by jboullion | Feb 19, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the Center for Climate Strategies:
Implementation of the recently introduced Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) would expand the state’s economy and create thousands of additional new jobs for Wisconsin. These impacts are reported in a recent Center for Climate Strategies (CCS) analysis of the macroeconomic effects of the proposed law, conducted by Michigan State University and the University of Southern California in association with the State of Wisconsin. The analysis focuses on nine proposed policy actions that address clean and renewable energy, energy efficiency, industrial processes, transportation and agriculture.
Based on a state-of-the-art macroeconomic analysis, implementation of these CEJA actions would result in the following outcomes for Wisconsin:
Create a net increase of more than 16,200 new jobs in the state by 2025;
Boost the state’s economy (Gross State Product) by
o $254 million in the near term (2015),
o more than $700 million in 2020,
o $1.41 billion by 2025, and
o $4.9 billion total over the 2011-2025 period.
Reactions to the study: Governor Doyle and CREWE.
by jboullion | Feb 18, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a letter to State Rep. Spencer Black and State Sen. Mark Miller from RENEW Wisconsin:
RENEW is pleased to provide the enclosed copy of the narrative and appendix of tables from an economic analysis that we commissioned.
The analysis concludes that special buyback rates (sometimes called Advanced Renewable Tariffs) designed to stimulate small-scale renewable energy installations would have negligible impact on residential utility bills, averaging about $10 a year. That’s less a dollar a month for the typical customer. And it’s less than a household’s cost of purchasing the smallest block of green power from Madison Gas and Electric, for instance.
Compared with other forms of economic stimulus, promoting small-scale renewables through utility buyback rates would deliver a substantial and long-lasting economic punch with minimal impact on the Wisconsin citizen’s pocketbook.
Prepared by Spring Green-based L&S Technical Associates, the study modeled rate impacts from the legislation’s provisions for ARTs on the state’s five largest utilities. The modeling predicts cost impacts ranging from a low of $8.12 a year for a residential customer of Wisconsin Public Service to as high as $11.07 for a Wisconsin Power and Light (Alliant) customer. The projected impact would amount to $8.81 a year for a We Energies customer, $9.71 for a Madison Gas and Electric customer, and $10.11 for an Xcel Energy customer.
The projections assume that when each utility reaches its maximum threshold of 1.5 percent of total retail sales. In the aggregate, this percentage equates to 1/70th of total annual sales. That’s one billion kilowatt-hours a year, out of total annual sales of 70 billion kilowatt-hour.
Though the principals of L&S Technical Associates serve on RENEW’s board of directors, they have prepared numerous renewable energy studies for other clients, including the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Center of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. L&S has also co-authored renewable energy potential studies in response to requests from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
The bill’s renewable energy buyback provisions would unleash a steady flow of investment that would lead to new economic activity and jobs while moving us toward energy independence – exactly what we all hope to accomplish by passage of the Clean Energy Jobs Act legislation.
by jboullion | Feb 17, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by UW-Stout:
The University of Wisconsin-Stout, in partnership with Veolia Environmental Services in Eau Claire, is composting all food waste from its two dining halls.
Since Jan. 25, kitchen food waste not served to customers as well as post-consumer food waste in Price Commons and Jeter-Tainter-Callahan dining facilities has been picked up twice a week and transported to Veolia’s composting site at Seven Mile Creek Landfill, east of Eau Claire. Also included is kitchen food waste from the Memorial Student Center.
At the landfill, food waste is dumped and layered with yard waste in long piles, or windrows, and turned periodically so that air and moisture can circulate. As the piles heat up, food and yard waste break down and become nutrient-rich soil.
Veolia will provide UW-Stout with a record of food waste collected. The amount is expected to reach 2 to 2½ tons a week.
“This is just the first step in the university’s composting efforts,” said Ann Thies, director of University Dining. “We have plans for more of the post-consumer food waste to be included in the future. Other post-consumer items are carry-out items and customer waste in our retail dining areas.”
Last fall, the university switched most carry-out containers to compostable packaging and began working on a plan to compost food waste.
by jboullion | Feb 16, 2010 | Uncategorized
From a news release issued by the UW-Madison:
Wide-ranging efforts to nurture a Wisconsin biomass market supplying fuel to the soon-to-be-renovated Charter Street Heating Plant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are under way, as officials begin identifying potential suppliers for the cutting-edge facility.
State and UW-Madison officials are asking interested Wisconsin farmers, businesses and landowners to respond to a simple “request for information” that will help pinpoint likely suppliers of the 250,000 tons of biomass that the plant will consume each year.
“We want to build reliable partnerships, help foster an emerging industry and meet the environmental goals of powering a cleaner, coal-free facility,” says Troy Runge, director of the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative, a UW-Madison-based coalition that helps Wisconsin create, commercialize and promote bioenergy solutions.
Runge, who chairs a multiagency panel charged with creating a biomass market to serve the plant, says the request was designed to be simple to encourage broad participation. It will be followed in coming months by a request for more detailed information and proposals from potential biomass fuel suppliers and aggregators.
“We want to cast the broadest possible net to eventually develop a network of suppliers who are capable of providing long-term, sustainable and environmentally responsible fuel supplies,” says Runge.
The request seeks information on the type of fuel being offered, location, pricing, capacity, storage and transportation. It can be found at http://www.wbi.wisc.edu/charter-street-biomass-heating-plant.
by jboullion | Feb 15, 2010 | Uncategorized
From an article by Matt Standal posted on the Northland Newscenter:
ASHLAND, WIS. – Wisconsin Politicians say new renewable energy Standards could be the key to creating more jobs.
It’s called the Clean Energy Jobs Act, and the final public hearing was today in Ashland.
Local folks and political figures gathered at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor’s Center to voice their opinions regarding its changes.
“We would be remiss to ignore the opportunities presented by this bill,” State Senator Bob Jauch said, speaking at the hearing. “These are the kinds of initiatives that could create jobs in Wisconsin and protect our environment.”
If adopted by Wisconsin’s state legislature in April, proponents say The Clean Energy Jobs Act would Create At Least 15,000 Green Jobs by 2025 in Wisconsin.
According to Senator Jauch, the bill’s major changes would include new statewide goals for greenhouse gas emissions, improved state funding for renewable energy resources, and strict new requirements for Wisconsin–based renewable energy to flow through the municipal grid.
Jauch and State Representative Gary Sherman say those new requirements should result in better funding for a larger renewable energy industry and more renewable energy jobs too.
Tourism and forestry are our two main industries in the area and they are linked together by this environment,” Sherman said. “If we can find a way to produce jobs, to produce industry, to produce economic development without destroying that resource, than we are looking at a bright future,” Sherman added.
Local residents largely agreed, speaking for or against various points on the proposed bill.
“I was happy to present to Senator Jauch today a petition in support of this bills signed by more than 150 area residents,” said community organizer Bill Busse from Bayfield. “So it has strong grassroots support in our area.”
However, several speakers vocally opposed the bill’s most controversial measure, a resolution reversing the moratorium on new nuclear energy development throughout Wisconsin.
