Potawatomi Food Waste to Energy Project

The Forest County Potawatomi’s food waste-to-energy project began generating electricity in Menomonee River Valley of Milwaukee in October.  The $20 million project produces biogas in two 1.3 million-gallon tanks from food waste turned into liquid organic feedstock for microorganisms.  The microorganisms breakdown the feedstock which produces biogas that is used as fuel for electricity generation.  The project uses two GE engine generators built in Waukesha, WI and has a capacity of 2 megawatts—enough to power approximately 1,500 homes.    The plant can also capture waste heat from biogas production and supply hot water and heat.  Some of the food waste comes from local bakeries, cheese plants, and a soy production facility.  This Potawatomi project received $2.6 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and a grant from Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program. 

 

 

Promega’s Green Bio-Manufacturing Building Creates Jobs
 
Promega Corp. added a new $120 million, green bio-manufacturing facility to its campus in Fitchburg, WI in October.  The 262,000 square-foot Feynman Center features a multi-story atrium for its staff and clients called the Crossroads with solar hot water for the cafeteria and locker rooms, 63 geothermal wells for heating and cooling, and a “living wall” with 7,000 native and tropical plants of 42 different varieties.  The living wall will bloom year-round through its own irrigation system.  The Crossroads has views of native prairie.  The construction project created 100 high-paying jobs.


MKE Better Buildings Challenge

U.S. Department of Energy recognized the city of Milwaukee on November 6 for its leadership in the Department's Better Buildings Challenge (BBC)--helping the city save on energy costs and cut greenhouse gas emissions.  Director of BBC, Maria Vargas, met with city officials and business stakeholders to discuss program implementation progress and raising Milwaukee's profile as a "Smart Energy Hub."  Through the Better Buildings Challenge, Milwaukee has pledged to reduce the energy intensity for five million square feet of city-owned building by 20 percent in 10 years.  Since 2009, the city has already reduced its energy intensity by 10 percent.  Some commercial building owners are following suit and benchmarking their building's energy use, too.  More information about Milwaukee's program can be found here.
 

Nationally, more than 100 organizations, representing almos 2 billion square feet of commercial and industrial buildings and almost $2 billiion in energy efficiency financing, are partnering with the U.S. Department of Energy in the Better Buildings Challenge.  For more information, click here.

To read more about Milwaukee's efforts, click here. 

Energy Efficiency Guide for Water and Wastewater Facilities

U.S. EPA recently released Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities: A Guide to Developing and Implementing Greenhouse Gas Reduction Programs.


Energy Audits and Retro-Commissioning: State and Local Policy Design Guide

The State and Local Energy Efficiency Action Network, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. EPA, provide guidance and sample policy language to help state and local governments enact and implement energy efficiency policies in the Energy Audits and Retro-Commissioning: State and Local Policy Design Guide.


GreenChill Store Certification

The U.S. EPA's GreenChill Store Certification for Food Retailers Program recognizes individual stores for using refrigerants that do not deplete ozone and that do not leak into the atmosphere to impact global warming.  The GreenChill webpage includes application forms and a number of resources that provide guidance on how food retailers can improve energy efficiency and obtain GreenChill Store Certification.