Glacier Hills Wind Park hearing, Nov. 4

The Public Service Commission will take public testimony on We Energies' proposed Glacier Hills Wind Park.

Wednesday, November 4
3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Randolph Town Hall
109 S. Madison St. – Friesland

Those opposed to wind projects will likely make arguments like the one below from letter-to-the-editor of the Manitowoc Times Herald. The writere offered this outrageous explanation for why the Legislature passed and the govenor signed the bill on wind siting reform:

Blinded by a feel-good solution for a problem that never existed [global warming], legislators are being misled into a belief that something like wind turbines will not have a negative effect on those who are left to live around them . . .

To understand the problem you needed to be at the hearing in Mandison on May 12, held by the Senate and Assembly Energy Committee. . . .

It was obvious that the pro-wind lobby, paid with your tax money from RENEW Wisconsin, had the minds of legislators on their side long before the hearing.

Read more wild assertions from the letter.

Wind association applauds steps to streamline transmission siting

From a news release issued by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA):

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) enthusiastically supports a new policy announced today by the administration that will greatly facilitate efforts to access world-class renewable energy resources currently stranded in remote parts of the country. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) announced today will streamline the transmission permitting process for federal lands by improving coordination among nine federal agencies and creating timelines to limit delays in the permit approval process.

“The wind industry applauds the Obama administration for recognizing the need to address transmission barriers and enacting a measure to improve the speed and ease with which transmission can be constructed across federal lands. This MOU is an important step towards putting more of our abundant renewable energy resources to use, powering American homes and businesses with clean, domestic sources of energy while creating thousands of high-paying jobs here in America” noted AWEA’s CEO Denise Bode.

Currently, lengthy delays in the process of obtaining the necessary permits from federal agencies to build transmission lines across federal land are a major barrier to accessing the country’s best renewable energy resources. This is particularly true in the Western U.S. where the federal government owns more than one-half of the land and any interstate transmission line is likely to cross land controlled by one or more federal entities.

The Financial Effect of Energy Efficiency on Utilities: A Closer Look at Decoupling

A Webinar, Oct. 28, 1:00 p.m., from the Energy Center of Wisconsin:

Many energy efficiency advocates believe that revenue decoupling consistently removes the disincentive for utilities to promote energy efficiency. Finance principles suggest a more nuanced conclusion.

In this webinar, Steve Kihm explains that utility managers ultimately care about stock prices, of which rate of return is only one component. Energy efficiency affects all three key drivers of a utility’s stock price: rate of return, cost of capital and investment scale. Decoupling, however, addresses only the rate of return driver. When Steve applies the more comprehensive financial framework, he shows that decoupling is a tactical tool that can be applied effectively to some utilities rather than a strategic approach that will work for all utilities.

State continues to rank among leaders in energy efficiency

From an article by Larry Bivins in the Stevens Point Journal:

WASHINGTON — Wisconsin has lost a little ground in energy efficiency, but it still ranks among the top states, according to a new report released today.

The Badger State fell from ninth to 11th on a 2009 scorecard compiled by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The group rated states’ energy policies and programs in six categories — utilities and public benefits; transportation; building energy codes; combined heat and power; government initiatives; and appliance efficiency standards.

Wisconsin totaled 24 out of a possible 50 points. The national average was 17.

Wisconsin’s best showing was in combined heat and power, on which it scored four out of five total points. Its worst showing was on appliance efficiency standard, where it scored zero.

The state’s slippage in the rankings was more a result of other states having made substantial improvements rather than Wisconsin not doing as much as it had in the past, said Maggie Eldridge, the ACEEE report’s lead author. Maine, for example, moved from 19th to the 10th spot.

Wisconsin, she said, has “a very long and strong track record of offering energy efficiency programs.”

Dan Kohler, director of Wisconsin Environment, said while the state has a good ratepayer-funded energy efficiency program, it could do a lot more. He said his organization has called on the state to require a 2 percent reduction in energy use per year and to use federal money to retrofit homes and businesses.

“Energy efficiency is the fastest and cheapest way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and reduce carbon pollution,” Kohler said. “Plus, it can save consumers and businesses hundreds of dollars each year on their bills.”

Experts rip anti-wind arguments

Even though the quotes below from pre-filed statements take the form of rebuttal testimony in the PSC proceedings on We Energies Glacier Hills Wind Park, they can stand on their own. You need not read the filings they rebut in order to make sense out of what they're saying.

The pre-filed testimony stands among the strongest redupiation of anti-wind arguments.

These filings will be formally entered into the record when the technical hearings begin on November 2nd, but they (and all other filings) are available online at the Web site of the Public Service Commission and link directlyi to case 6630-CE-302.

Richard Larkin, a state certified real estate appraiser, rebuts a “study” of property values paid for by the Coaliton for Wisconsin Environmental Stewardship (CWESt), a group opposing the Glacier Hills project:

I am responding to testimony submitted by Kurt Kielisch on behalf of CWESt, in 1 which he claims that paired sales analyses at the Blue Sky Green Field and Forward wind projects shows that proximity to wind turbines results in a significant negative impact on residential real estate values. There are significant (and probably fatal) problems with his analysis, which I will explain in my testimony. . . .

. . .it is my opinion that Appraisal One’s Wind Turbine Impact Study is significantly flawed, and in my opinion, likely meaningless.

Read all of Larkin’s testimony here.

William Roberts, PhD in Epidemiology, former faculty member with the Medical College of Wisconsin (Dept. of Preventative Medicine), former Oklahoma State Epidemiologist dissects Dr. Nina Pierpont's "research" and rebuts CWESt's acoustical consultant. He summarized his testimony as follows:

+ “Wind Turbine Syndrome” is not a medical diagnosis supported by peer reviewed, published, scientific literature;
+ The materials presented to support “Wind Turbine Syndrome” are not of sufficient scientific quality nor have they received the rigorous scientific review and vetting that is customarily part of the peer review and publishing process;
+ The tried and true scientific method of developing a hypothesis, testing that hypothesis, publishing the results and having others attempt to repeat the research has not been done to test the existence of a health condition called “Wind Turbine Syndrome;”
+ An accumulation of anecdotal interviews with self-selected persons living near a wind turbine does not constitute an epidemiological study and is not sufficient to determine causation;
+ The bases for claimed adverse health effects due to wind turbines cited by Mr. James either cannot withstand scientific scrutiny or have nothing to do with wind turbines; and
+ Siting a wind turbine within view of a residence and the operation of that turbine could be a source of annoyance to those living in the residence.

Read all of Roberts’ testimony here.

Geoff Leventhall, acoustical consultant, PhD in acoustics, presented testimony to rebut CWESt's acoustical consultant.

Based on my experience of infrasound and low frequency noise, it is my belief that the infrasound from wind turbines is of no consequence. Attempts to claim that illnesses result from inaudible wind turbine noise do not stand up to simple analyses of the very low forces and pressures produced by the sound from wind turbines. Additionally, the body is full of sound and vibration at infrasonic and low frequencies, originating in natural body processes. As an example, the beating heart is an obvious source of infrasound within the body. Other sources of background low frequency noise and vibration are blood flows, muscle vibrations, breathing, fluids in the gut and so on. The result is that any effect from wind turbine noise, or any other low level of noise, which might be produced within the body is “lost” in the existing background noise and vibration. This is considered in more detail in my Appraisal of Wind Turbine Syndrome, which is submitted as Exhibit 18.

More broadly, my testimony establishes that the claims of health effects from the low levels of infrasound and low frequency noise from wind turbines, as described in the Wind Turbine Syndrome and Vibroacoustic Disease hypotheses, fail. However, higher frequency noise from wind turbines, if it is audible, can cause disturbance to some residents, but this effect is no different from that of noise from another source.

Read all of Leventhall’s testimony here.

Over 100 communities support “25x25” clean energy goal

From a news release issued by Govenor Jim Doyle:

MADISON - Governor Jim Doyle today announced over 100 communities have joined the Wisconsin Energy Independent Community Partnership. The communities, which come from every region of Wisconsin, have pledged to work toward Governor Doyle’s “25x25” goal of generating 25 percent of the state’s electricity and transportation fuels from renewable resources by the year 2025.

“I’m pleased that communities across Wisconsin have accepted my clean energy challenges head on,” Governor Doyle said. “Together we are making great strides toward energy policies that create jobs, clean our air and water, and save us money. I look forward to working with Energy Independent Communities as we continue Wisconsin’s clean energy leadership.”

The Wisconsin Energy Independent (EI) Community Partnership is the first of its kind in the nation and is an integral part of Clean Energy Wisconsin, Governor Doyle’s plan to move Wisconsin toward energy independence. The plan details strategies to move Wisconsin forward to promote renewable energy, create new jobs, increase energy security, and improve the environment.

The community partnership, which is led by the Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence, helps individual communities take advantage of their unique resources and develop new strategies to foster innovative clean energy solutions.

New members of the Energy Independent Community Partnership include: City of Two Rivers in Manitowoc County, City of West Allis in Milwaukee County, City of New London in Outagamie County, Village of Stratford in Marathon County, City of Whitewater in Walworth County, City of Jefferson in Jefferson County, Village of Oxford in Marquette County and Iowa County.

ATC studies show need for $2.5 billion in investment

From a news release issued by the American Transmission Company (ATC):

PEWAUKEE, Wis. – American Transmission Co. has completed its annual electric transmission system assessment and has identified $2.5 billion in necessary improvements over the next 10 years. The total includes $1 billion for transmission network upgrades, along with $1.5 billion in interconnection and asset renewal projects, infrastructure replacements and relocations, and other smaller network reliability improvements. That is down from the 2008 10-year assessment of $2.7 billion, although the current forecast may change due to regional initiatives to build transmission infrastructure to support renewable generation.

“While ATC has made significant progress since beginning operation in 2001, we continue our process to assess and reassess the needs of our customers to determine and evolve, over time, the best set of transmission projects to meet those needs,” explained Flora Flygt, director of transmission planning at ATC. “Now, more than ever, we are committed to an open, collaborative process to select best-value projects that resolve multiple electric system issues over a broad region.”

The $1 billion investment in new transmission infrastructure includes:
• 131 miles of new transmission lines,
• upgrades to more than 399 miles of existing lines and
• 21 new transformers and 29 new capacitor banks.

The ATC report lists nine regional collaborative planning initiatives in which ATC is leading or participating, including the SMARTransmission Study to identify extra-high voltage transmission infrastructure needed to move wind power within a nine- state region from the Dakotas to Ohio, as well as the Regional Generator Outlet study being conducted by the Midwest Independent System Operator.