Renewable Energy Installations in WI

Monday, March 30, 2009

Climate scientist supports carbon tax and rebate

From a story by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

A federal carbon tax should be enacted but the money should be sent back to taxpayers, a leading climate scientist suggested Wednesday.

James Hansen, director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York,who has been studying the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere for decades, said Wednesday that the U.S. government should enact a carbon fee-and-dividend that would persuade consumers to change how they use energy and reward those who reduce their carbon footprints.

"The person who does better than average in reducing carbon emissions will actually make money," he said.

In a keynote address to the Renewable Energy Summit in Milwaukee, Hansen said a national global warming policy is needed to thwart and reduce the buildup of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

"We have reached a point where there is a crisis," he said. . . .

Under Hansen's proposal, a tax, equivalent to $1 per gallon of gas would raise $670 billion a year, which would result in $3,000 being sent back to every adult in the country, and $1,500 per child, capped at a maximum of $9,000 for a family of four or more.

Hansen urged President Barack Obama to "have a fireside chat" to discuss the need for a carbon fee and of the need for Americans to change their energy habits.

A tax would also be a step toward energy independence from imported oil, said Hansen, who said a representative of the government of Saudi Arabia bristled at the idea during a dinner conversation.

"They realize that if you did this, the next time gasoline is $4 a gallon, $2 or $3 would stay in the U.S. and just be distributed back to the citizens as a dividend rather than all $4 going to the Middle East," Hansen said.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Three presentations: Solar hot water, renewable economic impacts, and wind outlook

From two presentations by Michael Vickerman at the 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit:

Getting Serious About Solar Hot Water
Value Proposition to System Owner
+ Less expensive (on a life-cycle basis)
+ Predictable return
+ Negligible risk

Value Proposition to Society
+ Emission-free
+ Non-depleting
+ Indigenous
+ Highly secure

SHW Potential in Wisconsin
+ Can offset between 2.6% to 4.1% of NG use
+ Avoiding 150 million therms/year
+ Saving $150 million annually (2006 prices)
+ Offsetting 820,000 metric ton of CO2


Economic Development Impacts of Renewable Energy

Economies of scale are achieved by shrinking the labor contribution relative to output, which explains why utility-scale energy is less expensive than do-it-yourself energy.

Distributing renewable energy through customer-sited systems increases job-hours per energy unit produced as well as promoting entrepreneurship and small business development. . . .

From Small Systems – Big Results in Germany:
+ Utilities are required to accept power from customer-sited RE systems through fixed, long-term buyback rates
+ 15% of Germany’s electricity now generated from renewables
+ In 2007 $14 billion invested in RE
+ Germany has half the world’s PV capacity
+ Payoff: 300,000 people employed in the RE sector.

And in Wisconsin:
+ 338 Focus on Energy-funded RE systems installed
+ 40% increase over 2007
+ $3.5MM incentives obligated
+ Full-service installers -- 35 PV; 24 biogas; 64 SHW; 21 wind; 15 biomass.


From another presentation at the Wisconsin Wind Energy Supply Chain Workshop:

Windpower in Wisconsin: Outlook for 2009 and Beyond


Why Promote Windpower?
Clean = Environmental
Non-depleting = Energy Security
Fixed Price = Risk Management
Creates Wealth = Economic Development
Scalable to Utilities = Practicality

The current Renewable Energy Standard (RES) will yield an additional ~4.2 billion kWh/yr of qualifying renewable electricity by 2015, assuming no load growth.

Assuming that windpower generates 90% of that quantity, about 1,600 MW of wind capacity must come on line between 2004 and 2015 to satisfy the RES.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Madison professional elected to AESP board

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:
Sara Van de Grift, Director of Residential Programs for WECC, was elected to the AESP board for a three-year term. AESP is a member-based association dedicated to improving the delivery and implementation of energy efficiency, energy management and distributed renewable resources. Her experience developing a portfolio of programs that achieve substantial energy savings, working with multiple implementation subcontractors and customers, collaborating with Wisconsin's utility partners and identifying new program opportunities, provide a breadth of experience to help lead and provide strategic direction to the AESP.

A member of the AESP since 2003, Van de Grift is extending her role with the association to further provide insight and strategy. Her appointment is based on experience overseeing all of WECC's residential programs operating throughout the Midwest, including the award-winning Focus on Energy Program in Wisconsin and the many ongoing programs WECC runs for government and utility clients. As a member of the AESP Board of Directors, Van de Grift has special interest in educating and providing strategy for innovative new program approaches and delivering quantifiable and persistent energy savings.

Characteristic of Van de Grift's vision and leadership capacity, she was also elected as the vice-chair of topic committees. Topic committees offer industry professionals the opportunity to participate in in-depth discussion and investigation of topics that cover a broad range of interest areas in the energy services field.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Hearings next week on controversial power line

From an article in The Capital Times:
The state Public Service Commission will hold public hearings on Tuesday and Wednesday in Madison on American Transmission Company's controversial application to build a new 345-kilovolt transmission line across Dane County from Rockdale to West Middleton.

The hearings will be at 1 and 6 p.m. both days at the PSC, 610 N. Whitney Way.

ATC filed an application with the PSC on Oct. 16, 2007, for approval to construct electric transmission facilities to serve portions of Dane County. The project would be constructed between the proposed Cardinal Substation in the town of Middleton and either ATC's Rockdale Substation in the town of Christiana or a proposed substation in the town of Albion or the town of Dunkirk.

Public comments on ATC's application will be included in the record the PSC will review to make a decision.

A live video feed of the hearings will be broadcast via the internet and can be accessed by visiting the PSC Web site.

Comments also can be provided via the Web site through April 3. Click on the "Public Comments" button on the PSC's homepage and click on the case title.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

RMT, Inc. of Madison enters utility solar market with Evergreen Solar

From a news release posted on Business Wire:

MARLBORO, Mass.--Evergreen Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR - News), a manufacturer of STRING RIBBON™ solar power products with its proprietary, low-cost silicon wafer manufacturing technology, announced today that it has entered into an agreement with RMT, Inc., of Madison, Wisconsin. Under the agreement, the two companies will co-market to electric utilities and project developers of utility-scale solar power projects.

For all utility-scale projects that are bid jointly by the two companies, RMT will be the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction contractor) while Evergreen Solar will provide the solar panels. In 2008 alone, utility-scale solar projects ranged in size from approximately 10 MW to 800 MW. At present, the two companies have submitted bids for more than 400 MW of solar installations that, if won, will be implemented over the next five years.

RMT has designed and constructed more than 3.1 Gigawatts of renewable energy projects across the U.S. and will now add solar power to its service offerings. The company’s existing relationships with electric utilities will serve as the platform for its partnership with Evergreen Solar, as they pursue utility scale solar power projects.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

MISO says MGE can't retire generator at Blount Street plant

From a news release issued by MGE:

Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) has received notification from the Midwest Independent System Operator (Midwest ISO) that in order to meet national electric system reliability standards, MGE will need to keep its Blount Station available at full capacity until Midwest ISO declares the 90 megawatts (MW) MGE desires to retire are no longer needed for system reliability. The company said the announcement does not affect its plans to stop burning coal at Blount.

As part of its Energy 2015 Plan, MGE announced its intention to retire the oldest, least-efficient part of its Blount Street power plant by 2011. The equipment slated for retirement represents 90 out of 190 MWs of the plant's full capacity. The remaining 100 MWs of the plant would remain in operation. MGE also announced that it would discontinue coal-burning at Blount and transition to burning only natural gas by the end of 2011 for the remaining 100 MWs of capacity.

To comply with the Midwest ISO directive, MGE will suspend its plans for retiring 90 MWs of generation equipment at Blount. However, consistent with its original Energy 2015 Plan, the company will still transition from burning coal to burning only natural gas at Blount by the end of 2011. "MGE made a commitment to the community and the neighborhood to discontinue burning coal in downtown Madison. MGE will keep that commitment even though Midwest ISO's directive has changed one aspect of our original plan," said Scott Neitzel, Vice President of Energy Supply. After 2011, the entire plant will be operated exclusively on natural gas.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Grants available to fund staff for energy conservation and efficiency

From a news release issued by Focus on Energy:

MADISON, Wis. (March 17, 2009) - Focus on Energy, Wisconsin's energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative, announced new staffing grants today to help businesses, manufacturers, farms, schools and government facilities throughout the state complete energy efficiency projects.

"Businesses don't need to let staffing issues become a barrier to energy savings," said Ken Williams, Focus on Energy's Business Programs director. "Focus on Energy is committed to helping companies overcome barriers that prevent them from completing energy efficiency projects."

The grants will fund up to $80,000 for a full- or part-time employee or consultant to work on-site and manage energy efficiency projects that otherwise would not be completed due to a lack of human resources. Grant funding will go toward the salary and benefits of a project manager who will oversee and engineer energy savings projects.

The grant is designed to help businesses hire new staff or retain existing employees who might otherwise be at risk of lay-off. Partnering or neighboring companies are encouraged to submit a joint application and share an employee or consultant between businesses.

"Focus offered a similar program last year that was very popular and produced even more energy savings projects than expected," Williams explained. "We are pleased to offer an expanded version of the program for 2009."

Interested businesses should visit focusonenergy.com/competitive_incentives for more information. Applications must include a list of potential projects, as funding is based on the energy savings from those projects and is paid when projects are completed. Applications must be received by April 30, 2009. In addition, completed energy efficiency projects are also eligible for Focus on Energy financial incentives that can be found at focusonenergy.com/incentives/business.

Monday, March 16, 2009

We Energies files rate increase request

From an article by Pete Millard in The Business Journal:

We Energies filed a request today with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission to approve a 2.8 percent increase in electric rates that would take effect in January 2010.

According to the filing by Roman Draba, a We Energies vice president, electricity rates would remain the same in 2011. Draba request pointed out that in evaluating its electric operations, a 6.1 percent increased was justified, but the utility is limiting its request to $75 million, or 2.8 percent.

The primary reasons for the rate hike, according the utility, are the coal power plants under construction in Oak Creek, higher pension and retiree health-care costs, and an increase in transmission charges from Pewaukee-based American Transmission Co.

Friday, March 13, 2009

WPL pushes deal to increase its wind power

From an article by Judy Newman in The Capital Times:

Wisconsin Power & Light is poised to boost its investment in wind power -- if state regulators approve the Madison utility company's plan to develop the Bent Tree wind farm in southeastern Minnesota.

WPL has a tentative agreement with NextEra Energy Resources, a Juno Beach, Fla., subsidiary of FPL Group, to buy power from NextEra's wind farm in Crystal Lake, Iowa. It calls for 100 megawatts a year for 25 years with an additional 100 megawatts from the same location for one year.

As part of the deal, WPL could obtain rights from NextEra to build a wind farm in Green Lake, about 70 miles northeast of Madison.

"We don't have any plans, at this point, when or if or how we would develop that site," said Rob Crain, spokesman for WPL parent, Alliant Energy. "But certainly, we view it as a quality site ... that provides us with flexibility down the line."

NextEra had objected to WPL's Bent Tree proposal, saying WPL should instead buy power from Crystal Lake. "As the case proceeded, we (decided) it didn't have to be an either-or scenario," Crain said.

He said the agreement with NextEra could be one piece of WPL's alternative to a proposed power plant at Cassville. The state Public Service Commission rejected plans in late 2008 for the 300-megawatt, mostly coal-fired generator with up to 20 percent of its fuel from waste agricultural products, saying the proposal was too costly and would create too much pollution.

WPL also is considering small, biomass-only power plants, Crain said, as well as turning a natural gas-fired power plant used now just for peak times into a combined-cycle plant that uses waste heat to create additional energy.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

WPPI Energy cuts budget to hold down costs

From a news release issued by WPPI Energy:

WPPI Energy has reduced its 2009 budgets and instituted a number of measures to control costs. The modifications are projected to reduce the total 2009 revenue requirement to be collected from WPPI Energy member utilities by about $25 million.

“We recognize that people are facing difficult challenges because of the current recession, and we all must do what we can to mitigate the effects of the economic downturn,” said WPPI Energy President and CEO Roy Thilly. “It is important to note, however,” Thilly stated, “that the budget reductions WPPI Energy is making will help keep power costs reasonable, but these changes may be offset or more than offset by a variety of other factors.”

The WPPI Energy executive committee recently approved an 8.5 percent reduction to the Sun Prairie based municipal power supplier’s combined administrative and general and operation and maintenance budgets. WPPI Energy also estimates that it will see a 6.7 percent reduction in the cost of purchased power and fuel, primarily driven by lower than anticipated loads due to the economic downturn.

WPPI Energy member utility and retail customer actual power costs will depend on weather, changes in fuel and market energy prices, and difference in actual load experienced. These factors may drive up the cost of energy despite budget cuts.

As a public power, nonprofit power provider, WPPI Energy’s rates are based on actual costs incurred and do not include a return on equity.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

AT&T will buy 8,000 CNG-powered vehicles

From a news release issued by AT&T:

Through an initiative that highlights the growing demand for cleaner domestic vehicles, AT&T today announced plans to invest up to $565 million as part of a long-term strategy to deploy more than 15,000 alternative-fuel vehicles over the next 10 years. AT&T expects to spend an estimated $350 million to purchase about 8,000 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles and approximately $215 million to begin replacing its passenger cars with alternative-fuel models.

AT&T's investment represents the largest U.S. corporate commitment to CNG vehicles to date. The new deployments will bring AT&T's alternative-fuel fleet to more than 15,000 vehicles by 2019.

"AT&T and other U.S. corporations have a unique opportunity to partner with the new administration as it works to lead the country out of this economic downturn," said Randall Stephenson, chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T Inc. "While there are no easy solutions to the challenges facing our nation, this investment is a first step on our part to help boost other industries while at the same time encouraging wider use and production of efficient vehicles and domestic fuel alternatives."

The Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor, Mich., estimates that the new vehicles will save 49 million gallons of gasoline and reduce carbon emissions by 211,000 metric tons over the 10-year deployment period. That is equivalent to removing the emissions from more than 38,600 traditional passenger vehicles for a year.

Over the next five years, AT&T will replace about 8,000 gasoline-powered service vehicles with vehicles powered by domestically available CNG. CNG vehicles are expected to emit approximately 25 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than those traditionally powered by gasoline.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

We Energies unveils new solar incentive program

From an article by Tom Content in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Incentives to add solar panels on homes and small businesses are higher than they've ever been.

That stems both from a tax credit that Congress authorized last year as well as incentives from Focus on Energy and We Energies.

That doesn't make solar power cheap, but it's shortening the payback times for folks who are thinking about adding solar panels, said Michael Vickerman, executive director of Renew Wisconsin, a nonprofit group seeking to boost use of solar and wind power across the state.

We Energies of Milwaukee on Wednesday unveiled a new solar electric incentive after the old program basically sold out.

For more than two years, the utility's incentive permitted customers to sell all of the renewable power generated by their home or business back to the utility at a high electricity price of 22.5 cents a kilowatt-hour. That's nearly twice the amount We Energies charges to homeowners for electricity.

The new program amounts to an upfront payment to customers who install solar electric systems, said Carl Siegrist, senior renewable energy strategist at We Energies.

"It's great news," said Niels Wolter, who runs solar electric programs with the state Focus on Energy Initiative. "Probably the biggest thing is it helps people overcome that first cost, which is a big barrier, rather than paying people more over 10 years for the power."

Instead of paying money each month to customers who install solar panels, the new incentive is upfront and based on the amount of power a home's panels would generate during the first year.

The exact amount of the incentive is 75 cents per kilowatt-hour for all the kilowatt-hours generated by a solar system in a year.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Energy summit to highlight what stimulus means for state

From a post on Tom Content's blog on JSonline:

The stimulus bill and what it could mean for Wisconsin's energy future will be discussed at several forums during the Renewable Energy Summit on March 27 in Milwaukee.

Gov. Jim Doyle, U.S. Rep. Dave Obey (D-Wausau), a lead author of the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment and U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Milwaukee) are all scheduled to address the conference, organizers said. Gary Wolter, who heads MGE Energy Inc. and runs the state Office of Recovery and Reinvestment, has also been invited to speak.

The summit is planned for March 25-27 at the Midwest Airlines Center.

“I thought we were missing the boat if we didn’t focus on the stimulus bill and what’s going to happen,” said Art Harrington of Godfrey & Kahn, a conference coordinator. “We should focus one day on the opportunities created by the stimulus bill on renewable energy, and that morphed into the plenary session on Friday, March 27.”