by jboullion | Jul 15, 2009 | Uncategorized
Under a new program announced by We Energies, schools, nonprofits, and units of government can apply for grants equal to the amount awarded by Focus on Energy for a wind project over 20 kW and not more than 100 kW:
This program assists qualified We Energies electric customers (not-for-profit, schools and units of government) with the installation of a wind electric system over 20 kW and not more than 100 kW. Customer incentives are provided from We Energies Renewable Energy Development (RED) Program. The We Energies incentive amount for this limited program is a 100% match of the determined reward from the Focus on Energy 2009 Wind Electric Implementation Grant for Schools, Nonprofits and Units of Government to a maximum of $150,000.
by jboullion | Jul 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
A question from AskFocusonEnergy:
Quesiton: Would I save more energy by replacing my old dishwasher or doing my dishes by hand?
Answer: Compared to washing dishes by hand, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher:
+ Can lower utility bills
+ Uses half as much energy
+ Saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year
ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers:
+ Use 25% less energy than conventional models
+ Use less hot water, saving you $90 over their lifetime
+ Internal water heaters, which reduce water heating costs by 20%
+ Boost water temperatures to 140 degrees — well above scalding temperatures. Washing dishes with hotter water allows for improved disinfection compared to washing by hand at much lower temperatures.
+ Run quieter than older models — over 50% quieter than models produced 10 years ago!
by jboullion | Jul 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
A question from AskFocusonEnergy:
Quesiton: Would I save more energy by replacing my old dishwasher or doing my dishes by hand?
Answer: Compared to washing dishes by hand, an ENERGY STAR qualified dishwasher:
+ Can lower utility bills
+ Uses half as much energy
+ Saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water per year
ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers:
+ Use 25% less energy than conventional models
+ Use less hot water, saving you $90 over their lifetime
+ Internal water heaters, which reduce water heating costs by 20%
+ Boost water temperatures to 140 degrees — well above scalding temperatures. Washing dishes with hotter water allows for improved disinfection compared to washing by hand at much lower temperatures.
+ Run quieter than older models — over 50% quieter than models produced 10 years ago!
by jboullion | Jul 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
An announcement by Wisconsin Public Service:
Green Bay, WI – For seven days, from July 15 – July 22, the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation (WECC), in partnership with Wisconsin Public Service, will provide $25 as an incentive to turn-in an older, inefficient, working dehumidifier or room air conditioner, $40 toward the purchase of a new Energy Star dehumidifier or room air conditioner, or $75 for both the turn-in and new purchase at selected sites in Green Bay, Wausau and Stevens Point.
Participating Retailers (limit: three units per customer)
•Green Bay – Best Buy, Gmack, Martin Hardware, Sears and Van Vreedes
•Wausau – Best Buy and Grebes Appliance
•Stevens Point – Best Buy and Sears
Customer questions can be directed to WECC at (800) 875-1335.
The program could end early if supplies of qualifying units are exhausted or extended through July if targets are not met.
For More Information, contact:
•WECC
(800) 875-1335
•Wisconsin Public Service Customer Service
800-450-7260
by jboullion | Jul 14, 2009 | Uncategorized
From an article by Steve Cahalan in the La Crosse Tribune:
WEST SALEM — A West Salem farm cooperative and others are looking at the possibility of providing and processing low-quality wood as fuel that could be burned at power plants, including Xcel Energy’s waste-to-energy plant on French Island.
Xcel and the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence each are providing a $25,000 grant to fund the biomass fuel study, which began a few weeks ago and is expected to be completed by November. The study is being done by the Energy Center of Wisconsin, an independent, nonprofit organization that explores energy ideas.
The Cooperative Network, a statewide association that provides various services to co-ops, also is involved in the study.
The project will evaluate the business potential for gathering and processing sustainably harvested waste wood for fuel and determining the market value of woody biomass, the groups involved in the study said Monday.
It will examine woody biomass availability within about 50 miles of West Salem, and look at possible benefits and costs to have agricultural cooperatives provide the biomass.
The study will look at such ideas as harvesting and chipping existing low-quality wood — such as box elder trees and even brush — and planting, harvesting and chipping low-quality trees that grow fast, such as poplar and black willow.
by jboullion | Jul 13, 2009 | Uncategorized
From a commentary by Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin, July 12, 2009:
In a unanimous vote, the Public Service Commission (PSC) recently cleared the way for Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin utility to construct a 200 megawatt (MW) windpower plant project in southern Minnesota. Once operational, the Bent Tree project, costing upwards of $450 million, will be a productive source of renewable energy that will provide lasting benefits to Minnesota’s economy and environment. Since it will be Alliant’s Wisconsin customers who foot the bill, however, it is reasonable to inquire whether the current utility practice of outsourcing renewable energy production to other states is a good thing for Wisconsin’s economy.
Because we can’t see it, taste it, hear it or smell it, we tend to lose sight of the fact that electricity is a manufactured product. To make it, capital is amassed and expended on machinery that convert raw resources like coal, flowing water, and wind into this highly useful form of energy. The electricity is then transported via networks of wires to power factories, illuminate residences and streets, propel commuter trains, and energize the complex communications systems that allows to store vast quantities of instantly retrievable information. It is hard to name a manufactured product that adds more value to an industrialized society than electricity.
Yet electricity’s impact on the economy is not defined solely by the activities it supports. There is as well the intense amount of economic activity that goes into building the power plants themselves. In the case of Bent Tree, the capital used to manufacture, transport and erect 122 wind turbines will unleash a year-long burst of construction work in Freeborn County employing hundreds of skilled laborers and technicians. The work will also ripple through nearby component manufacturers involved with the project, as well as ports and other transfer points where components are unloaded and loaded onto special vehicles and hauled to the project zone. . . .
If Wisconsin truly desires to provide a home to a viable renewable energy economy, it will have to redefine the public interest standards that govern the expenditure of ratepayer dollars. This means giving such economic benefits as job creation, component manufacturing, workforce participation, increased tax receipts to local and state government, and reduced dependence on future transmission upgrades as much due consideration as cost per megawatt-hour. Granted, this is a form of industrial policy. However, if state policymakers don’t take steps to build a solid market structure for generating more renewable electricity here at home, Wisconsin’s ability to compete for good jobs and business opportunities could become hopelessly compromised.
