This powerpoint talks about the state of Wisconsin and its clean energy opportunities

1. 2012 Update:
From Dairyland to Cashton and Valley to Waxdale
Elizabeth Ward
Conservation Programs Coordinator
Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter
(608) 256-0565
Wisconsin.sierraclub.org
Elizabeth.ward@sierraclub.org

2. Founded in 1892 by John Muir, Sierra Club
is the oldest, largest, and most influential
grassroots environmental organization in
the United States.
1.4 million members & supporters
Mission: To explore, enjoy, and protect the
wild places of the earth; to practice and
promote the responsible use of the earth's
ecosystems and resources; to educate and
enlist humanity to protect and restore the
quality of the natural and human
environment; and to use all lawful means to
carry out these objectives.
We use grassroots activism, public education,
lobbying and litigation to protect natural
resources.

3. Formed in 1963, we are the statewide branch of the Sierra Club in Wisconsin
We follow the footsteps of legendary Wisconsin conservationists: John Muir,
Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olson and Gaylord Nelson.
Executive Committee of 16 Volunteer Leaders that determines priorities and
positions
Three Paid Staff: Director Shahla Werner, Coordinator Jacinda Tessmann,
Program Coordinator Elizabeth Ward)
Priority Issue Teams: Water Sentinels, Beyond Coal to Clean Energy, Beyond
Oil (coming soon!)
15,000 members, and 3 special activity sections: River Touring Section, Inner
City Outings and Sierra Student Coalition
7 volunteer-led local groups around the state

4. 2013 Priority Issues adopted by the Executive Committee after state-wide
membership survey and analysis by Conservation Committee:
1.Beyond Coal to Clean Energy: Continue retiring/transitioning
Wisconsin’s dirty coal plants while ramping up clean, renewable energy in
Wisconsin
2.Beyond Oil: Opposing carbon-intensive forms of oil, such as tar sands,
while supporting reducing our dependence through transit and other
transportation options, bicycling, and walking
3.Water Protection: Protecting Wisconsin’s water resources through
Great Lakes protection, water conservation, and statewide water monitoring
and policies
4.Unique Habitat Protection: Protecting Wisconsin’s unique habitats
by protecting our statewide mining safeguards, fighting for state-wide frac-sand
mining regulations, and forest protection.

6. Mercury, Soot, Smog, Ozone Pollution
Why is coal so bad?
Coal Ash
Mining: Strip mining and
mountaintop removal mining

7. Why coal?
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Electric Sector (2009)
Petroleum Biomass/Other
2% 1%
Natural Gas
17%
Coal
81%
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration; March 2012 Monthly Energy Review, Table 12.6

8. *Climate Change Means:
More Intense, More Frequent, and
*Higher temperatures
Longer Lasting Heat Waves in the 21st
Century. Gerald A. Meehl and Claudia
Tebaldi. Science 13 August 2004.
• Longer droughts
“Drought Could Double By End of Century, Met
Office Hadley Centre research shows.” Eleanor
Burke. Journal of Hydrometeorology, forthcoming.
• Hotter oceans Penetration of Human-Induced Warming into the
World's Oceans. Tim Barnett, et al. Science 8
July 2005.
• Melting ice caps Threatened Loss of Greenland Ice-Sheet.
Jonathan Gregory, et al. Nature 8 April 2004.
• Rapid sea level rise
Paleoclimatic Evidence for Future Ice-
Sheet Instability and Rapid Sea-Level
Rise. Jonathan Overpeck, et al.
Science 24 March 2006.

9. “We have at most ten years—not ten years to decide upon action, but
ten years to alter fundamentally the trajectory of global
greenhouse emissions.
If instead we follow an energy-intensive path of squeezing liquid fuels
from tar sands, shale oil, and heavy oil, and do so without capturing
and sequestering CO2 emissions, climate disasters will become
unavoidable.”
- James Hansen, Director
NASA Goddard Institute for Space Science
The New York Review of Books, July 13, 2006

10. *But this challenge is
also an opportunity.
* Clean energy reduces carbon, makes our country safer
* A stronger clean energy economy
* Cleaner air and healthier communities
* Efficiency saves money

11. Dairyland Settlement:
•Retire Alma Coal Plant
•Scrub Genoa Coal Plant
•$2 million on solar
•$2.5 million solar on
schools and energy
efficiency
•$500,000 to restoring our
forests and parks
Valley Coal Plant:
•We Energies announced it would convert to natural gas
Alliant:
•Eliminate it would retire 47% of
Announced positions, not people
•Project
it’s fleet: completed by 2016
•Eliminate (Sheboygan)-1 smog,
•Edgewater or reduce soot,Unit heavy metals, mercury,
and thermal pollution
•Nelson Dewey (Cassville)- both
•Reduce greenhouse gas amounts by at least 40%
units
•Run Columbia
•Scrub75% less?

12. Discussion
“One of the number one reasons kids go to the emergency room in
the city of Chicago is asthma-related . . . We are paying a health
care cost in the city because of that plant.”
- Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel
“Coal is of the past.”
- Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
“Coal is a self-inflicted public health risk,
polluting the air we breathe, adding mercury
to our water, and the leading cause of
climate disruption.”
- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg

14. • Easiest, most cost-effective,
least invasive solution
• Being smarter about how we
use energy
• Changing light-bulbs,
insulating home, caulking
windows, efficient appliances
• In WI, a 2% reduction/year
could mean 14 million metric
tons of CO2 reduction by 2020
• Energy Efficiency could
replace 25-27% of energy
emissions by 2030 (Tackling
Climate Change in U.S.)

15. • Photovoltaic (PV)- converts sunlight to electricity
• Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)- sunlight boils water and turns turbines
• Wisconsin: 13 MW installed Solar
• Germany: 7.5 GW installed solar capacity

16. 2011-2012:
• Wind turns blades, which •4 cancelled problems from
spin a shaft connected to business uncertainty
a generator, and makes
•S.C. Johnson Waxdale Project
electricity. • 15% of electricity used at
Waxdale facility
• 2011: Wisconsin had 469
mw installed [IA- 5,000 •Cashton Community Wind Farm
• First community wind farm in WI
mw; IL-2,743 mw; MN- • Village of Cashton, Organic
2,518 mw] Valley, & Gundersen Lutheran
• 103,757 mw (10.4 GW) •Proposed projects:
• Forest County, Ozaukee County
potential [AWEA]

17. Transmission Lines
Population centers
surround the Great Lakes

18. How do we get Offshore Wind?
Turbine Installation
Shipping and staging at
Deep water ports
Manufacture and Shipping of Turbines-
*size requires this to occur near site
Foundation Installation

19. Current Offshore Wind Projects
Current U.S. Projects at Various Stages
• Europe has been using offshore wind
for 20 years
• First project installed in Denmark
in 1991
• Currently, 4,000 MW of capacity
• 5,200 MW more in various stages
• Goal of 150 GW by 2030
• Asia:
• 233 MW already installed
• China goal: 1 GW by 2014
• South Korea has world record
investment- $8.2 Billion
• Japan aims to take the lead in
the sector
• Companies leading the way
• Mitsubishi, Fuji, Toshiba,
Hyundai, Samsung

20. Potential Benefits: Economic Development

21. Potential Benefits: Jobs, Jobs, and more Jobs

22. Potential Benefits: Jobs, Jobs, and more Jobs

23. •Shipping Lanes
•Shipwrecks/ Diving hot-spots
•Geology
•Lake Depth
•Naval Training Areas
•Commercial Fishing areas
•Fish spawning/habitats

24. Haven’t we destroyed the lake enough?
What does this mean for the fish? figure
These are all things we need to try to
What about fish study, but it benefits us to
out and seriously spawning?
-Europe towards solving these concerns
work has actually seen some benefits so that
we can have Great Lakes Wind. We need to
What does this mean for birds and bats?
-Sierrainto helped fund a monitor that will help us figureof
put Club perspective what our other forms out
which bird/batto Lake Michigan….
energy do species are in the Lake
What could this lead to?

25. Thermal Pollution Giant Fish Blenders
Climate Change Effects
Coal Dust from
Edgewater Coal Pile,
Sheboygan
Mercury Pollution

26. Sighting (pun intended) Concerns:
Simulation of a 10 turbine, 50 MW wind farm located 6 miles offshore ,
Courtesy Grand Valley State University

28. Conclusions

29. Thank you!
Questions?
Elizabeth Ward
Conservation Programs Coordinator
Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter
(608) 256-0565
Elizabeth.ward@sierraclub.org

30. Global warming is the
greatest challenge facing our
generation.
Solving it is our greatest
opportunity.