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Greenies
| Saturday, October 3, 2009 |
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Law knocks wind out of Smelser moratorium
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will now set the siting rules for wind farms, trumping local ordinances and actions.
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| Jim Doyle |
| Photo by: Andy Manis |
TOWN OF SMELSER, Wis. -- To paraphrase a southwest Wisconsin lawmaker, now the devil is in the details.
On Wednesday, Gov. Jim Doyle signed a bill that calls for state regulators to come up with statewide rules for wind farms.
The state Public Service Commission's rules will trump any local ordinances, including several moratoriums enacted by the Smelser Town Board of Trustees.
A moratorium enacted on June 8 resulted in charges being brought against Arnie Rawson, of rural Platteville, and Robert Droessler, of rural Cuba City, for violating open meetings law. They are accused of taking action on a matter without public notice.
"It was a minor mistake, we tried to rectify it (at our next meeting), and we couldn't, according to state law," Rawson said. "It's happened before in other places. It's no new thing."
The board later went on to enact a moratorium in August on the White Oak wind project that includes parts of Smelser, Hazel Green and Paris townships. However, Senate Bill 185 and the ensuing action by Doyle to enact a uniform siting law trump the moratorium.
Wind developers say local officials have created a patchwork of regulations across the state that are so restrictive they are suffocating their projects. Local leaders say they are just looking out for people's health.
The bill requires the Public Service Commission to establish uniform standards regulating the construction and operation of wind energy systems.
Opponents of the White Oak project say they weren't surprised by Doyle's action because he has always said that he would sign such a bill. The governor's goal includes generating 25 percent of the state's electricity and 25 percent of vehicle fuels from renewable sources by 2025.
They add that siting has and always will be the main concern of numerous Smelser Township residents. Some seek a 1,800-foot minimum setback requirement (as opposed to the proposed 1,000 feet -- about the equivalent of three football fields) to minimize what they call the "noise, safety and health risks" to their families and their houses. Others cite concerns about falling property values because of the size and location of the towers, usually as high as 400 feet.
Rawson has served on the board for 16 years.
"I am careful to hear both sides of the story," Rawson said. "There are people for, against and who don't care. My theory is if we have some standards or guidelines, it will protect our township from someone coming and saying, 'Do it our way or else.' "
White Oak developer Wind Capital Group supported the initiative for statewide uniform siting.
"It ensures Wisconsin will have a renewable energy standard, much like Iowa has," said Tom Green, project development manager. "I think the PSC will try to get as much information as it can, come up with a regulation that protects people and promotes renewable energy."
Green noted that Wind Capital has a number of projects, including Smelser, that the company is "actively" moving forward with, including environmental studies. The goal is developing more wind-generated electricity in Wisconsin.
Ron Brisbois, Grant County Economic Development director, said the new law will allow communities to plan, and give wind developers the freedom to create wind farm strategies.
"They will have stability. They will be free of some of the uncertainty caused by irrational fears and things like that," Brisbois said. "I'll be curious to see now soon the commission acts. I hope it's quickly."
Smelser Township, Rawson noted, is in a "stall" mode.
"We are waiting to see how the commission will handle the standards," he said. "There are a number of issues, including setbacks and health. I know Gov. Doyle wants uniform guidelines and standards set throughout the state. There's a lot of confusion out there."
Things should be clearer in the near future, according to Kim Egan, a Cuba City-area native who recruited Wind Capital Group to consider the area.
"It's the right step," he said of the legislation. "There are more steps. But finally it brings clarification to a municipality, a township or a county."
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source: Phil Hands www.PhilToons.com
The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) reports that the U.S. market for small wind turbines – those with capacities of 100 kilowatts (kW) and less – grew 78% in 2008, with a total of 17.3 megawatts (MW) of new installed capacity, offering new evidence that consumer demand for clean energy options is on the rise.
"The U.S. wind industry is a growing bright spot in our domestic economy, and the small wind sector is no exception," said AWEA CEO Denise Bode. "Strong federal policies like the federal investment tax credit for small wind are critical to future growth, just as adoption of a federal renewable electricity standard (RES) is essential to growth in the utility-scale market."
U.S. manufacturers sold about half of all small wind turbines installed worldwide last year. U.S. market share amounted to $77M of the $156M global total. (Worldwide, about 38.7 MW of new small wind capacity was installed in 2008.)
Growth in the small wind sector is largely attributable to increased private investment that has allowed manufacturing volumes to increase, particularly for the commercial segment of the market (systems 21-100 kW). The still-largest segment of the market, residential (1-10 kW), was likewise driven by investment and manufacturing economies of scale, but also rising residential electricity prices and a heightened public awareness of the technology and its attributes.
"Consumers are looking for affordable ways to improve their energy security and reduce their personal carbon footprint," said Ron Stimmel, AWEA's Small Wind Advocate. "Small wind technology can be an answer to that search. As government policies have caught up with consumer interest, we're seeing people all across the U.S. take advantage of this abundant, domestic natural resource and U.S. manufacturers have been able to meet this increasing demand."
The study included a poll of small wind manufacturers, who project a 30-fold growth in the U.S. small wind market within as little as five years, despite a global recession. Much of this estimated growth will be spurred by the new eight-year 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) passed by Congress in October 2008 and augmented in February 2009.
"Wind energy is an all-around win," said Bode. "Every day, Americans are saving money on their electricity bills, boosting the national economic recovery, and helping to reduce our collective greenhouse gas emissions. This is great news for all Americans."
About the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
AWEA is the national trade association of America's wind industry, with more than 1,900 member companies, including global leaders in wind power and energy development, wind turbine manufacturing, component and service suppliers, and the world's largest wind power trade show. AWEA is the voice of wind energy in the U.S., promoting renewable energy to power a cleaner, stronger America. Look up information on wind energy at the AWEA Web site. Find insight on industry issues at AWEA's blog Into the Wind. Join AWEA on Facebook. Follow AWEA on Twitter.
SOURCE: American Wind Energy Association
Wind Generation a Potential Win for Wisconsin
Commerce Secretary Richard L. Leinenkugel
Wisconsin Dept of Commerce Newsletter, June 2009
During economic downturns, it is well to remember that the marketplace is constantly shifting, and that as demand for one class of products wanes, demand increases for another class. Wind generation offers Wisconsin just such an opportunity for economic growth.
Wisconsin's abundant natural resources, highly skilled workforce, world-class educational research institutions and geographic desirability in the middle of the U.S. make us well-positioned to become the hub of renewable energy development and delivery, and we have particular advantages in wind component manufacturing.
Our state's manufacturers have a long history of manufacturing parts for original equipment manufacturers, so they understand how to succeed as part of a supply chain. The production requirements for wind turbines (towers, gears, shafts) draw heavily on our skills and expertise. But there's more.
The Department of Energy's “20-percent Wind Scenario" forecasts an annual installation of 7,000-10,000 new turbines by 2018.
At the end of 2007, over 2,000 turbines were already under construction for 2008. By the end of 2008, new turbine installations were projected to number nearly 5,000.
In addition to these new installations, component parts will be required for the existing installations as they age. A wind turbine comprises more than 1,000 individual parts.
Historically, the components for turbines have been manufactured outside of the United States. It is projected that 2009 will be the first year that a majority of components are manufactured in the United States.
Wisconsin is strategically located to supply the Upper-Midwest with wind turbine components. Our state ranks as the #8 state to benefit from wind manufacturing and the associated supply chain, according to the Renewable Energy Policy Project. Of traditional manufacturing states, Wisconsin is nearest the Minnesota-Iowa corridor. Our ports could also facilitate exports outside of the region.
Wisconsin could create up to 30,000 wind-industry-related jobs by 2030. And we have yet another advantage. Wisconsin will shortly receive $55 million in federal energy stimulus funds. Unlike many other states, Wisconsin already invests in community-based energy efficiency initiatives, so we can direct our funding primarily to business development.
At the Department of Commerce, we'll be looking for opportunities to fund projects in this exciting new area. We'll be keeping you posted when this funding is available. Check out our website anytime at www.commerce.wi.gov.
-- Richard J. Leinenkugel, Secretary
Obama talks up wind power, green jobs on Earth Day
NEWTON, Iowa-April 22, 2009– Marking Earth Day with a pitch for his energy plan, President Barack Obama on Wednesday called for a "new era of energy exploration in America" and argued that his proposal would help the economy and the environment at once.
"The choice we face is not between saving our environment and saving our economy — it's a choice between prosperity and decline," Obama said in his first post-election trip to Iowa, the state that launched him toward the White House. "The nation that leads the world in creating new sources of clean energy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy."
But Obama's promise of preserving natural resources and jump-starting the economy ran smack into the reality of this economically struggling town about 30 miles east of Des Moines. The wind energy plant where he spoke, and received a tour beforehand, is a shadow of what it replaced — a Maytag Corp. appliances plant that built washers, dryers and refrigerators.
It employed some 4,000 in a town of 16,000 residents in jobs that paid about $30,000 to $40,000 a year.
Trinity Structural Towers has roughly 90 people working at the old Maytag site, a number that is expected to grow to about 140. Mark Stiles, a senior vice president at Trinity, which builds the towers that support wind turbines, said workers at his factory make about $17 an hour, plus benefits.
"This is a piece of the recovery, but we think it's a nice piece," Stiles said.
Newton Mayor Chaz Allen said many are still trying to recover after the loss of Maytag in 2007.
"You know, 115 years with one company was a great thing, but it's a different world now," Allen said. "Our economy has to be diverse and we can't put all of our eggs in one basket."
Obama was at the plant to highlight his energy proposal that has slowed on Capitol Hill. Skeptical Republicans and some Democrats from coal-producing states complain that it will increase costs for consumers, send jobs overseas and hurt businesses.
Obama said the nation needs more domestic production of oil and natural gas in the short term. But "the bulk of our efforts," he said, must focus on transitioning the U.S. to more renewable energy.
He pushed personal responsibility, calling on every American to replace one incandescent light bulb with one compact fluorescent. The president also said the leaders of the world's major economies will meet next week to discuss the energy crisis.
For his remarks, Obama chose Iowa, second only to Texas in installed wind capacity.
He announced his administration is creating the nation's first program to authorize offshore projects to generate electricity from wind turbines and ocean currents. The Interior Department on Wednesday issued the long-awaited regulations governing how leases will be issued for the development of such energy sources and how revenue will be shared with coastal states.
Obama said that wind could generate as much as 20 percent of the U.S. electricity demand by 2030 if its full potential is pursued on land and offshore. It would also create as many as 250,000 jobs, he said.
"As with so many clean energy investments, it's win-win: good for environment and great for our economy," the president said.
But wind-produced electricity totals just under 2 percent of all electricity generated, according to the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group.
Obama's energy plan would reduce greenhouse gases by 20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and by 83 percent by mid-century. It calls for a series of measures aimed at reducing the use of fossil energy, such as requiring utilities to produce a quarter of their electricity from renewable sources.
The House began four days of hearings on its version of climate legislation on Tuesday.
GOP lawmakers have criticized the "cap-and-trade" portion of the measure, calling it a massive energy tax because it will put a price on carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels. But Obama defended it, saying, "My hope is that this will be the vehicle through which we put this policy in effect."
Obama's energy plan would drive more investments to companies such as Trinity.
The administration's economic stimulus plan also included some $5 billion for low-income weatherization programs and $2 billion for electric car research. Another $500 million was set aside to train workers for "green jobs," such as those at Trinity.
Obama's post-inauguration travel itinerary reads like a list of battleground and Republican-leaning states that helped lift him to the presidency and will be critical in any re-election bid. He's visited Colorado, North Carolina, Indiana, Ohio, Florida and now Iowa.
Obama staged a surprise upset over one-time rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to win Iowa's caucuses in January 2008, giving him much-needed momentum that sparked a marathon nomination struggle. His Iowa field operation for 2012 is up and running, with town-hall meetings scheduled this week.
In Landover, Md., on Monday, Vice President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing that $300 million in federal stimulus money will go to cities and towns to purchase more fuel-efficient vehicles.
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Associated Press Writer Brian Westley in Landover, Md., contributed to this report.
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