Farm Bill ‘REAPs’ Benefits
The new Farm Bill provides $881 million for the Energy Title clean energy development programs over 10 years, benefitting small- and mid-sized farms and ranches, as well as rural small businesses. The top-funded program is REAP – Rural Energy for America Program – which provides grants and loan guarantees to farmers, ranchers, rural small businesses and rural electric co-ops for a broad range of more than 3,000 modern renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The Farm Bill passed by the House provides $50 million annually in mandatory funding for the REAP program and allows for additional discretionary funding.
Learn more about the new Farm Bill Clean Energy Title.
Wisconsin Renewable Energy Act Introduced
Senator Mark Miller and Democratic representatives rolled out a comprehensive bill to strengthen Wisconsin’s clean energy policy structure. The goals of the Renewable Energy Act are cheaper energy; energy freedom; and job creation/economic development. One of the main features of the legislation is to increase the state’s Renewable Electricity Standard from 10% by 2015 currently to 20% by 2020, and 30% by 2030. While the sponsors don’t expect the bill to pass during the current legislative session that ends at the end of March, it re-opens the issue of ways to capture and prosper from locally available renewable energy sources to address Wisconsin’s $12 billion+ a year dependence on out of state fossil fuels imports.
Republican lawmakers also have unveiled proposals on renewables in this session, with a proposal to
freeze the renewable mandate at 2010 levels and another to allow
nuclear power to qualify as a renewable resource.
To read these legislative proposals, including the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Act
, visit the Energy on Wisconsin website.
Third-Party Solar in Wisconsin - Monona Case Study
The City of Monona is a recent Wisconsin case study of a successful third-party solar installation. The city, at no up- front cost, just installed 156 kW of solar PV arrays on roofs of 4 municipal buildings, reported Janine Glaeser, Monona’s Facilities Manager, at the Energy On Wisconsin meeting February 26. “These systems generate approximately 30% of the buildings’ electricity use and are estimated to save the city $9,000 a year in utility bills. This puts the city half way to its 25 by '25 energy independent community goal by producing 217,700 kWh of renewable energy annually and eliminating 187 tons of carbon dioxide a year” she said.
The city worked with
Solar Connections, a Madison-based company, to put the project together. The city entered into a solar service partnership agreement and leased it roofs to Falcon Energy Systems (FES) for 6 years. FES, out of Denver, CO, is the investor and gets the federal tax credits. Monona buys renewable energy credits (RECs) from Falcon rather than electricity at a cost less than MGE’s current electricity rate. Full Spectrum Solar of Madison, WI did the installation and will service the equipment. The panels came from the Minnesota firm TenKsolar. The systems are interconnected by Madison Gas and Electric. According to Jeff Ford, Senior Market Analyst at MGE, who spoke at the meeting, MGE monitors the energy use and electricity output of those buildings every 15 minutes and shows the balance of amount generated over amount consumed on the monthly bill.
Wisconsin’s interconnection rule (PSC 119), which sets forth the terms and procedures for connecting customer-sited electric generation equipment to the utility grid, does not address the issue of third-party ownership of renewable energy systems. In more than 20 states in the U.S, consumers and businesses are allowed to enter into arrangements that allow third-party companies to install solar systems on customers’ property and sell electricity generated by these systems back to the customer. Customer-sited installations in those states have grown as a result increasing clean energy generation and creating jobs.
Solar energy systems require an initial investment to purchase and install. Nonprofit entities such as local governments and schools are not eligible for the federal tax incentives that are available to businesses as system owners. With third-party ownership, the business, not the consumer, finances the cost of the system and takes the tax advantage, lowering the cost of the system; and, the consumer purchases the power at a contracted rate, often lower than the local utility rate.
Read more about this issue here.
Leonardo Academy Awarded $586k EPA Clean Diesel Grant
EPA and the Midwest Clean Diesel Initiative have awarded $586,698 to Leonardo Academy of Madison, WI for clean diesel projects as part of the National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The grant is designed to help reduce emissions from diesel engines for use in projects in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indian, Ohio, Michigan, and Minnesota. These clean diesel projects include engine repowers, vehicle replacements and retrofits, and will incorporate alternative fuels such as Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Propane (LPG), to reduce fuel usage and maintenance costs. It is estimated that these projects will reduce emissions of approximately 1,800 tons of carbon dioxide, 250 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 5 tons of particulate matter. The National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program is part of the National Clean Diesel Campaign, a broad effort by the EPA to promote clean air strategies for industry, communities, and state and local governments to reduce diesel emissions.
More information can be found here.
Wisconsin’s Small Businesses Save More Than $12 Million in Energy Costs
The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) recognized Focus on Energy’s Small Business Program with a 2013 Inspiring Efficiency Innovation Award. More than 9,000 small businesses in Wisconsin saved 100 million kWh of electricity and over $12 million in energy costs with the program’s assistance. Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities’ statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource entity – helped owners of businesses that typically use less than 100 kW of electricity per month, such as restaurants, day care centers and agricultural producers, find ways to save energy.
Small businesses receive free energy assessments and installation of energy efficient products, such as new LED lamps, CFLs, pipe wrap and faucet aerators, at no cost. Businesses can upgrade to a gold or custom package to secure additional energy-efficient products at limited cost with up to $3,500 in incentives. By establishing a wide-reaching network of contactors who are incentivized to enroll customers, conduct assessments and install energy efficient products, the program not only increases efficiency of delivery, but also brings local economic development to communities throughout Wisconsin.
MEEA is committed to advancing sound energy efficiency programs, policies and priorities in the Midwest. MEEA’s membership represents a broad consortium of energy stakeholders from across a 13-state area:
www.mwalliance.org.
USDA Announces Regional Hubs to Help Agriculture, Forestry Mitigate Impacts of Changing Climate
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the creation of the first ever Regional Hubs for Risk Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change at seven locations around the country. These “Climate Hubs” will address increasing risks such as fires, invasive pests, floods, and droughts on a regional basis, aiming to translate science and research into information to farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners on ways to adapt and adjust their resource management. The Midwest hub is the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Agricultural Research Service, Ames, Iowa. The Midwest Sub-Hub is in Houghton, MI. For more information, see the
press release.
