumann,
son of former Republican Rep. Mark Neumann.
“I’m a conservative, and this should not be a partisan issue,” he said.
Nationwide, 80% of new solar installations last year came in states like New Jersey, California and Arizona that have given the go-ahead to third-party ownership.
In Wisconsin, policymakers have taken a go-slow approach to expanding renewable energy over concerns about the impact on prices paid by other utility customers.
Chris Schoenherr, deputy secretary of the state Department of Administration, said the Public Service Commission is looking into the issue, but agreed a go-slow approach is prudent.
Utilities have concerns about allowing too many solar projects, and the ripple effect on other customers if large businesses and other customers shift to generate their own power. Utilities have fixed costs that need to be paid for and policymakers need to be measured to assure that utility finances aren’t upended by distributed generation, he said.
But by not pursuing renewable energy, the state is falling behind its neighboring states, speakers at the conference said. Michigan built more wind power in 2012 than Wisconsin has built over the past 15 years, he said.
Wisconsin was among the first states to implement a renewable energy target but other states have moved to enact targets that are more aggressive than Wisconsin’s.
In Minnesota and Iowa, where utility costs are less expensive than Wisconsin, utilities are well on their way to hit 25% to 30% of their power from renewable sources.
In Minnesota, Xcel Energy is moving to build more wind farms in a bid to meet the renewable energy standard as well as reduce its overall emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, said Mike Bull of the Center for Energy and Environment in Minneapolis.
In addition, the new wind farms are projected to reduce costs for customers over time because there is no fuel price that needs to be paid when the wind blows, Sullivan said.
As a result, Xcel’s aggressive move to add wind power in 2013 represents an investment of more than $3.5 billion, said Michael Noble of Minnesota-based Fresh Energy.
“None of that was driven by mandates. None of that was driven by renewable energy standards, none of that was driven by state law,” he said. “That was all driven by economics: it’s cheaper.”
Now that Wisconsin’s utilities have largely met the state’s 2015 renewable energy standard, it may soon be time to expand that, lawmakers at the conference said.
“We must always push the bar up a little higher to see how much we can do because this is a competitive world,” said Sen. Dale Schultz, R-Richland Center.
Schoenherr, of the Department of Administration, said the time isn’t necessarily right to move forward with expanding the Wisconsin renewable standard because utility sales are flat and the state currently has enough power to meet its needs. The time to consider it would be when the state is looking to add more power plants.
But that time isn’t far off, as two state utilities announced last year they are considering building new natural gas-fueled power plants by the end of the decade.
Short of those bigger policy initiatives, the state should move first to expand funding for renewable energy projects through the state Focus on Energy program – which has suspended funding for renewables twice in recent years, said Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point.
“The last couple years have been a real roller coaster for renewable energy producers,” said Michael Vickerman, program and policy director for the Madison-based nonprofit group Renew Wisconsin.
Read more from Journal Sentinel: http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/business/239679511.html#ixzz2qIySBZHO
Follow us: @JournalSentinel on Twitter
by jboullion | Jan 8, 2014 | Uncategorized
Awards Will Recognize Innovations, Achievements, Local Pioneers
(Madison) – At its third annual Energy Policy Summit this week, RENEW Wisconsin will present
awards to municipalities, companies and individuals whose actions are fueling the expansion of
the renewable energy marketplace in Wisconsin.
Titled “We Mean Business,” RENEW’s summit
is set
for January 10, 2014, and will take place at
The Pyle Center on the UW–Madison campus.
“The people, companies and municipalities we will recognize this Friday are making a lasting impression on Wisconsin’s renewable energy landscape,” said RENEW Wisconsin Executive Director Tyler Huebner. “As Wisconsin’s preeminent
clean energy organization, RENEW benefits greatly from their pioneering innovations and hard work, which help prepare the ground for
broader policy advances.”
“We at RENEW are honored to have the opportunity to work closely with these award winners
and
take inspiration from their ongoing commitment to advancing clean energy here,” Huebner said.
Please see our previous blog post on award winners for RENEW’s class of 2013 renewable projects: http://www.renewwisconsin-blog.org/2013/12/renew-to-honor-class-of-2013-renewable.html
A list of award categories and recipients appears below.
Municipal Renewable Energy Program of the Year -Milwaukee Shines (Office of Environmental Sustainability, City of Milwaukee)
For leadership in organizing neighborhood group
purchases and establishing a property
tax
financing tool to reduce up–front installation costs of solar.
Distinguished Public Service Award
– Roger Kasper, Department of Agriculture, Trade and
Consumer Protection
Honoring his
effective behind-the scenes work in building a cohesive constituency thathas made Wisconsin a national leader in farm–based renewable energy development.
Green Power Champion of
the Year – Metcalfe’s Market
For its commitment to 100% Green Power by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates
created by local and independent generators.
Innovative Renewable Energy Project of the Year – City of
Monona
For its commitment to energy independence by hosting third party–owned solar arrays
on
four rooftops totaling 156 kW and acquiring renewable energy credits created with
the generation.
Innovative Renewable Energy Developer of the Year – Solar Connections
For leadership in developing innovative financial arrangements to enable residential
customers and nonprofit entities to host solar electric systems on their premises.
Innovative Renewable Energy Developer of the Year – Falcon Energy Services
For innovative financial sponsorship of renewable energy projects in Wisconsin.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Lee Cullen, Cullen, Weston, Pines & Bach
Outstanding
service as counsel for numerous clean energy businesses and advocacy organizations, and outstanding leadership in crafting, shaping
and
defending
Wisconsin’s
renewable energy policy framework throughout his professional
career.
To learn more about
RENEW’s Energy
Policy
Summit, go to
by jboullion | Jan 2, 2014 | Uncategorized
Massive solar plan for Minnesota wins bid over gas
-
Article by: David Shaffer
- Star Tribune
- December 31, 2013 – 8:58 PM
http://www.startribune.com/business/238322571.html
Minnesota soon could see at least a sevenfold expansion of solar power.
In
an unprecedented ruling, a judge reviewing whether Xcel Energy should
invest in new natural gas generators vs. large solar power arrays
concluded Tuesday that solar is a better deal.
If
the finding by Administrative Law Judge Eric Lipman is upheld by the
state Public Utilities Commission (PUC), Edina-based Geronimo Energy
plans to build about 20 large solar power arrays on sites across Xcel’s
service area at a cost of $250 million.
“It says
solar is coming in a big way to the country and to Minnesota,” Geronimo
Vice President Betsy Engelking said of the ruling.
Geronimo’s
Aurora Solar Project would receive no state or utility subsidies, but
would qualify for a federal investment tax credit. Engleking said it is
the first time in the United States that solar energy without a state
subsidy has beaten natural gas in an official, head-to-head price
comparison.
“The cost of solar has come down
much faster than anyone had anticipated,” she said in an interview.
“This is one of the reasons solar is going to explode.”
The
largest of the Geronimo projects would be five times bigger than the
state’s largest solar array in Slayton, Minn. Some would cover up to 70
acres of land. The proposed sites are in 17 counties, mostly in central,
eastern and southeastern Minnesota.
It is the
first time the state has used a competitive bidding process for a major
power generation project. The commission ordered the trial-like
proceeding to force energy companies to compete on price.
Xcel,
based in Minneapolis, and three other energy companies offered various
proposals, mostly generators powered by natural gas. Xcel’s plan
included a new gas generator at its Black Dog plant in Burnsville, where
the utility intends to retire the remaining coal-burning units.
In
a 50-page ruling, Lipman said “the greatest value to Minnesota and
Xcel’s ratepayers is drawn from selecting Geronimo’s solar energy
proposal …”
If the Aurora project is built, Xcel
likely would purchase the power under a long-term agreement. That could
help Xcel toward its requirement to get 1.5 percent of its power from
the sun by 2020 under a new state energy law. Xcel also is counting on
rooftop solar systems, community-owned arrays and its own large projects
to meet that goal.
Lipman said that if solar
alone can’t supply all of Xcel’s extra power needs in the next few
years, the utility could take up an offer to purchase surplus energy
from Great River Energy, the state’s second-largest power company. The
judge also said Xcel will have time to consider other generation
projects if electrical demand picks up.
Xcel
said in a statement that it appreciated Lipman’s work, but that it
disagreed with some of the findings and would file a written response.
Under the PUC’s rules, the competitors and other interests can take
exception to the judge’s ruling before the five-member commission takes a
vote.
Geronimo already does business with Xcel,
selling the output of its Prairie Rose Wind Farm in Rock County, in far
southwestern Minnesota. Two of four planned wind farms that Xcel will
add in the next two years — near Windom, Minn., and near Jamestown, N.D.
— are being built by Geronimo. The company has built two smaller wind
farms in southeastern Minnesota and is about to construct two more wind
farms in Michigan and Nebraska for other utilities.
Other competitors
The
other competitors considered by the judge were Houston-based Calpine,
which proposed a gas turbine in Mankato at its existing power plant
there and Chicago-based Invenergy, which proposed gas turbines at Cannon
Falls and Hampton. Xcel also proposed two gas units near Hankinson,
N.D.
“We are reviewing the [judge’s]
recommendations, and will evaluate our next steps in the docketed
proceeding,” Craig Gordon, Invenergy vice president of sales and
marketing, said in an e-mail Tuesday.
If the
Aurora Project is approved, Geronimo said the solar arrays would be
built in 2015 and 2016. Engelking said that Geronimo already has signed
deals for land and that it has identified more sites than needed in case
some don’t work out.
Each of the ground-mounted arrays would be next to an existing substation, avoiding transmission-line costs.
She
said the company still needs state or local permits. But the company
has visited with local governments and has pledged to make payments in
lieu of taxes ranging from $50,000 to $110,000 a year.
Geronimo,
a renewable energy developer, doesn’t intend to own the projects, she
said. Its financing partner, Enel Green Power, has the first option to
acquire them, she said. But it’s possible Geronimo could make a deal to
sell the arrays to Xcel or other energy companies, she said.
David Shaffer • 612-673-7090 • @ShafferStrib
by jboullion | Dec 30, 2013 | Uncategorized
Newest Wisconsin Installations Powered by Biogas, Solar, and Wind
(Madison) – At its third annual Energy Policy Summit next month, RENEW Wisconsin will recognize the six largest nonutility–owned renewable generation projects built in Wisconsin in
2013. Titled “We Mean Business,” RENEW’s
summit
is set
for January 10, 2014, and will take
place at The Pyle Center on the UW–Madison campus.
All six clean energy
projects
to
be “inducted” into RENEW’s
Million Watt Club next month have a minimum electric generating capacity of one megawatt (MW). These installations are designed either to
supply energy directly to the host facility or a Wisconsin utility. The
combined generating capacity of the Class of 2013 installations is 19.6 MW, compared with the
15.4 MW that came online in 2012.
Below are capsule descriptions of the Class
of 2013 renewable generation projects to be inducted into RENEW Wisconsin’s Million Watt Club.
- Galactic Wind Farm, a 10 MW facility in the Town of Springfield in Dane County. This plant is the
largest wind-power project in Wisconsin not owned by an energy company.
Project participants
include Verona–based Epic Systems (owner), The Morse Group (general
contractor), Cullen, Weston, Pines & Bach
(legal services), Madison Gas & Electric (interconnection facilitator), and
W.E.S. Engineering (consulting engineer).
- GreenWhey Digester, a 3.2 MW facility located in Turtle Lake. This plant is powered with biogas
derived from liquid organic wastes produced at several
food processing
companies located in Turtle Lake. Project participants include GreenWhey Energy (owner),
Miron Construction (general
contractor), Xcel Energy (long–term
electricity purchaser) Symbiont Inc. (balance–of-
system
engineer), and Geo Investors (financing).
- Forest County Potawatomi Community (FCPC) Renewable Generation Digester, a 2 MW facility located in Milwaukee. This plant is powered with biogas derived from liquid organic wastes produced at the tribally owned casino next door.
Project participants include FCPC (owner),
Miron Construction (general
contractor), Symbiont Inc. (balance–of-system engineer), Titus Energy
(consulting engineer), Godfrey & Kahn (legal services), We Energies (long–term electricity purchaser)
Greenfire Management Services (owner’s representative), and Rockwell Automation (motor controls). The GE engine generators were manufactured in Waukesha.
- Dane County Community Digester, a 2 MW facility located in the Town of Springfield in Dane County and interconnected to Madison Gas & Electric. Dane County’s second community digester, this plant is powered with biogas derived from manure produced at several adjoining dairy farms.
Project participants include Gundersen Health (owner), C.G. Schmidt (general
contractor), Dane County (catalyst and facilitator), Madison Gas & Electric (long–term electricity purchaser), and U.S. Biogas (system designer).
- Rosendale Dairy Digester, a 1.4 MW facility located near Pickett in Winnebago County.
This plant is powered with biogas derived from manure produced at Rosendale Dairy. Project
participants include
Milk Source (owner), BIOFerm (system designer), Alliant Energy (long–term
electricity purchaser),
and UW-Oshkosh Foundation (financing
and
educational
partner).
- Jefferson Solar, a 1 MW facility located in the City of Jefferson.
This plant, Wisconsin’s first commercial
solar energy plant, produces electricity for sale to the grid. Project participants include Half Moon Ventures (owner),
S&C Electric (general contractor), Jefferson Utilities
(interconnection facilitator), and WPPI Energy (long–term electricity purchaser).
“The Energy Policy
Summit is
a fitting venue to honor the people and organizations that
embraced the vision of energy self–sufficiency and job creation, and made it happen in
Wisconsin,” said RENEW Wisconsin’s
Executive Director Tyler Huebner.
“Their solar, wind, and bioenergy installations created jobs, reduced the flow of imported fossil
fuels
into Wisconsin, and demonstrated responsible environmental stewardship. They truly deserve the recognition, as well as everyone’s appreciation,” Huebner said.
by jboullion | Dec 27, 2013 | Uncategorized
“With 2013 coming to an end, Dan Goymerac, vice president of industrial business development for Miron Construction Co., Inc., provides a look back at the power/renewables construction industry and provides a glimpse into trends that can be expected in the upcoming year.”
Read Goymerac’s blog post
by jboullion | Dec 20, 2013 | Uncategorized
National, Regional, and Statewide Leaders Highlight Event
12/20/2013 – Press release from RENEW Wisconsin
RENEW
Wisconsin will host its third annual Renewable Energy Policy Summit on Friday,
January 10th, 2014 at the Pyle Center on the UW-Madison campus. The theme of
the event, “We Mean Business,” will highlight the importance of
renewable energy to Wisconsin’s economy. The early-bird registration deadline
is Friday, December 20th.
The event
will feature three keynote speakers.
·
Dr. Dan Arvizu, Director of the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden Colorado, will kick off the program. He
will cover the potential for renewable energy development and how we can
capture it.
·
Karl Rabago, Veteran of the US Army,
Department of Energy, Austin Energy, Texas Public Utility Commission, and
currently a consultant, lawyer, and advocate, will give a lunch address on the
value and future of distributed renewable energy.
·
Michael Noble, Director of Minnesota-based
Fresh Energy will close the day by discussing the origins of Minnesota’s recent
law that will expand solar energy
30-fold by 2020 and the job creation that will come with it.
Panels and
other sessions will continue to highlight the economic and business theme, with
additional presentations on new projects and programs:
·
Wisconsin
businesses including Melissa Van Ornum of Chilton-based DVO, Wisconsin’s
leading biodigester designer, and Matt Neumann of SunVest, a Pewaukee-based
solar developer. They will discuss the current business situation for clean
energy development in Wisconsin. Joe Sullivan of Wind on the Wires, a regional
wind energy advocacy organization, will also compare and contrast Wisconsin’s
wind energy development with our Midwest neighbors. Tom Content of the
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel will moderate this panel.
·
A policy and
legislative panel will discuss the current public policy environment
surrounding clean, renewable energy, and prospects for strengthening it. The
panel will feature Secretary Ben Brancel of the Department of Agriculture,
Trade, and Consumer Protection, Representative Katrina Shankland (D-71st
Stevens Point area). Additional legislators have been invited. Chris Schoenherr
of the Department of Administration will moderate this panel.
·
A panel on
the connections between research, innovation, and economic growth in the clean
energy sector featuring Gary Radloff of the Wisconsin Energy Institute and Mike
Bull of the Center on Energy and the Environment, and a representative of the
Midwest Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) is also expected to present. Tom
Still of the Wisconsin Technology Council will moderate this panel.
·
Afternoon
roundtables on current issues and projects with networking opportunities such
as community renewables, Clean Energy Choice, expanding our 10% Renewable
Electricity Standard, bioenergy, regulatory matters before the Public Service
Commission, and renewable energy credits (RECs).
·
Finally, a
lunch awards ceremony will recognize the outstanding projects that came online
this year and honor Wisconsin champions of renewable energy.
RENEW
Wisconsin’s Executive Director Tyler Huebner says, “The We Mean Business theme
was selected to highlight the tremendous economic development potential for
Wisconsin from harvesting more of its own home-grown energy sources, and
contrast it to the current uphill battle many renewable energy businesses
currently face in this state.”
The early-bird
deadline for registration is Friday, December 20th. Early-bird rates are $75
for members of RENEW Wisconsin and $100 for non-members, and rates will go to
$95 and $125 respectively after the deadline. The rate for government employees
is $75 and for students is $35; these two rates won’t change with the deadline.
Membership with RENEW starts at $35 for individuals and $200 for businesses and
organizations.
by jboullion | Dec 19, 2013 | Uncategorized
From a December 17th blog post by Tom Content, Journal Sentinal
A $1 billion order for wind turbines is expected to lead to more business for a Wisconsin-based maker of giant steel wind towers.
MidAmerican Energy on Monday announced plans to buy 448 turbines from Siemens, in what the turbine maker said was the largest single order in the world of wind turbines for land-based wind power projects.
Siemens spokeswoman Claire Little confirmed that the tower supplier for the big order will be Broadwind Energy Inc., which builds towers in Manitowoc and Texas.
Read more from Journal Sentinel
by jboullion | Dec 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
Renewable World Energies sees opportunity in relics of prior century
From a December 15, 2013 Journal Sentinal article by Tom Content:
As utilities have sold off hydroelectric power projects, Bill Harris’ Wisconsin-based company is picking them up and investing in them.
Where some see decrepit relics of a prior century, Harris sees opportunity.
Power from flowing water is arguably “the most overlooked renewable resource,” Harris said.
While much of the renewable energy buzz centers on solar and wind, hydroelectric plants are still the dominant source of renewable power worldwide, including in Wisconsin.
Read more from Journal Sentinel
by jboullion | Dec 16, 2013 | Uncategorized
A new biodigester that is being loaded with millions of gallons of manure is designed differently from one that leaked 300,000 gallons of animal waste near Waunakee last month.
Dane County officials say they feel confident in safeguards at the new 3-million-gallon digester in the town of Springfield that is scheduled to start generating electricity this month.
Meanwhile, state and local regulators said that now that the cleanup near Waunakee is complete, they expect to learn how the older Clear Horizons digester plans to minimize damage from any future messes like the one that went undetected for hours and ended up tainting Six Mile Creek.
“They said they were looking into and exploring the capabilities of their system,” said Josh Wescott, chief of staff to County Executive Joe Parisi. “We’re going to want to make sure there is adequate alarm capacity.”
Wescott said the county also wants assurances that the Clear Horizon facility is adequately staffed.
The spill occurred when a pipe outside the digester’s containment berm ruptured for undisclosed reasons when no employees were present, no alarm system was triggered and no automatic shutoff valve stopped the flow.
It was the second spill in the Lake Mendota watershed this year. After a spill of similar size at UW-Madison’s Arlington Agricultural Research Station in February, UW officials added a containment berm and a $3,000 automated shutoff valve after the failure of a pipe fitting resulted in pollution of the Yahara River.
State and federal officials said they would begin reexamining regulations around manure storage because of the spills. Data released by the state showed only one larger leak has been reported in the past 15 years.
The new biodigester was built in the town of Springfield by the LaCrosse-based Gundersen Health System and US Biogas.
“We have a high level of confidence with the Biogas digester,” Wescott said.
The county assisted in planning and finding financing for both digesters.
They are designed to generate electricity and reduce the nutrient level and volume of cow manure, which eventually goes back to nearby farms to be spread on fields as fertilizer. Runoff of farm nutrients are the major source of smelly overgrowths of weeds and algae in lakes.
The Gundersen-Biogas facility is equipped with a 15-million-gallon storage structure that can receive manure in case of a spill, said Kevin Connors, director of the county Land and Water Resources Department.
It took about two weeks for crews to clean up the Waunakee spill. Several farmers agreed to spread manure on fields or deposit it in storage lagoons, Connors said.
The Gundersen-Biogas storage structure is built partly below ground and partly above ground, Connors said.
Connors said there are other safety precautions, but he deferred to Gundersen officials to describe them.
A company spokesman didn’t respond to phone and email messages.
A strong safety design is needed because a section of the North Fork of Pheasant Branch creek flows within a few hundred feet of the site, Connors said.
Meanwhile, County Board members said the Waunakee spill has prompted them to take a second look at the design of a proposed private digester in the town of Bristol before they grant it final approval.
About 25 people attended a meeting Monday night of the County Board’s Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources Committee in Waunakee to ask questions about the Clear Horizons spill.
Nila Frye, who operates a child care center in the village, said the public should have been notified more quickly about the spill. If it had been summer, children could have been exposed to the manure while playing in the creek, Frye said.
Clear Horizons sent out a press release about the spill several days after it occurred.
Company operations manager Monte Lamer said he should have notified the chairman of the town of Vienna, where the facility is located, but he “dropped the ball.”
The first priority was the cleanup effort, Lamer said.
DNR regional director Mark Aquino said the state would have made an announcement if the spill posed a potential health risk.
Six Mile Creek had an odor and it was discolored near where the spill reached it, but no fish kills have been reported, DNR officials said.
Preliminary monitoring of the creek has found elevated phosphorus levels, but the levels aren’t nearly as high as they are during heavy rain or snow melts, Wescott said.
Read more
See also Dane County Executive, Joe Parisi’s editorial “Digesters key to cleaning our lakes”
