by jboullion | Oct 8, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a story by Thomas Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Xcel Energy Inc. will announce today that its power plant in northern Wisconsin will be the largest in the Midwest to make electricity by burning wood chips.
The utility will invest $55 million to $70 million to convert a coal-fired boiler to one that would convert chipped waste wood from northern Wisconsin’s forests into a gas for power production.
Xcel is an eight-state utility company based in Minneapolis. Its Wisconsin electric and natural gas utility is based in Eau Claire.
The initiative is part of Xcel’s strategy to become a leader in production of renewable energy, a plan that could reap financial rewards if the federal government moves to regulate emissions linked to global warming.
Through its wind farms based primarily in Minnesota, Xcel is the largest producer of wind energy in the country, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The company also has 19 dams generating hydroelectric power on rivers in northern Wisconsin.
The Ashland power plant consists of three boilers, two of which burn both biomass and a small amount of coal, and one that burns coal exclusively. The new proposal, to be filed with state regulators this fall, would replace that coal-only boiler with a biomass-to-gas system, company spokesman Brian Elwood said.
One concern, he said, was whether there would be enough waste wood to supply the plant. A study by the Madison-based Energy Center of Wisconsin found there would be enough wood left after forests are logged to supply an expansion, he said.
And from a media release issued by Xcel:
In 2006, Xcel Energy funded a study with the Energy Center of Wisconsin to investigate the amount of biomass that could be removed from Wisconsin’s forests to support sustainable energy resources and any associated environmental impacts. The study concluded that area forests within a 50-mile radius of the Bay Front Power Plant could support additional biomass removal without adverse impacts to the local ecosystem. Dedicated biomass energy plantations could ultimately provide a portion of the plant’s increased biomass needs, with additional benefits from carbon sequestration.
“Xcel Energy has been a long-time leader in providing renewable energy from local sources to the citizens of Wisconsin,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director, RENEW Wisconsin. “This biomass initiative continues that tradition.”
Mark Redsten, executive director, Clean Wisconsin, agreed.
“This project will both lessen Wisconsin’s reliance on imported fossil fuels and propel us closer to the renewable energy goals of Gov. Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming,” Redsten said.
by jboullion | Oct 7, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Anne Jungen and Samantha Marcus and in the La Crosse Tribune:
Kate Pahl’s December heating bill sent chills down her spine. A new homeowner, Pahl lowered the temperature in her three-bedroom, town of Greenfield mobile home — first from 72 to 65 degrees, and finally to 55.
Still, her monthly propane bill rose from $200 to $400 to $600.
The dance was maddening.
“(Last) winter was horrible, and it wasn’t even that cold,” the 22-year-old said. “I realize I live in a trailer. I realize it doesn’t have the greatest insulation. But I pay more for this than my parents pay for a three-story house.”
She and her father crawled underneath adding insulation, and she planned to later add weather stripping and tape her windows.
“I’m going to basically wrap my whole place in Saran Wrap,” she mused late in the summer.
But as cold weather months approached, Pahl decided not to stick around and find out what this winter has in store. Last week she sold her home.
“I know this winter would just kill me,” Pahl said. “I knew I would not be able to handle it by myself.”
All Wisconsin residents will be paying more to heat their homes this year, but propane and heating oil customers will be hit especially hard.
Without the cover of government intervention, they are at the mercy of the free market and lack a cold weather rule keeping them warm if the tank runs dry. . . .
How to save on your heating bill
+ If you are a propane or heating oil customer, fill your tank during early fall when prices are lower.
+ Weatherize your home with proper insulation; caulk and weather strip windows and doors.
+ Install a programmable thermostat, and lower the temperature when you’re away or sleeping.
+ Open drapes and shades to let sunlight heat your home; close them in the evening to prevent heat from escaping.
+ Make sure heating vents are not blocked.
+ Use plastic window coverings to reduce drafts.
+ Use furnaces and appliances that are Energy Star qualified.
+ Clean or replace furnace filters monthly.
+ Close the damper in fireplaces when not in use.
+ Close doors to rooms not being used.
Learn about more energy savings ideas and renewable energy options at Focus on Energy.
by jboullion | Oct 6, 2008 | Uncategorized
From an article by Randy Hanson in the Hudson Star-Observer:
Craig Tarr has grown mildly impatient with people who ask what the payback is on the solar energy systems he designs.
“I don’t like to discuss things in terms of payback,” he says. “My question to that is, when you bought your plasma TV was there a payback? Or did you do it because you wanted to, and it brought comfort to your life?”
For the people who buy his solar energy systems, part of the payback is knowing that they have reduced their carbon footprint.
Craig Tarr, a professional engineer, earns about half of his income by designing renewable energy systems. His goal is to make renewable energy 100 percent of his business within two or three years.
Tarr is the founder of Energy Concepts, a two-year-old renewable energy business located at 2349 Willis Miller Drive in Hudson’s St. Croix Business Park. He’s formed a partnership with Paul Steiner of Steiner Plumbing, Electric & Heating of River Falls, which installs the solar and wind energy systems that Tarr custom designs for homes and businesses.
Solar energy systems are still quite pricey, but a cash-back reward from Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program and a $2,000 tax credit from the federal government help reduce the sticker shock.
According to Tarr, a solar hot-water system for a family of four at a price of $11,000 to $12,000 is the best buy for residential customers.
Focus on Energy provides a 20 percent cash-back reward on renewable energy systems, which reduces the price of a $12,000 system by $2,400. The $2,000 federal tax reduction further lowers the price of a $12,000 system to $7,600.
Area Xcel Energy and St. Croix Gas customers are eligible for the Focus on Energy rebate. St. Croix Electric Cooperative doesn’t participate in the program and its customers aren’t eligible for the rebate.
by jboullion | Oct 2, 2008 | Uncategorized
Many solar-powered and energy-efficient businesses and homes around Wisconsin, including western Wisconsin, will be open to the public during the Wisconsin Solar Tour on October 3 and 4.
The tour demonstrates that renewable energy is practical, reliable and a realistic choice for home and business owners. Tour sites are owned, lived in, and worked in by ordinary people. They are helping others open the door to renewable energy.
Although it is officially called the Wisconsin Solar Tour, sites include all sorts of renewable energy technologies and other innovative features. On the Wisconsin Solar Tour you can see:
Wind and solar (PV) electric systems
Solar thermal and solar water heating systems
Green building construction and passive solar design
Energy efficient heating technologies
Energy efficient appliances
Environmentally friendly landscaping
And more!
by jboullion | Oct 1, 2008 | Uncategorized
From a media release issued by Focus on Energy:
MADISON, Wis. (October 1, 2008) – Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, announced today that Oakdale Electric Cooperative officially became a program member beginning October 1, 2008. The utility serves approximately 15,000 customers throughout Monroe and Juneau counties and portions of Jackson, Sauk and Wood counties.
“I welcome Oakdale Electric Cooperative into Focus on Energy and am delighted its customers will be able to benefit from the services the program offers,” said Eric Callisto, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, the agency that manages the state’s Focus on Energy Program. “Oakdale Electric Cooperative’s decision to participate in Focus on Energy will result in a healthier environment for Wisconsin and will provide options for its customers to make the same environmentally-friendly decisions.”
Oakdale Electric Cooperative will participate in the Business, Residential and Renewable Energy offerings under the Focus on Energy umbrella. The benefits of participating include:
Business Programs that help manufacturers, commercial businesses, farmers, schools and local governments reduce operating costs, increase their bottom line and improve productivity and employee and customer comfort. The programs offer technical expertise, training and financial incentives to help implement innovative energy management projects.
Wisconsin ENERGY STAR Homes, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and Apartment & Condo Efficiency Services Programs that encompass new and existing homes, multi-family construction and remodeling projects for all types of residential dwellings. These programs help homeowners and landlords integrate energy improvements into their remodeling projects, as well as deliver newly-built homes, apartments and condominiums that are comfortable, safe, durable and energy efficient.
+ Lighting and appliance programs that increase the availability of ENERGY STAR qualified products ranging from compact fluorescent light bulbs to heating and cooling equipment. These efforts deliver lower energy bills for residents and businesses and increased sales for retailers and contractors.
+ Renewable Energy Programs that help residents and businesses harness energy from sunlight, wind and organic materials.
+ Targeted Home Performance that reduces energy bills while increasing comfort and safety for income-qualified participants.
