Renewable Energy Installations in WI

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Bipartisan group of legislators introduce wind siting bill





















Terry McGowan of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139 speaks at the press conference for the introduction of a bill to set uniform siting standards for wind projects in Wisconsin.

From a news release issued by Sen. Jeff Plale, Rep. Jim Soletski, Sen. Randy Hopper, and Rep. Phil Montgomery:

MADISON – A bipartisan coalition of Wisconsin legislators announced that they are introducing legislation that calls for the creation of uniform siting standards for wind energy projects. Senate Bill 185 (SB 185), and its Assembly companion, directs the Public Service Commission (PSC), after public input, including a stakeholder committee, to establish by rule, permitting standards to be applied by local or state government to wind energy installations, regardless of size and location.

“Too many wind projects are victims of delay tactics and other obstructions,” Senator Jeff Plale, Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail said. “SB 185 will enhance Wisconsin’s economy by protecting and creating “green-collar” jobs; it will attract new investment to our state and support state energy policy. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we can make Wisconsin more attractive to wind energy and achieve the resulting economic and environmental benefits.”

“A sensible wind energy policy will help Wisconsin harness the jobs and growth opportunities that green power provides,” stated Representative Jim Soletski, Chair of the Assembly Energy and Utilities Committee. “I am excited to be working with a bipartisan group of legislators from diverse regions of the state to remove the obstacles to more development of wind power in Wisconsin. By advancing this legislation, Wisconsin utilities can move toward meeting their obligation to generate clean energy and much needed jobs can be created for our workers.”

"We can't build a 21st century energy infrastructure by digging in our heels,” Senator Randy Hopper said. “This legislation will ensure that interested parties from all over our state can take part in developing the Public Service Commission's guidelines."

"Wind power is job-creating power," according to Representative Phil Montgomery. "A fair and uniform state standard for siting wind developments will create an environment of investment in our state while moving us closer to our green energy goals."

In addition to RENEW, the following organizations issued statements of support for Senate Bill 185: CREWE, Clean Wisconsin, Citizens Utility Board, Customers First!, Renewegy, Wind Capital Group, WPPI/Municipal Electric Utilities.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Kohl's ranks third, State of Wisconsin 37th in 'green' power use

An article from The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

Kohl's Corp. now get more than 50 percent of its energy from renewable energy sources, enough to rank it the third-largest buyer of "green" power in the country, according to federal officials.

The Menomonee Falls-based department store chain moved up in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership list of the top 50 buyers of green power from eighth in 2008. Kohl's more than doubled its annual usage of power from renewable sources to 601 million kilowatt-hours from 236 million a year ago, the EPA said Monday.

Kohl's trails fellow Fortune 500 companies Intel Corp. (1.3 billion kWh) and PepsiCo (1.14 billion kWh) on the list. Kohl's is the top ranked retail company. Retailer Whole Foods Market (527 million kWh) ranked fifth on the list behind Dell Inc. (553.7 million kWh).

Kohl's purchases of green power includes energy from such sources as solar, wind and landfill gas. According to the EPA, Kohl's green power purchase is equivalent to avoiding carbon dioxide emissions of more than 79,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power nearly 60,000 average American homes annually.

Ranking 37th on the list of the top 50 green power purchasers was the state of Wisconsin (92.4 million kWh). The state is buying biomass, solar and wind generated power from state utilities Madison Gas & Electric, We Energies and Wisconsin Public Power Inc. No other Wisconsin-based concern made the EPA's 2009 list.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Exploring a solar cooperative in Madison

Come to a free talk open to all in the community to discuss investing in and owning local solar projects!

Monday, May 4th
7-8pm
Goodman Community Center
149 Waubesa Street, between Atwood & Milwaukee

Speakers:
Gil Halsted & Kurt Reinhold, Community Solar
Burke O’Neil, Full Spectrum Solar

More information: email Kurt at Solarconnections@gmail.com

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Baseload capacity to become an anachronism

From an article by Jeff Siegel in the Baltimore Renewable Energy Examiner:

The chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Jon Wellinghoff, recently told reporters that he believes there my not be a need to construct a single new nuclear or coal-fired power plant, as renewables will be able to provide enough energy to meet baseload capacity and future energy demands.

While Wellinghoff is likely to catch a serious backlash from this one (especially from the coal and nuclear industries), the chairman noted that the technology for renewable energy has come far enough to allow this to happen, saying...

I think baseload capacity is going to become an anachronism. Baseload capacity really used to only mean in an economic dispatch, which you dispatch first, what would be the cheapest thing to do. Well, ultimately wind's going to be the cheapest thing to do, so you'll dispatch that first.
He also added...
...If you can shape your renewables, you don't need fossil fuels or nuclear plants to run all the time. And, in fact, most plants running all the time in your system are an impediment because they're very inflexible. You can't ramp up and ramp down a nuclear plant. And if you have instead the ability to ramp up and ramp down loads in ways that can shape the entire system, then the old concept of baseload becomes an anachronism.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Oil & gas industry seeks energy dependence, ignores peak oil, and opposes climate protection plans

The oil and gas industry's energy policy: Drill, baby, drill! Import, baby, import!:

+ Increase, not decrease energy production by promoting all sources. [In other words, peak oil doesn't exist.]
+ Encourage energy efficiency as a core American principle.
+ Encourage investment in advanced technologies and long-term energy initiatives.
+ Allow market forces to allocate products and adjust to changing conditions.
+ Refrain from new taxes that make it more expensive to develop our domestic supplies.
+ Support the need to participate actively in global energy markets rather than isolate the U.S. [In other words, become more dependent on foreign sources.]
From print ad of the oil and gas industry:

Congress will soon consider massive new taxes and fees – which could easily exceed $400 billion – on America’s oil and natural gas industry, yet this level could produce devastating effects on our economy, all when America can least afford it.

These unprecedented taxes and fees would reduce investment in new energy supplies at a time when nearly two-thirds of Americans support developing our domestic oil and natural gas resources. That would mean less energy, and it would cost thousands of American jobs, actually reduce local, state and federal revenue, and further erode our energy security.

Learn more and tell Congress to oppose these proposals to impose $400 billion in tax hikes on America’s oil and natural gas companies. By using SocialCapital, you can voice your opinions to public officials and members of Congress about key energy issues via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and more.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Coalition unveils strategies for economic growth, GHG reductions

From a news release issued by the coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE)

MADISON, Wis. - Citing benefits that include job creation, keeping businesses competitive, reducing greenhouse gases and lowering energy costs, the coalition for Clean, Responsible Energy for Wisconsin’s Economy (CREWE) today released its policies on Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and Energy Efficiency as a template for economic growth.

The launch of the policy papers, which were drafted by CREWE members, coincides with Earth Day, the annual event in which environmental awareness is at the forefront of the public’s mind.

“CREWE worked very hard to come up with a set of policies on RPS and Energy Efficiency that not only follow Gov. Doyle’s Global Warming Task Force final report, but also directly benefit the people of this state,” Thad Nation, executive director of CREWE, said. “The late U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson would be pleased to know the principles he founded Earth Day on will both help the environment and our state’s economy.”

Key points from the RPS paper include:

+ An expected growth in green manufacturing through increased demand in solar energy technology and wind power, among others;
+ The creation of construction, operation and maintenance jobs by increasing the RPS to 25 percent by 2025; and
+ Shielding consumers from spikes in energy prices by developing Wisconsin’s
homegrown renewable energy sources.

Key points from the Energy Efficiency paper include:

+ Thousands of green jobs would be created from increased investment in private sector energy efficiency;
+ Wisconsin would be a national leader in energy efficiency if it increases its energy conservation goals; and
+ Energy bills will be cut through investment in efficiency programs.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

State should loosen red tape that restricts wind power

From an editorial in the Eau Claire Leader Telegram:

. . . a coalition of dozens of groups - including [RENEW, Clean Wisconsin, Wisconisn Farmers Union], environ-mentalists, labor unions, utilities such as Xcel Energy, and business rep-resentatives such as Wisconsin Manu-facturers and Commerce - that supports a soon-to-be-introduced bill that would require the state Public Service Commission to create statewide standards for wind projects. Under current law, local governments can block these projects for health or safety reasons - but those reasons aren't well-defined, which has led to blanket restrictions such as the one in Trempealeau County.

Critics likely will charge that the bill is an attack on local control. However, it still lets local governments make wind-siting decisions, and allows those who disagree with them to appeal to the PSC and the courts.

It's understandable that potential neighbors of any large project - including a wind farm - would be concerned about how it might impact their lives. However, the hum of a windmill or the flickering shadows it may create seem greatly preferable to the sulphurous fumes of a coal-fired plant or the potential deadly contamination of a nuclear reactor. Unless we redouble our efforts to pursue clean energy, those may be our only other options to keep the lights on.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Iowa proves wind energy successes, dispells cost myth

From a report by Teresa Galluzzo and David Osterberg published by The Iowa Policy Project:

It’s 2009, do you know where your power is coming from? According to new estimates by the Iowa Utilities Board, wind fuels about 15 percent of the electricity generated in Iowa. This is a big increase from the 5 percent wind-powered generation estimated in 2006.

There have been consistent signs that Iowa has been increasing its wind power, including the ones right before our eyes: the construction of towers and spinning of turbine blades. Iowa has also regularly been at the top in national rankings of states’ wind production. As of the end of 2008, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) tabulated that Iowa was second in the nation in installed wind power capacity. Iowa had installed 2,791 megawatts (MW) of nameplate capacity by year-end 2008, equal to 11 percent of the nation’s total wind capacity.

The number of wind turbine-related companies setting up business in Iowa is also an indicator of the growth of Iowa’s wind industry. Today, nine companies are dedicated to producing or repairing blades, towers, turbines and turbine components operating or planning operations in Iowa. Despite the current slowdown in demand for turbines and components, these companies employ or plan to employ about 1,400 Iowans. . . .

Iowa’s outstanding growth in wind production calls into question the common argument that the near-term costs of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change are too high to justify action. Looking at Iowa’s electricity prices since 1998 — the year before Iowa’s wind boom began — our electricity prices have remained below the national average and in fact have not increased as quickly as the national average price in the last three years (2005 to 2007).8 Not only did Iowa’s wind generation increase during this period, natural gas generation grew and there was a corresponding decrease in our reliance on coal.9 Assuming a somewhat similar portion of the wind-generated electricity produced in Iowa was actually consumed in Iowa, wind’s great expansion did not cause prices to spike.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Wisconsin utilities recognized for green power programs

From RENEW Wisconsin's Michael Vickerman:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory today released its annual assessment of leading utility renewable energy subscription programs across the nation. Several programs offered by Wisconsin utilities finished in the Top 10 in four categories of performance. Deserving of kudos are We Energies, Madison Gas & Electric and two municipal utilities--River Falls and Lake Mills--served by WPPI Energy. Congratulations on a fine performance last year!

Individual program rankings are as follows:

* We Energies' Energy for Tomorrow program came in 8th in total renewable energy sales and 10th in total number of customer participants.
* Madison Gas & Electric's Green Power Tomorrow program posted the 4th highest customer participation rate and ranked 6th in terms of program sales as a percentage of overall retail electricity sales.
* The River Falls municipal utility posted the 9th highest customer participation rate and ranked 3rd in terms of program sales as a percentage of overall retail electricity sales.
* The Lake Mills municipal utility posted the 10th highest customer participation rate.

Though NREL does not keep track of solar capacity that were supported by renewable energy subscribers, it's worth mentioning that from 2006 to 2008 We Energies leveraged the installation of 1 MW of customer-owned solar capacity through its Energy for Tomorrow program. Alliant and MGE also offers a 25 cent/kWh solar rate that is also supported by program subscribers.

For more information about NREL's 2008 assessment, go to:
http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2009/679.html

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Energy on the docket at Earth Day conference

From an article in The Capital Times:

Biomass, wind, solar and the strategy to produce and maintain a sustainable homegrown energy plan will be the topics of the day on April 22 during the third annual Earth Day conference at Monona Terrace in Madison.

The conference is put together by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is co-sponsored by American Family Insurance, Madison Gas & Electric, Alliant Energy, the Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corp., the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the British Consulate-General of Chicago.

Participants at the one-day conference will discuss emerging federal and state energy policies, opportunities for homegrown energy resources, how to create jobs, and how the state responded to previous energy challenges.

Guest speakers will include Eric Callisto, chair of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission; Charles Cicchetti, former PSC chair and co-founder of Pacific Economics Group; Donald Albinger, vice president for renewable energy at Johnson Controls; Faramarz Vakili-Zadeh, director of the We Conserve program at UW-Madison; and Alastair Totty, head of the national climate change team at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Details online.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Forward on renewables

From an editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

No one should consider the radar problems posed by a Dodge County wind farm as a reason to slow the push for more wind-generated power in Wisconsin. While the issue needs to be explored, it isn't significant enough to warrant slowing down the move toward more renewable energy.

The state needs more wind farms and other renewable sources if it's going to move away from fossil fuels that help contribute to pollution and climate change.

According to the National Weather Service, the wind farm's turbines are sending false storm signals to the government's weather radar system. Weather service officials say they see no significant public safety threat, although they say the wind farm could confuse some storm watchers.

Meteorologist Marc Kavinsky told the Journal Sentinel's Scott Williams that the approaching summer storm season will be the federal agency's first opportunity to gauge the wind farm's full impact.

Just outside the Dodge County community of Iron Ridge, the wind farm includes 36 turbines that began operating over the past few months, generating electricity for several surrounding communities.

A spokesman for the owner of the wind farm, Babcock and Brown Ltd., said the company has not encountered a similar problem with any of its other 24 wind farms operating throughout the country.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

We Energies ranked as one of nation’s best utility green power programs

A news release from We Energies:

For the fourth straight year, We Energies' Energy for Tomorrow renewable program ranks among the nation's top 10 according to the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

In its annual rankings, NREL lists Energy for Tomorrow among the best-performing "green pricing" programs that are "Green-e" certified by the Center for Resource Solutions. NREL ranked Energy for Tomorrow as second for customer participation and third for energy sales among the renewable energy programs Green-e certified by the Center for Resource Solutions.

"We are pleased to receive national recognition as a provider of one of the nation?s largest and most successful renewable energy programs," said Jeff Anthony, We Energies renewable energy strategy manager. "We will continue to strengthen our program this year by reaching new customers and making them aware of the benefits of renewable energy."

We Energies introduced its Energy for Tomorrow renewable program in 1996, and it was one of the first programs of its kind in the United States. It is a voluntary green pricing program that allows We Energies customers to support electricity generated from renewable resources. All We Energies customers can participate in the program and support the production of electricity through clean, renewable energy resources such as wind, water and biomass.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Turbine interference "just a minor blip"

From an article by Scott Williams in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The National Weather Service has issued a new kind of warning because of a Dodge County wind farm that is disrupting the agency's ability to monitor storms in southeastern Wisconsin.

The wind farm's giant turbines - each as wide as a football field and as tall as a 20-story building - are sending false storm signals to the government's weather radar system.

Weather service officials say they see no significant public safety threat, although they say the wind farm has caused radar interference and could confuse some storm watchers.

Meteorologist Marc Kavinsky said the approaching summer storm season will be the federal agency's first opportunity to gauge the wind farm's full impact.

"It'll be interesting," he said. "I'm hoping the effects will be minimal."

Located just outside the Dodge County community of Iron Ridge, the wind farm includes 36 turbines that began operating over the past few months, generating electricity for several surrounding communities. . . .

Weather service officials said they began to notice the problem almost immediately after the Dodge County wind farm began operating.

According to a report on the agency's Web site, the spinning wind turbines have presented "persistent interference" that mimics storm systems and could "negatively impact warning effectiveness" when real storms move into the area.

Rusty Kapela, the agency's warning coordinator meteorologist, said officials have tried to adjust the radar system to block out the wind farm readings.

But because it affects such a small geographic area and is easily recognized by the weather service's trained experts, Kapela said, the situation is not a significant problem. It was posted on the Web site only as an informational report for the general public, he said.

"It's just interesting science stuff," he said. "In the grand scheme of things, it's just a minor blip."

Friday, April 10, 2009

We Energies projects big rate jumps

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

Electricity bills for We Energies residential customers would jump 4.9% in 2010 and another 4.5% in 2011, according to projections the utility filed with state regulators.

Under the utility's plan, overall rates would rise 2.8% next year - with $76.2 million in increases linked to costs of building power plants and transmission lines, plus higher pension costs.

The utility says the new power plants will help Wisconsin's economy because We Energies will no longer need to buy more expensive power from other power plants in the Midwest.

"We need to get these units online to lower our purchased power costs," said Gale Klappa, chairman of We Energies.

Bills also would increase because the credits customers receive from the 2007 sale of the Point Beach nuclear power plant are ending.

In 2010, the drop in those credits would mean a 2.1% increase in residential bills. Although the utility is proposing no rate increase for 2011, bills would rise 4.5% that year because the Point Beach credits will have ended.

For a residential customer using 600 kilowatt-hours of electricity a year, the annual electricity bill would grow to $957 next year, an increase of $45 from this year. Another jump, $43, can be expected in 2011.

The proposal comes as the economy is in a severe recession, a time of rising unemployment and falling personal incomes.

"Any increase is harmful to ratepayers in a recession," said Charlie Higley, executive director of the Wisconsin Citizens Utility Board, a consumer group that challenges utilities on price increases.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Wisconsin ranks No. 32 in nation for energy costs

From an article in The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

Energy costs in Wisconsin are higher than in 31 other states, according to a new study released by The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council.

The council’s report ranks Wisconsin 32nd among the 50 states. The index ranks states from low to high according to two major energy costs affecting small businesses, individuals and families: The price of regular gasoline at the pump and the cost of electricity.

Raymond Keating, the council’s chief economist and author of the report, said making energy more affordable and abundant should be a key objective for policy makers to help small businesses survive the current economic turmoil. . . .

Among Wisconsin's Midwest neighbors, cheaper energy can be found in Indiana and Iowa (both tied for eighth), Minnesota (18th), Ohio (tied for 23rd) and Michigan (tied for 30th). Illinois was tied for 33rd.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

The Importance of Doing the Math

From a commentary by Michael Vickerman, RENEW Wisconsin's executive director:

The average American adult exhibits some proficiency with basic arithmetic--the adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing of numbers. With these tools we are able to calculate a baseball player’s batting average, the amount of interest income earned on a three-month certificate of deposit, the service tip on a $50 dinner, and the duration of a driving trip from Madison to Minneapolis. Very few motorists need a calculator to figure out the total cost of a fill-up when the per-gallon price of gasoline goes up by a dime.

Yet, when the subject turns to America’s energy future, a subject where some facility with number-crunching is essential for understanding the issues at stake, our native competence seems to desert us. How else to explain the preponderance of newspaper articles, radio and television programs and Internet sites that either fumble the numbers that represent reality, or simply ignore them altogether.

If, as participants in a democratic process, we believe in the concept of informed consent, it is incumbent on ourselves to acquire some familiarity with the numbers that matter. Absent a grounding in the realm of quantities, durations and physical properties, public discussions on energy cannot help but devolve into exercises in magical thinking.

Consider a recent article in The New York Times titled “Cost Works Against Alternative and Renewable Energy Sources in Time of Recession.” In that article, reporter Matthew Wald states that solar and wind electric generating capacity sources are more expensive than new coal, natural gas or nuclear power plants. The yardstick Wald uses to compare the cost-effectiveness of different energy sources is their estimated kilowatt-hour cost, which is the same measure used to calculate the monthly electric bill.

However, Wald makes no mention of the size of the generating stations that are being compared, a critical omission. Coal and gas are relatively inexpensive fuels if an electric utility is looking to build one large power plant, say, 500 megawatts (MW). But what if the utility only needs 100 MW of additional capacity? In those situations, the large size of a typical coal plant becomes an economic liability, unlike a wind power plant, which can be easily adjusted to fill any gap up to 200 MW.

This isn’t rocket science, just simple math.

Monday, April 6, 2009

PSC issues final Strategic Energy Assessment

From a news release issued by the Public Service Commission:

MADISON – The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) has issued the final Strategic Energy Assessment – Energy 2014, which includes recommendations for a more regional and coordinated approach to energy generation, transmission and renewables planning, as the country moves closer to enacting comprehensive greenhouse gas regulation.

In the final report, the Commission directs PSC staff to prepare a detailed statewide analysis that evaluates how Wisconsin utilities might go about cost-effectively meeting medium-term greenhouse gas reduction targets. The staff analysis will describe potential power plant additions and retirements, possible repowering and fuel switching, and any other measures or costs that may go into complying with a national cap and trade program. This analysis will then be made available for comments from utilities and other interested stakeholders.

“Federal greenhouse gas regulations are coming,” said PSC Chairperson Eric Callisto. “We need to have a comprehensive, least-cost strategy that will enable Wisconsin to comply with new climate change regulation in as cost-effective a manner as possible. The analyses that we will undertake as part of Energy 2014 will, at least in part, help this state meet that challenge. . . .”

Biennially the PSC prepares a strategic energy assessment to evaluate the state’s current and future energy demands. The final report, based on data and information collected in 2007 and 2008 from Wisconsin utilities and power cooperatives highlights several conclusions:

· Mandatory constraints on greenhouse gas emissions at the state, regional and federal level appear to be inevitable, and will carry significant implications for Wisconsin’s electric utilities, as electric power generation is responsible for more than 30 percent of Wisconsin’s greenhouse gas emissions;

· Significant approved new generation coming online is expected to keep planning reserve margins near or above 19 percent through 2012 and based on already approved construction, the planning reserve margin for 2014 is expected to be nearly 12 percent. This number is expected to increase as more energy efficiency is implemented and new generation is proposed;

· Generation planning shows no new baseload generation is needed during this SEA period on a statewide basis;

· It is expected that the current and ongoing transmission system expansion and improvements will greatly enhance the ability to move electicity into and within Wisconsin by 2010; and

· Energy efficiency, conservation, and load control will play an important role in reducing Wisconsin’s energy costs and environmental impacts.

$627 million project proposed for coal plant

From a post on Tom Content's blog on JSOnline:
Three Wisconsin utilities have proposed spending $627 million to add environmental controls to a coal-fired power plant near Portage,

Wisconsin Power & Light Co. and two other utilities that own the Columbia power plant are seeking to add scrubbers and a baghouse to reduce emissions. The controls would reduce emissions of both mercury and sulfur dioxide.

The project is similar to those approved in recent years for Milwaukee-based We Energies, which installed environmental controls at the state's largest power plant in Pleasant Prairie in recent years. A similar project is under construction at the coal plant in Oak Creek.

Under the WP&L plan, emissions would drop by 90%, according to WP&L spokesman Rob Crain. WP&L's share of the project would be $290 million, Wisconsin Public Service Corp. would pay $199 million, and Madison Gas & Electric Co. would pay $138 million.

WP&L and We Energies recently filed for permission to install environmental controls at their Edgewater coal plant in Sheboygan.

Environmental groups have weighed in -- against installing the scrubbers -- contending that the plant should be shut down because of the greenhouse gas emissions released by the plant. Though several studes are under way, including one in Wisconsin, there aren't any scrubbers in operation yet to remove carbon dioxide before it's released from a coal plant.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Wind Systems Integration - Energy Storage and Wind Power

From Jeff Anthony, Manager - Utility Programs, American Wind Energy Association :

One issue that often comes up relative to wind power an understanding how it works for utilities, is how wind power is addressed from a variable energy output standpoint (the fact that wind projects are not "dispatchable" like other resources) and whether wind power projects need to be "backed-up one-for-one" on a megawatt for megawatt basis (they do not). Here are some resources that are extremely useful to explain these hard-to-grasp topics.

Two very useful Webpages with lots of to various resources and documents that can help explain these two topics: wind integration and reliability and wind power.

Another very useful website is this new webpage on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory website and wind power and wind integration
-- which also explains why energy storage is not needed at this time.

And here is what utilities have to say -- those that are actively involved in addressing wind integration efforts (as opposed to utilities who are not involved with wind power or who are not making an effort to get involved).

I hope you find these webpages and the links to various documents useful. This is a complex issue and so AWEA is available to assist further in understanding these issues at any time.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Wisconsin utilities release study on economic impacts of climate change legislation

From a news release issued by WPPI Energy:
Today [April 1], the Midwest Consumer Utilities, which includes Wisconsin-based study participants Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE) and WPPI Energy, released a study that shows Wisconsin consumers can expect higher energy costs under a federal greenhouse gas (GHG) cap and trade regime, and could face alarming economic impacts under some program designs.

“Climate change presents a serious challenge that must be met,” said Roy Thilly, President and CEO of WPPI Energy. “This study shows that how you address the problem matters. An auction will cause electricity prices to rise significantly to the detriment of all customers in Wisconsin. I hope the sober results help guide the outcome of the federal debate.”

The study projects the potential rate impact of various legislative approaches on the Midwest Utilities’ customers and on the economies in their respective states. It estimates the annual average rate increases for consumers in Wisconsin could be 19 percent to 63 percent from 2012 to 2030, under a cap and trade program that employs a 100 percent auction method. If the cap and trade program were designed using a method that gives the cap and trade revenue back to customers, Wisconsin customers still could see an annual average increase of 3 percent to 26 percent, according to the study.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Pleasant Prairie experiment: Subtracting carbon from coal

From a post by Tom Content on JS Online:
The carbon dioxide catch-and-release experiment in Pleasant Prairie, which started last year, is getting some more attention today.

The We Energies power plant is the site of a project funded in part by the Electric Power Research Institute and the French company Alstom. Alstom has built a system at the state's largest coal-fired power plant that uses chilled ammonia to separate the carbon dioxide that's heads out into the atmosphere.

If all goes well with this test, the utility industry is planning a bigger demonstration of this technology at a coal plant in West Virginia.

Whatever technological change is forced on utilities, it won't come cheap, Wall Street Journal Environment Editor Jeffrey Ball writes in his column today.

"Whatever the truth about 'clean coal,' consumers will be paying for it one way or another," Ball writes.

The test is one way that the utility sector is preparing for regulation of greenhouse gases at some point by Congress. That's significant for Wisconsin given how much we rely on coal for power.