Governors: Include coal in energy debate

From an Associated Press story by Andrew Welsh-Huggins:

WASHINGTON (AP) — Governors pushing alternative energy development are not shying from coal, a major culprit in global warming but also a homegrown energy source and an economic lifeline for many states.

Leaders of coal-rich states say clean-coal technology is a must. Governors from states without coal want more evidence the technology works.

"There's no doubt there's a tension and there's no doubt there is very rapidly growing public opposition to coal," said Gov. Jim Doyle, D-Wis. His state relies heavily on coal for power although Wisconsin is not a coal producer.

Energy tops the agenda at the governors' annual winter meeting. The group's new clean energy initiative seeks to promote renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

"Next-generation coal is going to need to continue to be part of our energy future for this country," said GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, chairman of the National Governors Association.

"It is abundant, it is available, it is Americanized in the sense that we control the supply," he said Saturday. "We would be incomplete and doing a disservice to the debate and the ultimate policy direction that we're going to take if we don't envision coal being part of that."

Next-generation coal typically refers to capturing and somehow sequestering or storing the carbon that coal produces. It also envisions reducing or eliminating emissions as coal is burned.

Pawlenty has embraced renewable fuels such as corn-based ethanol and conservation, but he also promotes clean-coal technology.

Such technology is a rallying cry for many coal-producing states. They say it is possible to continue relying on the fossil fuel while minimizing its impact on the environment.

Read RENEW Wisconsin's newsletter online

RENEW Wisconsin's quarterly newsletter contains the following articles:

+ Solar Water Heating's Day of Superlatives
+ Calumet Voters Strongly Favor Wind
+ Renewable Profiles: Steve & Nancy Sandstrom
+ Wind a No Go in Trempealeau
+ Windpower Projects Near Completion
+ Calendar

You can read the newsletter online in RENEW’s News and Views.

Global warming task force issues interim report

From a story by Thomas Content and Lee Bergquist in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

To tackle global warming, Wisconsin should:

• Consider erecting wind turbines on the Great Lakes.

• Reward utilities for cutting energy use instead of building power plants.

• Study the possibility of pumping carbon dioxide from power plants into the ground or sending it by pipeline to other states.

Those are among the recommendations in an interim report that the Governor's Task Force on Global Warming will vote on Tuesday in Sun Prairie.

The task force also will endorse a significant cut in energy use by Wisconsin homes and businesses as a critical first step in addressing global warming. . . .

. . . the panel sought to concentrate on how the state can move the quickest. Its top pick: energy conservation.

If it cuts its appetite, Wisconsin would reverse course and, by 2015, cut electric demand by 2% per year, and natural gas use by 1% annually, the report says.

Other strategies call for adoption of building codes that promote energy efficiency, incentives for green buildings and a directive to owners of rental units to install high-efficiency lighting in public spaces.

To bolster the state's portfolio of renewable power, the report calls for a study by year's end that would evaluate the potential for Great Lakes wind power.

Alliant subsidiary will reduce green house gas emmissons

From a press release issued by Alliant Energy:

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – February 8, 2008 – Interstate Power and Light Company (IPL), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation (NYSE: LNT), proposed today to permanently reduce its generating fleet’s greenhouse gas emissions by retiring coal-fired generating units and switching the fuel source of other coal-fired units to natural gas when its proposed Sutherland Generating Station Unit 4 becomes operable in 2013. . . .

IPL expects that the generating station retirements and fuel switch at the Dubuque power facility will have no impact upon current employees.

“We, alone, have an obligation to serve our customers and this plan fulfills that obligation by providing our customers with safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy,” states Tom Aller, president of IPL. “Our proposal improves Iowa’s air quality and environment while providing a reliable energy supply to support the growth of Iowa’s economy. We are preparing Iowa for a bright energy future by confronting the challenges of greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring a reliable energy supply today.”

As part of its greenhouse gas emissions reduction proposal, IPL will retire Lansing Generating Station’s coal-fired units 2 and 3. In addition, the company will permanently switch the fuel source of its Dubuque Generating Station Units from coal to natural gas. This will reduce these units’ maximum potential to emit CO2 by more than 800,000 tons per year. These potential changes in IPL’s generating fleet are contingent upon the company receiving all applicable regulatory approvals related to Sutherland Generating Station Unit 4’s site certification and ratemaking principles applications.

IPL estimates that its energy efficiency programs, which include the new five-year plan the company expects to file with the IUB later this year, will reduce customers’ electric usage by nearly 2 million megawatt-hours by 2013. As a result, IPL’s system-wide CO2 emissions are expected to be reduced by approximately 2.57 million tons per year compared to what those emission levels would be absent the company’s energy efficiency programs.

IPL recently received approval to build 200 MW of wind generation in Iowa by 2013 that will also serve to reduce the Company's system-wide CO2 emission levels by approximately 934,000 tons per year in 2013 from what those emissions levels would be absent this investment.

Renewable Energy Summit, March 12-14, Milwaukee

Register now! For the 2008 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit. It should be the largest renewable energy event in Wisconsin outside of the Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair.


The fifth annual Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit will be held in Milwaukee, WI on March 12-14, 2008 at the Midwest Airlines Center. The Summit, titled Green Jobs – Growing Wisconsin’s Economy, will focus on the role that renewable energy, such as wind power, solar energy, geothermal, green buildings and bio-energy technologies, will play in supporting Wisconsin’s economic well being. Growth of renewable energy businesses will create new “green collar” jobs in Wisconsin. Those jobs include: manufacturers, installers, consultants, engineers, and associated professions. Renewable energy in Wisconsin has the potential to produce 35,000 jobs in the next 10years.

Topics to be covered:
- Jobs Growth Potential and Economic Development from Renewable Energy Growth
- New Developments in Renewable Energy
- The Potential Role for Business & Industry in Renewable Energy
- Wind Power – utility-scale, community-scale wind projects, and small wind
- Solar Electric – solar electric projects for non-profits and businesses
- Solar Water Heating – educational session and case studies of businesses
- Green Buildings – case studies, LEED overview, geothermal, and sustainable design
- Renewable Energy Education – including K-12, College and Universities, and the
- Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) consumer and installer education
- Transportation – electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, ethanol and bio-fuels
- Bio-Energy – bio-refineries and agriculture digester projects
- Drivers of the energy transition; markets & climate

Who Attends
The Summit will present fresh and invaluable information on the business and workforce opportunities in Wisconsin’s RE-marketplace. Presenters and attendees include RE producers, manufacturers, contractors and consulting firms, state agencies, NGO’s and students, faculty and administrators from WTCS Colleges, University of Wisconsin institutions, and Wisconsin K-12 schools.

Exhibition Opportunities
Exhibition spots are available at the Summit to reach your target audience of renewable energy professionals along with students, faculty and administrators from Wisconsin colleges and schools. Contact William P. Quirmbach at (414)297-6300 or by email at quirmbaw@matc.edu for more exhibition information, or click on the Exhibitor Information button on right. Register and pay by March 1, 2008 to be included in Summit materials.

Sponsorship Opportunities
Opportunities are available to be a sponsor of the Summit at your choice of participation level. Contact Bob Gilbertson at 608-849-2400 or by email at rgilbertson@wtcsf.com or click on the Sponsorship Opportunities button on right.

Registration Details
Pricing, registration on-line or via mail/fax and other registration details are available at www.renewableenergysummit.org.

Doyle' State of the State highlights energy

From Governor Doyle's State of the State address on January 23:

Creating Renewable Energy

We have set Wisconsin on the right course to seize new economic opportunities and lead our nation’s response to one of the most critical challenges of our time…

Our addiction to foreign oil is compromising our national security, paralyzing our economy, and melting the polar ice caps.

The global threat of climate change is undeniable. Temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere have reached their warmest point in over two thousand years.

A barrel of oil has topped $100… and just look at the price of gasoline at the pump – nearly double what it was just five years ago.

The oil companies don’t care. They’re making the biggest profits in history.

Our country is sending over a billion dollars a week in oil payments to the Middle East. Just imagine if we were investing that kind of money right here in Wisconsin.

Energy Accomplishments

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we should depend more on the Midwest and less on the Mideast, and today we are.

Since I became Governor, we’ve worked together to increase production of Wisconsin-made ethanol from zero gallons to half a billion gallons per year.

Last fall, I brought governors from across the Midwest together in Milwaukee to chart a new energy direction for our region and our world.

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison we are launching the Great Lakes BioEnergy Research Center bringing together researchers from five other universities across the country.

Our nation’s dependence on foreign oil must end, but drilling our way out of this crisis is not the answer. We must invent and innovate our way to a cleaner, safer energy future.

…and tonight, from generating wind power in Fond du Lac to harnessing the power of biomass in Rice Lake, Wisconsin is ready to lead the way.

Energy Independence Fund

Tonight we’ll launch an aggressive new strategy to reduce the pollution that causes global warming and grow Wisconsin’s economy – the Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund – a major new investment to make Wisconsin a world leader in renewable energy and homegrown power.

Over the next 10 years Wisconsin will invest $150 million to help our businesses, our farmers, our foresters, and our manufacturers produce and promote renewable energy.

Our strong manufacturing base and rich agricultural industries, along with the wealth of resources in our vast northern forests and world-leading research universities, position Wisconsin to become the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy.

From manufacturing wind turbines and solar panels to retro-fitting fuel pumps and exploring the latest clean technologies, we will seize green opportunities and create good jobs for our citizens.

But we won’t stop there.

Renewable Fuel Initiative

Tonight we’ll launch a new campaign to increase the availability of renewable fuel by 1 billion gallons.

First we’ll provide new tax credits for biodiesel fuel producers and add 400 new renewable fuel pumps to our roads.

Second let’s pass a renewable fuel standard sponsored by Senator Kreitlow and Representative Suder to require oil companies to provide renewable fuel for our consumers.

Energy Efficiency

Energy costs continue to rise and Wisconsin families deserve relief. Over the next 18 months, we will make another historic investment – $95 million – to help save families and businesses over half a billion dollars over the next decade.

School District's energy savings win EPA energy saving award

From an article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The West Allis-West Milwaukee School District is doing its part for the environment, according to a recent round of awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The district was one of nine nationwide to be designated an Energy Star Leader by the EPA. The title is the agency's top honor for energy saving and goes to organizations such as schools, hospitals, supermarkets and hotels that own more than two facilities and reduce energy consumption by more than 10%.

Along with eight school districts in Minnesota, the West Allis-West Milwaukee district significantly reduced its energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in 2007.

West Allis-West Milwaukee credits the award in part to its partnership with Energy Education Inc., a national energy conservation company that has worked with the district since 2005.

In two years, the district has saved more than $1 million in energy costs, according to a district statement.