Harness the wind: Turbines grow in popularity

From an article by Judy Newman in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Art and Mindy Shrader have a new conversation piece in the back yard of their log home near Reedsburg: a wind energy turbine, designed to help power their house.

“We live up on a ridge and the wind is always blowing there,” Shrader said. “We thought it would be nice to do something about that.”

Gene Frakes has had a wind turbine on his property in the town of Perry, in the southwestern corner of Dane County, for two and a half years. The 10-kilowatt turbine produces an average of 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity — or about $110 worth — a month, enough to power his home and send some extra electricity out to the grid for his utility company to use. “There’s five months a year when they owe us money,” said Frakes, who also installs wind power equipment.

In the past several months, interest in individual wind turbines has revved up in Wisconsin and beyond. Residents are signing up to buy them, and companies are springing up to sell and install them. Part of the popularity stems from new federal tax credits.

Nationwide, the number of small wind generators installed for home or commercial use grew 78 percent in 2008 over the previous year, and residential sales in early 2009 were 15 to 20 percent higher than a year ago, according to a study by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), in Washington, D.C.

In Wisconsin, about 65 small wind turbines have been installed over the past six years with commitments for 25 or 30 more, according to Focus on Energy, a public-private partnership, funded by utility ratepayers, that facilitates renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Boscobel Utilities will pay $.30 per kilowatt hour for solar electricity

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Governor to push renewable energy agenda

From an article by Giles Morris in The Daily News (Rhinelander):

As Governor Jim Doyle continues his northern tour, he is promoting a policy agenda that will serve as his legacy when he leaves office next year.

One of the most ambitious pieces of legislation Doyle is pushing for is a law that would create a new renewable energy benchmark for the state.

On Monday, Eric Callisto, chairperson of the Public Service Commission (PSC), spoke about how the new goals would change the way the state looks at its energy policy.

“The governor is not running for re-election and as he announced that he talked about some of the priorities for the state going forward,” Callisto said. “Among those are environmental protection and sustainable energy.”

Callisto, who heads the agency charged with overseeing the state’s energy utilities, said the governor’s energy plan involves a three-pronged approach consisting of strengthening the state’s standards for renewable energy consumption, expanding the state’s market share of clean energy production and ramping up clean energy research programs throughout the UW system.

The first piece of legislation that could emerge from the governor’s energy platform could reach the Legislature this fall. The bill — which would likely come through Sen. Mark Miller’s committee on the environment and Rep. Spencer Black’s natural resources committee — would entail a modification of the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS).

The current RPS requires that the state’s utility companies produce 10 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2015. Under the revamped bill, the deadline for the 10 percent renewable mark would be moved up to 2013 and two new benchmarks would be added to create a “25 by 25” agenda — 25 percent renewable by 2025 with at least 10 percent produced in Wisconsin.

“I think it’s a realistic goal,” Callisto said. “It’s a goal in which Wisconsin utilities, businesses and rate payers are all going to have to play a major role.”

WPPI member utilities join EPA recycling program

From a news release issued by WPPI Energy:

SUN PRAIRIE, WIS., August 25 – WPPI Energy has joined the U.S Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program. The new partnership recognizes the longstanding efforts of WPPI Energy and its member utilities to recycle and responsibly dispose of appliances based on EPA standards.

Established in 2001, WPPI Energy’s Responsible Appliance Recycling Program provides
participating members a way to responsibly reduce landfill use through the recycling of useful refrigerator and freezer parts and recovery of dangerous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and ozone depleting substances. By partnering with the EPA, 21 participating WPPI Energy members now receive recognition as EPA program partners meeting the highest standards for disposal and recycling appliances that contain harmful refrigerants. . . .

WPPI Energy established the program as part of its ongoing effort to encourage
public and community support for energy conservation and energy efficiency. Select program participants in WPPI Energy’s Responsible Appliance Recycling Program are eligible to receive incentives for their appliances based on utility participation guidelines. Appliances eligible for turn-in incentives must meet utility guidelines and include refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers and room air conditioners in working order. The Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. (ARCA) provides
WPPI Energy members with appliance recycling services. . . .

For more information on WPPI Energy’s Responsible Appliance Recycling Program, contact Cheri Tessmann, program coordinator, at (608) 834-4537.

Member utilities of WPPI:
Alger Delta Cooperative Electric Association
Algoma Utilities
Baraga Electric Utility
Black River Falls Municipal Utilities
Boscobel Utilities
Brodhead Water & Light
Cedarburg Light & Water Utility
Columbus Water & Light
Crystal Falls Electric Department
Cuba City Light & Water
Eagle River Light & Water Utility
Evansville Water & Light
Florence Utilities
Gladstone Power & Light
Hartford Electric
Hustisford Utilities
Independence Light & Power, Telecommunications
Jefferson Utilities
Juneau Utilities
Kaukauna Utilities
L'Anse Electric Utility
Lake Mills Light & Water
Lodi Utilities
Maquoketa Municipal Electric Utility
Menasha Utilities
Mount Horeb Utilities
Muscoda Utilities
Negaunee Electric Department
New Glarus Utilities
New Holstein Utilities
New London Utilities
New Richmond Utilities
Norway Power & Light
Oconomowoc Utilities
Oconto Falls Municipal Utilities
Plymouth Utilities
Prairie du Sac Utilities
Preston Municipal Electric Utility
Reedsburg Utility Commission
Richland Center, City Utilities of
River Falls Municipal Utilities
Slinger Utilities
Stoughton Utilities
Sturgeon Bay Utilities
Sun Prairie Water & Light
Two Rivers Water & Light
Waterloo Utilities
Waunakee Utilities
Waupun Utilities
Westby Utilities
Whitehall Electric Utility

Switchgrass Establishment & Maintenance Practices for Biomass Production Field-Day

From an announcement distributed by Southwest Badger RC & D Council:

September 3, 2009
1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
1291 Rawson Lane, Platteville, Wisconsin

Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council is in the second year of a project to determine the best management practices for maximizing switchgrass yields in Southwest Wisconsin. The field day will provide a tour of demonstration plots planted in 2008 at the Jim and Terry Schaefer farm. NRCS and Southwest Badger staff will provide an overview of the project and discuss the various field trials being conducted. Researchers from UW Madison will provide information on weed pressure resulting from the various herbicide treatments and how that corresponds to yield. Fertility trials implemented in 2009 will be viewed and discussed. A side-by-side comparison of pure switchgrass plantings and a nine species prairie mix will be observed. A representative of Alliant Energy will discuss their plans to perform a test burn of switchgrass at the Cassville plant this fall.

Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly, Summer 2009

The Wisconsin Renewable Quarterly includes these article in the summer edition:

It's Time to Bring Renewable Energy Home
In Memoriam: Bob Gilbertson
Board Member Brings Green Home
Renewables Profile: Jenny Heinzen
Manure Digesters Good Fit
Solar Innovator: Craig Tarr
Calendar

Clunkers program nears end

From an Associated Press article by Dan Strumpf and Ken Thomas in The Capital Times:

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration is developing plans to wind down the popular Cash for Clunkers program and could announce by Friday when the incentives will no longer be available.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Wednesday the department would announce within 48 hours how it intends to discontinue the program that offers car buyers rebates of $3,500 or $4,500 for trading in older vehicles for new, more fuel-efficient models. Department officials met with car dealer trade groups on Wednesday to discuss how the program will eventually end and respond to complaints over a backlog of rebate payments to dealers.

Through early Wednesday, auto dealers have made deals worth $1.81 billion and are on pace to exhaust the program's $3 billion in funds in early September. The incentives have generated more than 435,000 vehicle sales but dealers want a clear plan on when the rebates will no longer be available so they don't end up on the hook for any of the incentives.

"We want to make sure that dealers know when we're getting close" to running out of the money that was allocated for the program, LaHood told reporters. LaHood said he recognized that "dealers are frustrated. They're going to get their money."

Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing, Oct. 6-8, Milwaukee

The Wisconsin Machine Tool Show (WMTS) features an Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Pavilion to introduce show participants to energy efficient, lean, green, and sustainable manufacturing processes.

The American Wind Energy Association will have a presentation on the wind industry supply chain.

Dave Jenkins from the Office of Energy Independence will update show attendees on ARRA programs and funds.

The German-American Chamber of Commerce will make two presentations:
+ Energy Efficiency in Germany: How U.S. Manufacturers Can Benefit;
+ Supply Chain Opportunities in Renewable Energy.

Focus on Energy will be the Gold Sponsor of the Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Pavilion. They plan to make a presentation each day of the show:
+ Controlling your Energy Costs - An overview of Focus on Energy;
+ A Case Study on Energy Efficiency;
+ Save Energy, Save Money - Getting started with energy self-assessments for small-mid size industrial facilities.

MATC’s Center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing and RENEW are also sponsors.

Onalaska HS get energy-testing equiment from Focus on Energy grant

From a story on WKBT:

Students at Onalaska High School will get the chance to see their carbon footprint. Onalaska High School was awarded a "Focus on Energy in Wisconsin" grant.

Teachers were able to buy six digital thermometers and energy watt meters with the grant money. The digital thermometers measure energy efficiency, for example, they can be used to test for air leaks around windows.

And the energy watt meters can be plugged into an appliance or gadget, like an iPod or a cell phone, to show how much electricity that appliance is using.

Local food guide now available

An article in the West Coulee News:

Get Sustainable of Trempealeau County has released the 2009 edition of its local food brochure for Trempealeau County and outlying regions.

Get Sustainable, which was founded in 2007, is a diverse group of concerned western Wisconsin citizens who meet to discuss what to do in their communities to highlight the need for sustainable living. This food guide is one project which came out of this collaboration.

Eating local means seeking out food grown and raised as close as possible to where one lives. Buying local food also means eating foods that are seasonally available and unique to the region.

The Get Sustainable booklet contains tips on eating wisely, Web sites to explore, and includes Wisconsin and Minnesota community-supported agriculture sites, area farms, orchards and farmers’ markets.

For more information about the food guide or Get Sustainable, contact Mary Graziano at (608) 582-2975 or getsustainablewi @gmail.com.

Program restarts: Badgers love 'Clunkers' cash

From an article by Mike Ivey in The Capital Times:

The experts continue to debate the pros and cons of the "Cash for Clunkers" rebate program, but Wisconsin car buyers have already given it a big thumbs-up.

Wisconsin is 10th in the amount of cash requested from the program based on figures from the U.S. Department of Transportation released this week.

Of the nearly $775 million in clunker cash requests so far, more than $24 million came from Wisconsin. Michigan, California and Ohio were the top three states.

The U.S. Senate has approved another $2 billion for the program, which was initially funded with $1 billion.

Officially known as the Car Allowance Rebate System Act, the measure provides up to $4,500 in taxpayer subsidy for those who trade in an old vehicle for a more efficient model. To qualify, the old car needs to get 18 miles per gallon or less while the new one must get at least 22 mpg.

Registration opens for Solar Decade Conference, Oct. 2, Milwaukee

From the Web page of the Solar Decade:

Join renowned industry experts as they discuss the benefits of solar energy for your home, business and career!

Now in its fifth year, the Wisconsin Solar Decade Conference is your opportunity to see firsthand the latest developments in the world of solar energy. Register today to hear from top industry experts and attend dozens of exhibits, workshops and panel discussions as you discover the state of the technology, the state of the market and where both will be tomorrow!

•Learn about the latest solar energy applications for your home and business
•Discover opportunities to tap the renewable energy market and expand your business
•Network with fellow builders, contractors, homeowners and business owners

Keynote speakers
Dr. Lawrence L. Kazmerski
Executive Director of Science and Technology Partnerships, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Dr. Lawrence L. Kazmerski, executive director of science and technology partnerships at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, is a solar-energy industry veteran who has authored hundreds of journal papers and several books on solar photovoltaics. For his years of research and work, "Kaz" has received recognition both nationally and internationally.

Travis Bradford
Founder and President - Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development

Travis Bradford is founder and president of the Prometheus Institute for Sustainable Development, a nonprofit organization focused on harnessing the power of the business sector to develop cost-effective and sustainable solutions in technology. In his most recent book, Solar Revolution, Bradford argues that solar energy will become the best and cheapest choice for energy over the next 20 years.

Register here.

High-speed rail should go through La Crosse

From an editorial in The Capital Times:

Wisconsin is closer than ever to gaining the high-speed rail service that is needed to put this state on the regional and national transportation map.

In fact, the likelihood that a Chicago-Twin Cities route will make stops across the state is now so real that communities are fighting to be on it.

It was long thought that the service would go from Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison to La Crosse and then across the Mississippi River and up toward Minneapolis and St. Paul.

The "phase one" connector between Madison and Milwaukee is still on target -- despite the efforts of the anti-rail naysayers to try to slow things down. All that is needed is for the project to get a piece of $8 billion in stimulus money that is being made available under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- a prospect that seems entirely possible now that Midwestern governors are uniting to push for the plan.

But there is suddenly a debate about whether the service will go through La Crosse or Eau Claire.

A final version of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Connections 2030 plan, which identifies the design, construction and operation of the Madison-Twin Cities corridor, now suggests that the choice of which Wisconsin city will get the service is open to question.

The WisDOT plan refers to the La Crosse and Eau Claire routes as "project alternatives … to be determined during environmental and engineering studies."

That introduces an uncertainty to the process, which is to some extent understandable.

The return of real rail service to Wisconsin is an exciting prospect, especially as gas prices spike. And cities have every right to compete for the service.

But our sense is that Bob Fisher, a member of the Wisconsin Association of Rail Passengers, is right when he says that La Crosse's claim is well settled. The city already has Amtrak service. It's rail infrastructure is in place and there's strong local support for the project.

Sustainability changes pay off for Gundersen Lutheran

From an article posted on Envrionmental Leader:

When it comes to investing in energy efficiency, hospitals and health care facilities should not sit on the sidelines, because some of the low-hanging fruits offer savings that pay for themselves in as little as two to three years. . . .

Gundersen Lutheran, in La Crosse, Wis., last year conducted an audit to look for quick fixes, said Jerry Arndt, Senior Vice President of Business Services.

“The most responsible thing you can do is reduce the amount of energy you need,” Arndt said. “So we looked in-house for improvements before we looked at renewables.”

Jeff Rich, Executive Director of Gundersen Lutheran, said the best time to do an audit is on the weekend.

“We found all sorts of things that were on or running that didn’t need to be running,” Rich said. “We had 300 exhaust fans around the building, many of which can be turned off for 12 hours a day. But they were running all the time.”

As another area of improvement, the audit found that 60 percent of the hospital’s energy went toward producing steam. So the hospital replaced and repaired steam traps to improve efficiency.

The hospital also applied for grants to replace light bulbs, a move that helps achieve $280,000 in annualized saving. Grants were provided by Focus on Energy, a Wisconsin government effort, through utilities.

Report on tour of Montfort Wind Farm

From Carol Gruba:

Prairie winds were in full force when a Next Step Wisconsin group visited the Montfort Wind farm on July 25. Carol Gruba gathered the fourteen wind watchers who hailed from Dodgeville, Chicago, UW Madison, The Natural Step Monona, MATC Madison, and the Madison Area Permaculture Guild.

The enthusiastic wind tourists peppered their guide Carol Anderson with questions about the wind plant, and Carol readily answered. She owns the land that is underneath 4 of the GE turbines owned by NextEra, and she has compiled information and photographs on the wind farm since its construction. She hosts about 55 tours a year for elementary, high school, college, and community groups. Carol told the Next Step Wisconsin group that the wind installation was the largest wind farm in the U.S. upon its commission in summer of 2001.

Other facts about the wind farm include:

*Montfort Wind Farm turbines begin to generate electricity at a wind speed of 8.9 mph and their computer-monitored blades ensure they safely cease operation at 56 mph
*Each 1.5 mW turbine generates enough electricity to power 350 homes
*The 20 wind turbines operate optimally at a speed of 26.8 mph.
*6 land owners lease land to NextEra for the 20 wind farm turbines

Carol Anderson rotates her family's 550 acre Montfort-area farm through soybeans and corn with the help of her brother. She is a retired Cornell professor of human development and former Associate Director of Cornell's Cooperative Extension.

To register your interest in future green road trips or find more information on the trip's sponsor, The Next Step Wisconsin, visit
thenextstepwisconsin.wordpress.com