A personal quest to promote the use of wind energy and hydrogen technology in the Great Lakes area of the United States. The Great Lakes area is in a unique position to become an energy exporting region through these and other renewable energy technologies.
"One thing that many people do not realize is that states like Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan are sitting on a gold mine of wind energy potential. Or, more properly, next to the mine. The Great Lakes are probably the area in the USA with the third largest inland wind energy potential. Think of just the nickname for Chicago. "The Windy City". Milwaukee is even windier, I can tell you. Why? Because they sit on the edge of a great flat area where there is both a land-water temperature differential, and a large flat expanse of water that is comparably shallow. Oilrigs certainly operate in deeper waters. And you won't have to construct transmission lines all the way from the plains of Montana to put it to use. The Great Lakes area has an opportunity to get the jump on wind energy's future, if that fact is recognized and exploited. Wind energy means jobs for construction and maintenance workers, thousands of them. Wind energy means leasing rights and extra money for family farmers struggling to make it on agriculture alone. In most cases farmers can grow crops right up to the base of a windmill. The land footprint has a small impact on total farm acreage. Wind energy also means freedom from fluctuating fuel prices. Wind is free. The cost of a barrel of polluting oil can be raised or lowered drastically based on fears or political whims. The potential gains are enormous. We've all seen the flow of good manufacturing jobs out of the area. Well, they can't tell the wind to blow in another country so it's more "convenient" or cheaper to produce. The wind is perfectly happy to whip up opportunities for us right around here. Most of all, because we here in the Great Lakes region have the potential to have a huge positive impact on U.S. energy industry emissions' contribution to global warming."
Archives
05/11/2003 - 05/17/2003
05/18/2003 - 05/24/2003
05/25/2003 - 05/31/2003
06/01/2003 - 06/07/2003
06/08/2003 - 06/14/2003
06/15/2003 - 06/21/2003
06/22/2003 - 06/28/2003
06/29/2003 - 07/05/2003
07/06/2003 - 07/12/2003
07/13/2003 - 07/19/2003
07/20/2003 - 07/26/2003
07/27/2003 - 08/02/2003
08/03/2003 - 08/09/2003
08/10/2003 - 08/16/2003
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08/24/2003 - 08/30/2003
08/31/2003 - 09/06/2003
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09/14/2003 - 09/20/2003
09/21/2003 - 09/27/2003
09/28/2003 - 10/04/2003
10/05/2003 - 10/11/2003
10/12/2003 - 10/18/2003
10/19/2003 - 10/25/2003
10/26/2003 - 11/01/2003
11/02/2003 - 11/08/2003
11/09/2003 - 11/15/2003
11/16/2003 - 11/22/2003
11/23/2003 - 11/29/2003
11/30/2003 - 12/06/2003
12/07/2003 - 12/13/2003
12/14/2003 - 12/20/2003
12/21/2003 - 12/27/2003
12/28/2003 - 01/03/2004
01/04/2004 - 01/10/2004
01/11/2004 - 01/17/2004
01/18/2004 - 01/24/2004
01/25/2004 - 01/31/2004
02/01/2004 - 02/07/2004
02/08/2004 - 02/14/2004
02/15/2004 - 02/21/2004
02/22/2004 - 02/28/2004
02/29/2004 - 03/06/2004
03/07/2004 - 03/13/2004
03/14/2004 - 03/20/2004
03/21/2004 - 03/27/2004
03/28/2004 - 04/03/2004
04/04/2004 - 04/10/2004
04/18/2004 - 04/24/2004
04/25/2004 - 05/01/2004
05/02/2004 - 05/08/2004
05/09/2004 - 05/15/2004
05/16/2004 - 05/22/2004
(!Not tax deductible!
The AWEA's annual expo:
Global WINDPOWER 2004
McCormick Place
Chicago, Illinois, USA
March 28-31, 2004
I was there...
---------------
Dan Stafford - Publisher
WE WELCOME ENERGY STORY SUBMISSIONS!
Please note the E-mail link by the title of the webpage. Comments, stories, and article submissions are welcome. Any accepted submission entitles the submitter to a link on the Journal page included at the bottom of their submitted entry when published to the journal. The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal makes no claim as to the accuracy of submitted material. The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal neither endorses nor opposes opinions expressed in submitted material. Submitter must provide name, city, and state or country. The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal imples no promise to publish all submissions. Adult content wil definitely NOT be published. Submitted material will be screened and appropriate entries published at the owner's discretion.
Safe, healthy, good for the economy, good for the environment, good for farmers, good for you, and just downright good produce:
State-by-state directory of farmers' markets
-----------
For additional information and resurces, please visit my Wind Energy links page at: Whizzyrds.com
T-shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, cards, and posters are available at: Wind Energy T's
Wind Energy poetry is located at: Wind Poems
(Both mp3 and text versions are available in some cases, we are working on doing mp3 for all of them.)
I strongly encourage those seriously interested in learning about the technology, players, politics, and issues of Wind Energy to spend time browsing the American Wind Energy Association website. They are the premier industry trade organization and have extensive resources available.
(www.awea.org)
Alpha Solar
Clean energy generation systems for off-grid living and environmental impact reduction.
The Great Lakes Information Network:
*PING*
The Distributed Resources & Green Power weBlog by Bruce Irving
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit your question at www.emagazine.com;
or e-mail Earth Talk at earthtalk@emagazine.com.
OTEC News weBlog: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion
The Green Ocean Project: Using solar energy to distill water for agriculture.
Other weBlogs by Daniel Stafford:
The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal
*Spell Book*
Affirmation Station
Remembering Mom
Save Hotel Baker
Uncle Harold's Farm
The Last Legend of Memphis
The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal
From Back Yard To Wind Farm...Win-Wind!
E-mail Your Comments & Stories!
After an extensive review of proffessed policy intentions, I will reverse myself and offer my personal endorsement of Democratic Candidate Dennis J. Kucinich for President of the United States.
His environmental policy alone is excellent, but this candidate is on every issue statement I have so far seen solidly for human rights, civil rights, workers' rights, sound environmental and energy policy that will result in a much cleaner and more sustainable economy, support of family sustainable agriculture over industrial agricultural operations, clean water, investment in critical infrastructure, and much, much more. This is a candidate that supports a liveable world for all, and a world at peace. I strongly urge you to review his platform statements at: http://www.kucinich.us
Alternatively, you can view the ten key points of his campaign at: Ten points acrobat
Try this: http://www.presidentmatch.com It will run you through a series of poll questions and then show how close each candidate is to your views.
Anyone interested in interviewing Dennis Kucinich please write to: interviews@kucinich.us
24/7 Dennis Kucinich Internet Radio - Progressive Mojo
MP3 clips of rhetorical history, musicians' songs on the state of politics in the USA, and more:
http://www.benfrank.net/nuke/Free_Peace_mp3s.html
In the Primary, you ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT.
In the General Election, you TAKE WHAT YOU CAN GET!
(Until this one because Dennis Kucinich is going to win!)
Progressive Newswire: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire.htm
"Prayer For America" Speech
(Real Audio)
Air America Radio - Listen Live!
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
New from the Environmental Law & Policy Center based in down town Chicago, IL:
Job Jolt Strikes Midwest
ELPC's newly released report, Job Jolt, shows that the Midwest stands to gain significant jobs and income by switching to renewable energy and increasing energy efficiency. The report shows a real boost for the Midwest: up to 210,000 new jobs and $20 billion in additional economic output across the 10-state Midwest region by the year 2020. Download the report. (.pdf file)
From ENN,
Wednesday, November 05, 2003
By Himangshu Watts, Reuters
MUPPANDAL, India — On the southern tip of India, the once-impoverished people of Muppandal village are thanking Varuna, the Hindu god of the wind, for blowing unexpected good fortune their way.
In the decade since the installation of the first giant power-producing windmill, towering above the palm trees with its whirring 80-foot blades, their lives have changed dramatically.
Incomes have risen and thousands of new jobs have been created as dozens of wind energy producers swarmed the village, the showcase of a $2 billion clean energy program in India, the world's fifth-largest producer of wind energy.
"In 10 years, my daily income has gone up to 450 rupees (US$10) from 45 rupees," said Koilpillai Gopal, a barber who has been able to convert his modest roadside kiosk into a glittering shop. "It is all because of the windmills."
In Muppandal, a hilly region where the wind races in from the Arabian Sea through gaps between the mountains, the price of land for a windmill has soared to 300,000 rupees ($6,620) from 40,000 in the early 1990s.
Electricity produced from wind is costlier than gas, thermal, or hydro-based units, but subsidies offered by the government through tax breaks, lower import duties on equipment, and cheap loans keep prices competitive.
With the subsidies, analysts say, the generation cost varies from...(Read on in: Clean energy brings windfall to Indian village)
Tuesday, November 04, 2003
WIND.ALERT FOR NOVEMBER 2003 FROM WINDPOWER MONTHLY
Here are your summaries of the top stories in the November 2003
issue of Windpower Monthly. For a descriptive list of this month's
full contents just go to http://www.windpower-monthly.com/current
-------------------------
A new dawn for India
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
--------------------------
The increasingly liberalised policies of a government anxious to
plug the gap between electricity supply and demand are once
again pushing open the doors to a market of vast potential in India.
Opportunities for inter-state energy trading are appearing on the
horizon and a new breed of hard-nosed wind project developer is
emerging. Nearly two decades after India was hailed as the "new
California" of wind power, the industry is once again looking on the
country as one of the major world markets. The reason: ... (Go to
http://www.windpower-monthly.com/current,#focus to read more
about this article)
-------------------------
Investment Grade
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
-------------------------
They say money makes the world go round. Such is the pace of
wind development, that it's going to take about $110 billion to
make the next decade’s windmills spin around. Happily, a new
source of debt capital for projects has opened up with the
successful sale into the bond market of wind power's first large
scale portfolio financing. But while the "Investment Grade" rating
given to the portfolio signals a new milestone for the wind sector,
applauding a grand new era of financeability would be
premature.... Read the entire opinion column at
http://www.windpower-monthly.com/currentleader
-------------------------
First bond financing reveals financial markets get serious about wind
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
-------------------------
Wind power station developers on both sides of the Atlantic have
broken new ground by dipping into the bond market to finance
their project portfolios instead of going to the banks. "We are
delighted with the receptivity shown by the market to this new,
unique financing opportunity," says the chief financial officer
behind the American deal. He adds that the transaction is
verification that wind generation is now viewed as more than a
niche business by the financial markets and the credit rating
agencies, making major project financing possible. Find out who
financed what and the volume of wind capacity involved in our
full report from the US and Britain in the November issue of
Windpower Monthly.
-------------------------
Proposals for fixes to British market uncertainty blocking project finance
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
-------------------------
Uncertainty over the market value of wind power in Britain
beyond 2010 is now a serious barrier to raising finance for
project development, warns the country's wind energy
association. It is proposing a series of amendments to the
current market structure which should enable the signing of
long term contracts for green electricity and Renewables
Obligation Certificates. The proposals appear to be falling on
fertile ground in government corridors. Read about the
government's initial response in the November issue of
Windpower Monthly -- and about Britain's firm determination
to see 8000 MW of wind plant up and running by 2010.
-------------------------
Wind power 75 GW target will provide half of new European generation this decade
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
-------------------------
With the industry's targets for installation of wind plant in
Europe being exceeded yet again, the European Wind Energy
Association (EWEA) has fleshed out new goals for installed
wind power capacity. By 2010, the association expects 75 GW
of wind plant to be supplying the electricity needs of 86 million
Europeans and meeting one-third of the EU's Kyoto commitment
to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the current issue of
Windpower Monthly we report on the thousands of megawatt
EWEA expects each country to achieve within the next seven
years. Meeting the targets will mean that wind accounts for
50% of all new generating capacity built between now and 2010.
-------------------------
Japanese giant has global ambitions to become major market player
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
-------------------------
One of the giants of Japanese industry is no longer content with
its wind division's role as a relatively minor player on the global
market. It is now aggressively gearing up to take what it sees as
its rightful place among the wind industry's heavyweights. The
company is so confident of increasing its market share both at
home and abroad that it expects to double its global wind turbine
sales. The growth will be in specific targeted markets. Read which
markets this giant is focused on in our company profile in this
month's Windpower Monthly.
-------------------------
Canada province of great potential eases wind door open with sizeable project
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
-------------------------
A Vancouver Island wind power project of 58.5 MW is one of
16 winning bids out of 30 responses to a call for tenders that
will add 1800 GWh of green energy a year to British Columbia's
electricity mix and generate about C$800 million in private sector
investment. The Holberg project will be the province's first wind
power development. The contract for turbine supply looks to be
earmarked for one of the wind industry's top publicly traded
companies. For news of the runners and riders and possible
problems ahead get the current issue of Windpower Monthly.
-------------------------
Good wind power earnings in Massachusetts tempt townspeople further
Windpower Monthly, Vol 19, No. 11 2003
-------------------------
A single wind turbine is running so well in the town of Hull in
Massachusetts that citizens are looking warmly on a proposal
to add a second machine. The fact that the town is making an
unexpected profit on sales of green power has much to do
with the local enthusiasm. As we report in Windpower Monthly's
November issue, what started as an initial risk for the town has
become a money-spinning venture and an unlikely tourist
attraction.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
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==========================================
Energy plan a national priority, poll says
http://www.washtimes.com/upi-breaking/20031031-104918-2226r.htm
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Nearly nine in 10 Americans want Congress to pass a comprehensive national energy plan according to a survey released this week.
According to the Alliance for Energy and Economic Growth, which commissioned the poll, the survey registered "the highest level of support yet recorded for energy legislation that would increase the supply and delivery of affordable and reliable domestic energy."
Passage of a comprehensive energy package is a primary goal of the Republican congressional leadership. The most likely vehicle is hung up in a joint-House/Senate conference committee where, sources in the U.S. Capitol say, conferees are trying to iron out differences on tax-related matters. The delay has provoked criticism from the bill's supporters.
"The energy bill is past due. Congress needs to finish the job and pass an energy bill to help ensure a healthy economic recovery for America," the Alliance's Bruce Josten said. "This survey demonstrates that they have a mandate from their constituents back home to do so."
The Alliance for Economic Growth is a coalition of more than 1,350 energy producers and consumers. The poll of 1,000 adult Americans, conducted from Oct.3-7 by Wirthlin Worldwide, has a margin or error of 3.1 percent and a 95 percent confidence level.
Great Lakes Daily News: 04 November 2003
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Windsor to fight rail plan
----------------------------------------
The Windsor City Council has voted unanimously to block development of
system to provide electronic inspection of rail cars prior to crossing the
U.S. border, saying it would cause traffic tie-ups and present a health
hazard to residents. Source: The Windsor Star (11/4)
Newest cutter stops for overnight visit
----------------------------------------
The Coast Guard Cutter Hollyhock, the newest of a series of vessels being
built to upgrade the the Coast Guard's buoy tender fleet, is paying a vist
to Grand Haven, Mich., today. Source: The Muskegon Chronicle (11/4)
New law offers help for water conflicts
----------------------------------------
A new Michigan law will allow owners of smaller wells to file a complaint
against larger well users who they feel are diminishing the water table.
Source: The Toledo Blade (11/4)
Panel thwarts waterfront plan
----------------------------------------
A proposal to help fund the redevelopment of Green Bay's waterfront will
require approval by two-thirds of the Brown County Board of Commissioners
following a decision by the board's executive committee. Source: Green Bay
Press-Gazette (11/4)
Presidential yacht may come home
----------------------------------------
Built in Bay City, Mich., the Honey Fitz, which served presidents from
Eisenhower to Nixon, may return home to become the centerpiece of a
martime-themed museum envisioned as part of a waterfront redevelopment
project. Source: The Bay City Times (11/3)
Ferry boosts Lakeside's value
----------------------------------------
City officials and business interests agree that the dock for the Lake
Express LLC's new high-speed ferry will bring a boom to a sleepy
neighborhood commercial district on the south shore of Muskegon Lake.
Source: The Muskegon Chronicle (11/2)
Invited guests are now foreign invaders
----------------------------------------
Unlike other invasive species such as the zebra mussel, the round goby and
the ruffe, which sneaked into the United States in the bilge tanks of
ocean-going freighters, bighead carp and silver carp actually were invited
to cross our borders. Source: The Syracuse Post-Standard (11/2)
Michigan land-use report draws comments
----------------------------------------
Interest groups all over Michigan are battling to gain support for proposals
made by a state commission regarding land use -- and to sink some of those
proposals they don't like. Source: Jackson Citizen-Patriot (10/30)
EDITORIAL: Taking back the lakefront
----------------------------------------
Northwest Indiana should follow Chicago's lead -- belatedly -- in staking
out space along the Lake Michigan shoreline for public use. Source: The
Munster Times (10/29)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
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Monday, November 03, 2003
Great Lakes Daily News: 03 November 2003
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Utilities struggle to sell 'green' power
----------------------------------------
Although public power companies across the country have begun "green power"
programs, many of these utilities are having a tough time getting people
interested. Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (11/3)
Unions sue over factory air quality
----------------------------------------
The United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers of America have filed a
lawsuit against the U.S. Labor Department in a push for clean air standards
inside factories. Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (11/3)
Watchdog group goes to court over sewage overflows
----------------------------------------
An environmental watchdog group says the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage
District has dumped one billion gallons of raw waste into Lake Michigan over
the past eight years, and now it's taking the case to the U.S. Court of
Appeals in Chicago. Source: Great Lakes Radio Consortium (11/3)
EDITORIAL: The border, urgency and the economy
----------------------------------------
The link between the economic health of Windsor and the need to quickly find
a workable, short-term solution to truck congestion at the border just isn't
getting the level of attention it deserves. Source: The Windsor Star (11/3)
Falconbridge gets green light on nickel mine
----------------------------------------
Falconbridge Ltd. has won government approvals to proceed with its Montcalm
nickel mine in northern Ontario, despite environmental groups' efforts to
block the project. Source: The Toronto Globe and Mail (11/3)
Algae problem has many roots
----------------------------------------
While decaying algae along the Lake Michigan shoreline is not an uncommon
sight, this year appears to be worse - and although there's a lot of
speculation as to why, no one has any proof. Source: Manitowoc Herald Times
Reporter (11/2)
Two original Erie Canal locks rediscovered
----------------------------------------
Researchers have found two of the original locks and other remnants from
when the man-made Erie Canal expanded. Source: The Washington Times (11/2)
$6 billion sought to clean up Great Lakes
----------------------------------------
Congress will decide if the federal government should spend $6 billion over
10 years cleaning up the worst Great Lakes contamination. Source: South Bend
Tribune (11/2)
Those fighting Asian carp now want us to eat them
----------------------------------------
Ecology officials and fishermen have a new name for the Asian carp that they
hope will help them battle the voracious fish: Dinner. Source: Newsday
(11/2)
Water woes
----------------------------------------
Rough weather and elusive fish nearly scuttled the charter boat industry in
southern Lake Michigan this year, with revenues down as much as 20 percent
for some operations. Source: The Munster Times (11/2)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
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Great Lakes Daily News is a collaborative project of the Great Lakes
Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
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From: AP@ap.com (Alternate Power)
Subject: Ford SUV Hybrid
http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/22732/story.htm (REUTERS) USA: November 3, 2003:
DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) will start production of hybrid gasoline-electric versions of its Escape sport utility vehicle in July 2004, with a target of selling 10,000 to 20,000 a year, company executives said.
Ford has yet to set prices for the hybrid Escape, which may achieve fuel economy of up to 40 miles per gallon in city driving. Program managers at a media briefing and test drive said the hybrid Escape would be profitable, but that the full cost of developing the hybrid system would not be shouldered by Escape buyers.
The hybrid Escape uses an electric motor and battery pack as an additional power source for its four-cylinder engine. The batteries charge when the Escape cruises or brakes, and the electric motor eases the load on the engine under acceleration. Environmentalists have demanded more hybrid vehicles from Detroit's Big Three, but automakers have been slow to embrace the technology due to cost and technical hurdles.
So far, Toyota Motor Corp. (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. (7267.T: Quote, Profile, Research) are the only automakers offering hybrids in the United States. Toyota has been more enthusiastic about hybrid vehicles, rolling out an updated version of its Toyota Prius sedan that gets 60 miles per gallon in city driving, and promising a hybrid version of its Lexus RX 330 SUV next year.
The hybrid Escape will be built on the same assembly line in Claycomo, Missouri, that builds regular Escapes. A front-wheel-drive hybrid Escape should achieve 35 to 40 miles per gallon in city driving and 29 to 31 mpg in highway driving, compared with 19 mpg and 25 mpg ratings for a V-6 powered Escape.
Phil Martens, Ford's group vice president of product creation, said it was necessary for Ford to develop its own hybrid system because it needed hybrid expertise to build even more advanced vehicles in the future, such as hydrogen-powered fuel cell cars. While the company considered buying a hybrid system from Toyota, "we didn't want to avoid the process of learning about this technology," Martens said. "To us, its a building block to the future." Martens said the Escape's hybrid system was designed to be easily adapted to other models. Ford has said it will sell a hybrid version of its upcoming Futura sedan, but Martens declined to say what other hybrid models Ford might offer.
General Motors Corp. (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler arm (DCX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) (DCXGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) both plan to launch hybrid pickups next year.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
========================================
Great Lakes Daily News: 28 October 2003
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
States challenge EPA's easing of clean-air rules
----------------------------------------
Lawsuits filed Monday by 13 states - including four in the Great Lakes
region - seek to block changes to the Clean Air Act, contending that new
rules from the Bush administration would weaken protections for the
environment and public health. Source: Environmental News Network (10/28)
$30,000 Paid for Erie Canal rights
----------------------------------------
A single-bid deal in which a developer won the right to build up to 40
upscale communties along New York state's historic Erie Canal has triggered
calls for an investigation. Source: Dayton Daily News (10/28)
Leaders mourn downtown's loss
----------------------------------------
The choice of a suburban location instead of downtown Muskegon, Mich. for a
new cross-lake ferry dock has many disappointed at the loss of a historic
opportunity to bring thousands of tourists into the city. Source: The
Muskegon Chronicle (10/28)
Rouge deal tempts others
----------------------------------------
The chairman of U.S. Steel has said his company is still interested in
acquiring bankrupt Rouge Industries, despite the latter's annoucement it
would be sold to a Russian company. Source: Detroit Free Press (10/28)
Utah governor confirmed as EPA chief
----------------------------------------
Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt easily won Senate confirmation Tuesday to become head
of the Environmental Protection Agency after Senate Democrats dropped their
opposition in the face of an overwhelming Republican show of force. Source:
The Detroit News (10/28)
Fertilizer on lawns still problem for watershed
----------------------------------------
A survey of people in the Holland, Mich. area shows that nearly everyone
says they want clean water, but many still load up their lawns with
fertilizer -- considered a major source of phosphorous that washes into Lake
Macatawa. Source: The Holland Sentinel (10/28)
COMMENTARY: Area beaches among the state's cleanest
----------------------------------------
Despite last summer's reports that E. coli bacteria was found at Lake
Superior beaches in the Ashland, Wis. area, these beaches are actually among
the state's cleanest, according to a University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
microbiologist. Source: The Ashland Daily Press (10/27)
Turbines approved in Oceana County
----------------------------------------
A 20-turbine wind farm that was spurned last month by one western Michigan
community has been accepted by another township 20 miles to the north.
Source: The Muskegon Chronicle (10/25)
Eroding shoreline gives homeowners headaches
----------------------------------------
Persons owning or thinking of buying property along Lake Superior,
particularly in areas with high bluffs, need to be aware of the threat posed
by erosion. Source: The Ashland Daily Press (10/24)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
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archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
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Great Lakes Daily News: 27 October 2003
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium.
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Did you miss a day of Daily News? Remember to use our searchable story
archive at http://www.great-lakes.net/news/inthenews.html
Reviving inner cities and slowing sprawl
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Many large and midsize cities in the Great Lakes region are fighting an
uphill battle when it comes to revitalizing the city center and preventing
unfettered development in the surrounding suburbs. Source: Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (10/27)
Improvements fuel waste-incineration debate
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A burning issue in the Toronto mayoral race -- whether a new
waste-incineration plant should be built in the city -- is taking place
within the context of a technological revolution that dramatically reduces
toxic emissions. Source: The Toronto Globe and Mail (10/27)
Truck ferry could make millions
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A proposed truck ferry between Erie, Pa., and Nanticoke, Ontario, could take
thousands of trucks off congested Canadian highways and bring hundreds of
jobs to Erie. Source: Erie Times-News (10/27)
Law fails to ease beach battle
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Like the hardiest of weeds, the debate over removing aquatic vegetation
along Great Lakes shorelines just keeps coming back. Source: Traverse City
Record Eagle (10/27)
Flame retardants may be phased out
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The Environmental Protection Agency is negotiating with an Indiana chemical
manufacturer to phase out two types of PBDEs, a class of toxic chemicals
used as flame retardants. Source: USA Today (10/26)
North Bass Island -- changes loom for tiny, isolated community
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The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is preparing to purchase more than
95 percent of North Bass Island for future development as a state park.
Source: Port Clinton News Herald (10/25)
While U.S. let its industrial plants disappear, Canadians protected theirs
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According to Canadian historian and author Steven High, while laissez faire
U.S. policy let plants disappear, Canada made preservation of its Great
Lakes industrial base a national priority. Source: The Buffalo News (10/25)
Contaminants continue to haunt lakes, scientists say
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Once they enter a lake as large and dynamic as Lake Michigan, contaminants
like phosphorus and PCBs begin playing an elaborate game of hide and seek,
with long-lasting and far-reaching effects. Source: Jackson Citizen-Patriot
(10/23)
Mercury debate draws GOP fire
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A push for tougher mercury emission standards in Wisconsin drew protests
last week from Republican lawmakers, who accused state natural resources
officials of cutting them out of the rule-making debate. Source: Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel (10/23)
Keeping the water safe
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Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Water
Security are using several tools to find out how communities can protect
their water against bioterrorism. Source: MSNBC (10/20)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
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Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
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Great Lakes Daily News: 29 October 2003
A collaborative project of the Great Lakes Information Network and the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
Lake Erie botulism study to be presented
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On Nov. 7, researchers from the State University of New York will present
findings from a two-year study on botulism in Lake Erie. Source: Erie
Times-News (10/29)
COMMENTARY: A porous coastal defence
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Colin Kenny, a senator who chairs Canada's Standing Senate Committee on
National Security and Defence, claims the Canadian Navy is not adequately
defending coasts and have little or no jurisdiction over interior waters,
such as the Great Lakes. Source: The Toronto Star (10/29)
Opening up the lakeshore
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U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky's Marquette Greenway Plan includes recapturing 75
percent of the Lake Michigan shoreline in northwest Indiana for public use.
Source: The Munster Times (10/29)
Ohio's air is rated worst for coal-fired plant emissions
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Ohio is the worst state for air pollution generated by coal-fired power
plants, according to a report issued yesterday by one of several groups
suing the Bush administration for tougher emission controls. Source: The
Toledo Blade (10/29)
Tribes buy Crandon mine site
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The Forest County Potawatomi and the Mole Lake Band of the Sokaogon Chippewa
paid $16.5 million for the site of a proposed zinc and copper mine, ending a
battle between mine proponents and foes that crossed four decades. Source:
Green Bay Press-Gazette (10/29)
COMMENTARY: Lakefront preservation ought to be passion of all Chicagoans
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City officials passed the Lakefront Protection Ordinance 30 years ago to
safeguard Chicago's 30 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. But Is Chicago
making good in fulfilling its visionary principles? Source: Chicago
Sun-Times (10/29)
Company seeks to send waste into Lake Erie
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The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will meet Friday to hear comments
from the public about a Painesville Township plastic processing company that
wants to discharge industrial wastewater into Lake Erie. Source: The
Cleveland Plain Dealer (10/28)
EDITORIAL: McGuinty must stick to coal-conversion plan
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The Ontario Liberal government's resolve to convert the province's three
coal-fired electricity generation plants - in particular Nanticoke - to
natural gas operation by 2007 is applauded. Source: The St. Catharines
Standard (10/28)
Biologists unify coaster brook trout effort
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Coaster brook trout are beginning to increase in the Nipigon Bay and Nipigon
River area of Ontario, but the road to restoration will be long in other
areas of Lake Superior. Source: Duluth News Tribune (10/26)
For links to these stories and more, visit http://www.great-lakes.net/news/
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Information Network (www.glin.net) and the Great Lakes Radio
Consortium (www.glrc.org), both based in Ann Arbor, Mich.
TO SUBSCRIBE and receive this Great Lakes news compendium daily, see
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November 2003 Small Wind Newsletter
Issue No. 6, October 29, 2003
Editor: Larry Sherwood, Interstate Renewable Energy Council
The current Small Wind Newsletter is also available on the web. Click Here If you have trouble with links in this e-mail message, try the web version of the newsletter.
Article summaries follow the Table of Contents
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NEWS
(1) New Jersey Funds for Renewable Energy
(2) Montana's First Cooperative Wind Turbines Dedicated
(3) North Carolina Small Wind R&D Initiative
(4) Vermont Bank Announces New Renewable Energy Home Equity Loan
(5) Wisconsin Rebate Helps Fund 6-kW Turbine
(6) Ohio Distributed Energy Grants Include Small Wind Projects
(7) Idaho Energy Division and Tribe Launch Wind Power Evaluation Project
(8) Rural Coops and USDA Agree to Encourage Alternative Energy Sources
(9) Upcoming Small Wind Events
INTERCONNECTION AND NET METERING
(10) Small Generator Coalition Files Comments With FERC On Interconnection NOPR
(11) FERC Issues Order on Green Tags Ownership
LINKS TO SMALL WIND IN THE NEWS
(12) Inter-County Leader (WI)
(13) Idaho Statesman
(14) Montana Kaimin
(15) KXMC-TV (North Dakota)
(16) Albany Times Union
INCENTIVES
RESOURCES
ABOUT THE SMALL WIND NEWSLETTER
Includes information on how to subscribe and unsubscribe.
NEWS
(1) New Jersey Funds for Renewable Energy
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recently announced the Renewable Energy Advanced Power Program, a competitive incentive and financing program to encourage development of distributive renewable electricity generation projects in New Jersey. The Board allocated up to $50,000,000 as a combination of incentive and guaranteed financing for this solicitation. Full article.
(2) Montana's First Cooperative Wind Turbines Dedicated
Montana's first cooperatively-owned wind turbine installation was dedicated recently. Fourth generation farmer Jess Alger installed a 10 kW turbine on his 1200 acre cattle ranch and wheat farm in Stanford. The turbine is predicted to produce 18,000 kWh of energy each year, enough to offset all of the electricity used on the Alger Ranch. Any surplus electricity generated will feed into the power grid for use by other utility customers. Full article.
(3) North Carolina Small Wind R&D Initiative
Appalachian State University and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are teaming up to establish a Small Wind R&D Initiative in western North Carolina. A site for the research and demonstration center has been identified and two turbines have been purchased. This year, the Small Wind Initiative hopes to install six small wind turbines representing the various companies and technologies in the US marketplace. The Initiative is developing an overall plan and raising funds. Full article.
(4) Vermont Bank Announces New Renewable Energy Home Equity Loan
Chittenden Bank (Vermont's largest bank) recently announced a reduced interest rate home equity loan when used for renewable energy projects (including solar hot water, PV, wind, and others). Chittenden's current rate for home equity loans is 5.76% on a five-year loan. If a homeowner receives a renewable energy home equity loan the rate would be only 4.75%. The minimum loan amount is $5,000.
(5) Wisconsin Rebate Helps Fund 6-kW Turbine
A new Proven 6-kW grid-connected wind turbine supplies electricity to Jerry and Deb Brucaya's home in rural Dane County, Wisconsin. The turbine, installed by Seventh Generation Energy Systems (SGES), is expected to provide all their energy requirements – approximately 1,000 kWh per month. Excess electricity will be sold to Alliant Energy at the full retail rate in accordance with Wisconsin's net metering law. Full article.
(6) Ohio Distributed Energy Grants Include Small Wind Projects
State Development Director Bruce Johnson announced that the Ohio Department of Development’s (ODOD) Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) has awarded $924,019 for 26 statewide innovative distributed energy projects. Included are nine small wind projects. Full article.
(7) Idaho Energy Division and Tribe Launch Wind Power Evaluation Project
The Idaho Energy Division and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe launched a resource measurement project to learn whether wind power can provide a new source of economic development. Full article.
(8) Rural Coops and USDA Agree to Encourage Alternative Energy Sources and Greenhouse Gas Reductions
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to identify and advance cost-effective, voluntary opportunities for rural electric cooperatives to partner with farmers and ranchers to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Full article.
(9) Upcoming Small Wind Events
Listing of upcoming small wind events.
INTERCONNECTION
Headlines from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council’s Connecting to the Grid web site.
(10) Small Generator Coalition Files Comments With FERC On Interconnection NOPR
On October 3, 2003, the reconstituted small generator coalition (SGC) filed comments with the FERC on their Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) on Standardized Small Generator interconnections. Full article.
(11) FERC Issues Order on Green Tags Ownership
On October 1, 2003, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued an Order regarding the status of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), also known as Green “Tags,” in relation to generation contracts entered into under the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). Full article.
LINKS TO SMALL WIND IN THE NEWS
(12) Inter-County Leader (WI), October 22, 2003, Commission tables wind energy application. Full article.
(13) Idaho Statesman, October 26, 2003, Energy experts to look at N. Idaho for wind power. Full article.
(14) Montana Kaimin, October 24, 2003, COT's wind turbine blows through campus. Full article.
(15) KXMC-TV (North Dakota), October 25, 2003, Wind turbine planned. Full article.
(16) Albany Times Union, October 25, 2003, RPI graduate got energy idea spinning. Full article.
INCENTIVES
New Incentives reported by DSIRE. The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy. To access state-by-state incentives and policies that promote wind energy technologies, click here and select "wind" from the drop-down menu.
RESOURCES
Click here for archived articles and links to Small Wind Resources.
ABOUT THE SMALL WIND NEWSLETTER
The Small Wind Newsletter is published electronically every month by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The Small Wind Web Site contains news, resources, and links.
To subscribe, go to http://www.irecusa.org/smallwindenergy/newslettersub.html, fill in the subscription form, and then click on subscribe. There is no fee for subscriptions. If you wish to unsubscribe, fill in your e-mail address and click on unsubscribe.
If you have comments or news items, please send them to Larry Sherwood.
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