by jboullion | May 3, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article in the Stevens Point Journal:
A local renewable energy organization and two local state officials will be among those honored next week by the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association and state representative Louis Molepske, Jr. have been named co-recipients of the 2009-10 Environmental Leader Award. In addition to his involvement as a member of the CNR’s Advisory Board, Molepske, Jr., also serves on the Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Committee on Natural Resources, and Committee on Fish and Wildlife.
The MREA promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable living through education and demonstration and sponsors the MREA Energy Fair, the nation’s longest running energy education event of its kind.
The award honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to maintaining the integrity of our ecosystems. Candidates are nominated by the faculty and selected by the CNR Dean’s Council.
State Senator Julie Lassa is one of five individuals to receive the CNR’s 2009-10 Outstanding Contributor Award for her longtime support of college programs, most recently her efforts to secure state funding for core staffing in UWSP’s promising initiative, the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology.
by jboullion | May 3, 2010 | Uncategorized
A letter to the editor in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel by Jeff Anthony, Director of Business Development of the American Wind Energy Association and a member of the board of directors of RENEW Wisconsin:
John Torinus’ column celebrating the demise of Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Jobs Act legislation couldn’t be more misguided and wrong (April 25, Page 3D).
Torinus conveniently ignores the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin study concluding that average utility bills would be lower under the bill compared to the status quo. Further, a comprehensive economic assessment of the proposed legislation concluded it would create at least 15,000 jobs in Wisconsin by 2025.
Most puzzling is that Torinus criticizes the bill by citing the European experience, which has incorporated the very same kind of renewable energy targets already in place in Wisconsin and that the bill would have strengthened.
And contrary to still more puzzling claims from Torinus, behind the development of the bill was an impressively diverse range of businesses and stakeholders, all working in concert over a lengthy period to come up with a pragmatic piece of legislation that would simultaneously create jobs and foster a cleaner environment.
Torinus apparently has failed to take a look at the list of businesses and other organizations that formed such pro-bill coalitions as “Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy.” Conspicuously absent from the collaborative effort, in fact, was Torinus’ own company.
Jeff Anthony
Director of Business Development
American Wind Energy Association
Milwaukee
by jboullion | Apr 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by in the Thomah Journal-News:
A proposal to generate energy for solid waste by-products of the Ridgeville landfill site will be the subject of a special meeting of the Monroe County Board of Supervisors at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Sparta.
Gail Frei, Monroe County solid waste manager, will present the proposal at the session to be held in the courthouise annex meeting room.
Frei outlined the plan to make electricity from biogas at a meeting of the Solid Waste Committee in February. At the time, the committee approved $14,000 to begin initial planning for the program. Frei, who was Vernon County’s solid waste manager for 18 years, said there was a ready market for the electricity produced and the process would extend the life of the landfill.
As outlined, The Monroe County Landfill Gas-to-Energy/Food Waste Diversion Project is an environmentally proactive landfill gas management project designed to reduce the amount of methane gas released to the environment by the landfill, process specific food waste outside the landfill to create biogas, and use those gas products for constructive purposes. Frei said the project would reduce landfill odors from decomposing food waste, extend the life of the landfill, and develop a new revenue source (sale of electricity) to pay a capital cost loan. After the loan is repaid, the revenue would be used to offset landfill costs, which means anyone using the landfill will share in the benefits.
by jboullion | Apr 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a story on WQOW-TV, Eau Claire:
CUMBERLAND, WI. (Press Release) – 3M Cumberland was formally welcomed into the Department of Natural Resources’ Green Tier program today, during Earth Week, at a celebration event at their facility in Cumberland, Wisconsin. DNR officials congratulated 3M for its commitment to environmental protection during the celebration, which included staff and management from the facility, local officials and 3M Corporate officials.
“The Department of Natural Resources is proud to add 3M Cumberland to the growing ranks of Green Tier companies,” Department of Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank said. “They have proven that they are leaders in their community by managing operations to protect our shared natural resources for future generations.”
Frank said it is fitting the company is welcomed into Green Tier during Earth Week when so much is being done to enhance the natural resources of the state.
3M has a long-standing corporate commitment to three pillars of sustainability, also known as the triple bottom line: environmental protection, social responsibility and economic progress. 3M uses this philosophy to reduce their environmental footprint while continuing to grow their business. To do this, 3M pioneered the concept of pollution prevention with the creation of the Pollution Prevention Pays (3P) program in 1975. The 3P program is based on the reality that pollution prevention is more environmentally effective, technically sound and economical than conventional pollution control equipment. 3P seeks to eliminate pollution at the source through product reformulation, process modification, equipment redesign and the recycling and reuse of waste materials. By 2009, 34 years later, 3P ideas and initiatives from employees have prevented 2.9 billion pounds of pollutants and saved 3M nearly $1.2 billion.
by jboullion | Apr 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Amy Ryan in the Wausau Daily Herald:
WESTON — After presentations for and against a proposed biomass energy plant to be built across from Rothschild Elementary School, the D.C. Everest Area School Board decided Tuesday to not yet take a position on the project.
Residents fighting the biomass plant were hopeful the board would join the effort to stop its construction.
“I think we have too much material. I would not make a recommendation at this time,” said board member Rita Kasten.
We Energies plans to build a $250 million power plant that burns low-quality and unusable wood and paper waste, powering the Domtar paper mill in Rothschild and providing electricity to homes in portions of Wisconsin. We Energies hopes it will be operating by fall 2013.
Residents at the meeting said they were concerned about the effect the plant might have on the health of the children at the nearby elementary school. Those concerns were shared by board members and district administrators.
“USA TODAY … studied 127,000 schools, and only 23,000 have worse air than Rothschild,” said board member Larry Schaefer. “We’re starting with some pretty poor air already. That’s a concern I have with this plant.”
Rob Hughes, the parent of a 7-month-old, lives near the proposed site of the energy plant and said he is concerned about children playing on the playground near an energy plant.
“In the long term, these particulates cause development of lung disease in children,” he said. “It’s hard to learn if you’re puffing on an inhaler, if you’re light-headed and struggling to breathe.”
Representatives from We Energies and Domtar said the new plant would emit less pollution than the current biomass generators used at Domtar.
“There are very rigorous standards placed by regulatory agencies to protect our welfare,” said Terry Charles, environmental health and safety manager for Domtar. “That includes asthmatics and elderly.”
The plant would cut dependence on fossil fuels, reduce acid rain and be nearly carbon-neutral, the environmental advocacy group Clean Wisconsin and the U.S. Forest Service have said.
by jboullion | Apr 30, 2010 | Uncategorized
Shortly following the end of the legislative session, RENEW Wisconsin wrote to Governor Jim Doyle asking him to veto Senate Bill 273, which would allow “plasma gasification” of municipal wastes to generate electricity. RENEW sought the veto because the bill would allow the electricity to be called renewable and count toward the renewable energy requirements placed on Wisconsin utilities.
Now several other organizations, including RENEW, fleshed out the orginal veto request with a second letter:
We, the undersigned businesses and organizations, urge you to veto SB 273, which would undermine Wisconsin’s current renewable energy standards under Act 141. Signing this bill will result in less renewable solar, wind and biomass energy for Wisconsin at a time when our economy and our environment desperately need more, not less, of these technologies to decrease our dependence on dirty fossil fuels.
New development companies across the country are attempting to define gasification facilities as “green” renewable energy. Yet this technology, a glorified form of incineration that is burdened with many of the same cost and environmental drawbacks, has never been successfully deployed anywhere in this country. Developers are seeking tax incentives, grants and renewable energy credits at the expense of recycling and true renewable energy programs.
Please end your tenure as Governor by vetoing the bill that will undermine Wisconsin’s efforts to become a leader on genuine renewable energy. The benefits of doing so will be recognized for years to come.
The letter came from the Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter * Waukesha Environmental Action League * Midwest Environmental Advocates * Advocates for Renewable Energy * Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters * Clean Wisconsin * Wisconsin Environment * Citizens Utility Board * RENEW WI * Physicians for Social Responsibility * Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice.
Click here for a description of SB 273, as amended.
