by jboullion | Sep 17, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a Dairyland Power Cooperative news release:
LA CROSSE, WI— Dairyland Power Cooperative is purchasing the excess energy output from a new 368 kW solar photovoltaic installation at the City of Galena (Ill.) Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facility is interconnected with Jo-Carroll Energy (Elizabeth, Ill.), a Dairyland member cooperative.
The solar units’ production at the wastewater treatment plant is expected to produce sufficient power to satisfy the facility’s energy needs. Dairyland has a power purchase agreement in place with the City of Galena for all energy produced beyond that required to power the wastewater treatment plant.
Eagle Point Solar, based in Dubuque, Iowa, installed the photovoltaic system. The project installation was partially funded by an Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation grant. “Jo-Carroll Energy is pleased to be collaborating on a local renewable energy project that serves a critical facility in our area, and provides benefits to the environment,” said Michael Hastings, Jo-Carroll Energy CEO.
With headquarters in La Crosse, Wis., Dairyland provides wholesale electricity to Jo-Carroll Energy and 24 other member distribution cooperatives and 15 municipal utilities in four states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois). Dairyland’s generation resources include coal, natural gas, hydro, wind, landfill gas, biomass, solar and animal waste. For more information about Dairyland, visit www.dairynet.com.
by Ed Blume | Sep 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
In a presentation by Don Wichert, RENEW executive director, reported on the following RENEW programs at an informational meeting and social gathering in Stevens Point, September 13, 2012:
- Evaluation of utility performance on renewable energy;
- Clean Energy Choice, which would allow third parties to sell heat and power to customers on premise;
- Net metering;
- Focus on Energy;
- Interconnection streamlining;
- Restoration of We Energies’ renewable development fund;
- Wind initiatives.
by jboullion | Sep 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a blog post by Tom Content on JSOnline:
We Energies and other Wisconsin utilities are getting average grades from a renewable energy advocacy group in ratings released this week.
Renew Wisconsin announced a renewable energy performance report card that judges how utilities have performed on a variety of levels, including the compliance with the state’s renewable energy mandate as well as a variety of other policies.
Most of the utilities in the state, including Milwaukee-based We Energies, received “C” grades from Renew Wisconsin, said Don Wichert, executive director of the non-profit organization that seeks to expand development of solar, wind and other types of renewable energy.
We Energies was praised for its construction of wind farms within the state, creating jobs and providing a local source of green power. But the Milwaukee utility was faulted in part for its decision last year to cancel funding for a renewable energy commitment it gave to Renew 10 years ago.
At that time, We Energies committed to spending $6 million a year for 10 years on a variety of renewable energy programs. In return, the renewable energy advocacy group agreed not to oppose We Energies’ bid to build its coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek.
The shift away from helping customers finance renewable systems is one reason We Energies was graded as a “C” on the group’s report card, said Wichert.
Read More…
by jboullion | Sep 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a blog post by Tom Content on JSOnline:
We Energies and other Wisconsin utilities are getting average grades from a renewable energy advocacy group in ratings released this week.
Renew Wisconsin announced a renewable energy performance report card that judges how utilities have performed on a variety of levels, including the compliance with the state’s renewable energy mandate as well as a variety of other policies.
Most of the utilities in the state, including Milwaukee-based We Energies, received “C” grades from Renew Wisconsin, said Don Wichert, executive director of the non-profit organization that seeks to expand development of solar, wind and other types of renewable energy.
We Energies was praised for its construction of wind farms within the state, creating jobs and providing a local source of green power. But the Milwaukee utility was faulted in part for its decision last year to cancel funding for a renewable energy commitment it gave to Renew 10 years ago.
At that time, We Energies committed to spending $6 million a year for 10 years on a variety of renewable energy programs. In return, the renewable energy advocacy group agreed not to oppose We Energies’ bid to build its coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek.
The shift away from helping customers finance renewable systems is one reason We Energies was graded as a “C” on the group’s report card, said Wichert.
Read More…
by jboullion | Sep 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a blog post by Tom Content on JSOnline:
We Energies and other Wisconsin utilities are getting average grades from a renewable energy advocacy group in ratings released this week.
Renew Wisconsin announced a renewable energy performance report card that judges how utilities have performed on a variety of levels, including the compliance with the state’s renewable energy mandate as well as a variety of other policies.
Most of the utilities in the state, including Milwaukee-based We Energies, received “C” grades from Renew Wisconsin, said Don Wichert, executive director of the non-profit organization that seeks to expand development of solar, wind and other types of renewable energy.
We Energies was praised for its construction of wind farms within the state, creating jobs and providing a local source of green power. But the Milwaukee utility was faulted in part for its decision last year to cancel funding for a renewable energy commitment it gave to Renew 10 years ago.
At that time, We Energies committed to spending $6 million a year for 10 years on a variety of renewable energy programs. In return, the renewable energy advocacy group agreed not to oppose We Energies’ bid to build its coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek.
The shift away from helping customers finance renewable systems is one reason We Energies was graded as a “C” on the group’s report card, said Wichert.
Read More…
by jboullion | Sep 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a blog post by Tom Content on JSOnline:
We Energies and other Wisconsin utilities are getting average grades from a renewable energy advocacy group in ratings released this week.
Renew Wisconsin announced a renewable energy performance report card that judges how utilities have performed on a variety of levels, including the compliance with the state’s renewable energy mandate as well as a variety of other policies.
Most of the utilities in the state, including Milwaukee-based We Energies, received “C” grades from Renew Wisconsin, said Don Wichert, executive director of the non-profit organization that seeks to expand development of solar, wind and other types of renewable energy.
We Energies was praised for its construction of wind farms within the state, creating jobs and providing a local source of green power. But the Milwaukee utility was faulted in part for its decision last year to cancel funding for a renewable energy commitment it gave to Renew 10 years ago.
At that time, We Energies committed to spending $6 million a year for 10 years on a variety of renewable energy programs. In return, the renewable energy advocacy group agreed not to oppose We Energies’ bid to build its coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek.
The shift away from helping customers finance renewable systems is one reason We Energies was graded as a “C” on the group’s report card, said Wichert.
Read More…
by Ed Blume | Sep 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
From a blog post by Tom Content on JSOnline:
We Energies and other Wisconsin utilities are getting average grades from a renewable energy advocacy group in ratings released this week.
Renew Wisconsin announced a renewable energy performance report card that judges how utilities have performed on a variety of levels, including the compliance with the state’s renewable energy mandate as well as a variety of other policies.
Most of the utilities in the state, including Milwaukee-based We Energies, received “C” grades from Renew Wisconsin, said Don Wichert, executive director of the non-profit organization that seeks to expand development of solar, wind and other types of renewable energy.
We Energies was praised for its construction of wind farms within the state, creating jobs and providing a local source of green power. But the Milwaukee utility was faulted in part for its decision last year to cancel funding for a renewable energy commitment it gave to Renew 10 years ago.
At that time, We Energies committed to spending $6 million a year for 10 years on a variety of renewable energy programs. In return, the renewable energy advocacy group agreed not to oppose We Energies’ bid to build its coal-fired power plants in Oak Creek.
The shift away from helping customers finance renewable systems is one reason We Energies was graded as a “C” on the group’s report card, said Wichert.
“That’s nothing to shout about,” he said. “We don’t want to be average. There is no reason that Wisconsin utilities should be performing at average levels in clean energy.”
But the Milwaukee utility said it’s spent heavily on development of renewable energy, tallying up nearly $1 billion in investments in its two wind farms as well as the biomass power plant under construction in north-central Wisconsin. As a result, the utility is in position to be in compliance with the state’s renewable mandate through 2018.
by Ed Blume | Sep 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Journal Sentinel by Thomas Content:
A
coalition of Wisconsin firms involved in the solar power and solar hot
water industry are joining together to market the state at the solar
sector’s major annual conference.
“We want to raise
awareness of what Wisconsin has to offer the solar industry,” said Amy
Heart of Milwaukee Shines, the city’s solar program. “In Milwaukee, we
are known for making things, and making things well. We are taking that
tradition and reputation to the solar supply chain.”
Milwaukee
Shines previously launched a business council focused on the solar hot
water industry, including Johnson Controls Inc. and Caleffi Solar, based
in the Menomonee Valley .
The new partnership, the
Wisconsin Solar Initiative, is broader, focusing on the solar sector as a
whole, and includes Helios Solar Works and Ingeteam, both located in
the Menomonee Valley, as well as Eaton Corp., which makes solar
inverters at its plant in Menomonee Falls.
The
initiative, and the appearance at this week’s Solar Power International
conference in Orlando, Fla., aims to spotlight the state’s solar efforts
much as Wisconsin Wind Works has done for wind energy components
suppliers.
Read more…
by jboullion | Sep 13, 2012 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Journal Sentinel by Thomas Content:
A coalition of Wisconsin firms involved in the solar power and solar hot water industry are joining together to market the state at the solar sector’s major annual conference.
“We want to raise awareness of what Wisconsin has to offer the solar industry,” said Amy Heart of Milwaukee Shines, the city’s solar program. “In Milwaukee, we are known for making things, and making things well. We are taking that tradition and reputation to the solar supply chain.”
Milwaukee Shines previously launched a business council focused on the solar hot water industry, including Johnson Controls Inc. and Caleffi Solar, based in the Menomonee Valley .
The new partnership, the Wisconsin Solar Initiative, is broader, focusing on the solar sector as a whole, and includes Helios Solar Works and Ingeteam, both located in the Menomonee Valley, as well as Eaton Corp., which makes solar inverters at its plant in Menomonee Falls.
The initiative, and the appearance at this week’s Solar Power International conference in Orlando, Fla., aims to spotlight the state’s solar efforts much as Wisconsin Wind Works has done for wind energy components suppliers.
Read more…
by jboullion | Sep 12, 2012 | Uncategorized
An editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
No, Mr. Grothman, wind energy is not tearing the state apart, and in fact, most of the state’s utilities are well-positioned to meet the state’s renewable standard requirement in 2015. Increasing the use of renewable energy in Wisconsin is needed to reduce the state’s reliance on fossil fuels and to thus meet the challenges posed by climate change. The state needs more wind farms and solar panels and other renewable sources – for energy reasons and for the jobs these industries can produce.
But Sen. Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) wants to take the state backward, perhaps largely because he’s heard from constituents upset over a proposed small wind farm in his district. He said he will introduce legislation to freeze the state’s renewable energy portfolio at the 2012 level, despite the fact that most utilities are already prepared to meet the 2015 level of 10%. He said the 10% was a mistake, and that wind farm proposals tear “at the fabric of Wisconsin communities.”
Grothman has a penchant for the overdramatic, but he’s wrong on this. Where has he been? Has he missed the wind farms that have been going up all around the state? All he needs to do is take a trip from West Bend to Fond du Lac on US 45 to get an eyeful. They don’t despoil the landscape and they haven’t caused major problems for most neighbors. And they’ve certainly enhanced the state’s energy portfolio.
Given the success of these efforts, the rising concerns over climate change and the potential jobs that are at stake, Grothman should pull back on his threat to take Wisconsin backward.
