Here is an update of Sierra Club's Beyond Coal to Clean Energy work in Wisconsin. As we continue to see coal plant transitions and retirements around Wisconsin, it is crucial we continue to amp up the clean energy solutions that will create sustainable jobs and keep our air and water clean. We have seen some significant progress this year, but we have a long way to go to ensuring a clean energy future.
To get involved with our Beyond Coal to Clean Energy campaign, contact Elizabeth Ward at elizabeth.ward@sierraclub.org.
2024 02 15 AZ GOP LD4 Gen Meeting Minutes_FINAL_20240228.docx
2012 Update: Beyond Coal to Clean Energy
1. 2012 Update:
From Dairyland to Cashton and Valley to Waxdale
Elizabeth Ward
Conservation Programs Coordinator
Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter
2. Climate Change, Mercury, Soot, Smog, Ozone Pollution
Quick Refresher: Why is coal so bad?
Coal Ash
Mining: Strip mining and
mountaintop removal mining
3. 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?
4.
5. • Easiest, most cost-effective,
least invasive solution
• Being smarter about how we
use energy
• Changing light-bulbs,
insulating home, caulking
windows, efficient appliances
• 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.)
6. • 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
7. 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, & Gunderson Lutheran
• 103,757 mw (10.4 GW) •Proposed projects:
• Forest County, Ozaukee County
potential [AWEA]
9. 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
10. 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
15. 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?
16. Thermal Pollution Giant Fish Blenders
Climate Change Effects
Coal Dust from
Edgewater Coal Pile,
Sheboygan
Mercury Pollution
17. Simulation of a 10 turbine, 50 MW wind farm located 6 miles offshore ,
Courtesy Grand Valley State University
