Madison Gas and Electric has arranged to give Energy Hub members a tour of the West Campus Cogeneration Facility on Friday, March 19, 2010.  Tour starts at 3:00pm.

The Co-Gen facility is a state-of-the-art natural gas-fired generation station, completed in 2005.  Learn more about how the CoGen plant works online, or by visiting the plant and seeing for yourself on the March 19 tour.

Sign up for the tour online
by March 10, 2009 here

The tour will start at 3:00pm at the CoGen facility (corner of Linden and Walnut on West Campus).

Tour participants must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes for safety.  Participants must sign up in advance.  Limit 50 tour participants.

Contact: info@uwehub.org

Joseph M. Shuster
“Energy Foolishness to Energy Independence”

7:00pm, March 9, 2010
Morgridge Auditorium, Grainger Hall
UW-Madison School of Business
975 University Avenue, Madison WI 53706

*refreshments served at 6:45pm

Join Joe Shuster, the author of Beyond Fossil Fools, for a relevant and revealing talk on the most important issue of our time: energy.

Shuster, a Minnesota businessman, entrepreneur and chemical engineer, will lead you on an energy road trip to U.S. energy independence in one generation. He will outline how we must urgently map a new energy direction to avert the energy disasters that loom on the horizon. His clear and quantified presentation defines the problem, explores the possibilities and then shows the roadmap to a solu­tion, complete with costs and a timeline for implementation.

About Mr. Shuster:

Joe Shuster, a chemical engineer for more than 50 years, founded or co-founded eight companies, many addressing diverse energy-related issues. He co-founded Minnesota Valley Engineering (MVE), the world’s leading manufacturer of high-technology cryogenic equipment used in industry, agriculture, transportation, and medicine. MVE designed and manufactured equipment for hydrogen handling, enhanced oil recovery systems, and transportation fuel systems. Shuster also founded Teltech, a science and engineering consulting firm that produced hundreds of technical dossiers, including reports on photovoltaic manufacturing, fuel cells, natural gas purification, and other energy-related topics. He accurately predicted the oil embargo of 1973 in an energy alert paper he wrote for the U.S. Congress. He also testified before Congress in support of a national technology transfer program.

About “Beyond Fossil Fools”:

“Parts of this book will astound you, and anger you; the rest will give you hope, and if author Joe Shuster had his way, motivate you to action. Most of all, this book, in a conversational and straight-forward tone, will educate you about this country’s and the world’s energy problems. The most important issue of our time is energy, and this book in a clear quantified presentation defines the problem, and then shows the way to a solution, complete with costs and a timeline for implementation.”

“Beyond Fossil Fools is a rallying cry, a call to action, a declaration of energy independence.
The world must abandon fossil foolishness if we are to create and enjoy prosperity and a cleaner environment. Clean, renewable, efficient, eternal energy is available, completely affordable, and attainable within 30 years”

“Beyond Fossil Fools opened my eyes. It is a political, economic, and financial epiphany…. The United States must move to renewable and affordable energy in the next 30 years…. The message is clear and convincing. Every policy maker, corporate executive, and thoughtful citizen must read this book.”
—Tim Penny, former Democratic U.S. congressman, 1983-1995 and co-author of Common Cents & The 15 Biggest Lies in Politics

Look no further than clean energy. Some are calling it the biggest market opportunity in history. Experts of all stripes have repeatedly stated that the nation that wins the clean-energy race will be the nation that leads the 21st century economy. Discovering and implementing cheap, clean and reliable energy technologies is our generation’s final frontier.

But, as Cefali asked, how do we get there? President Obama has proposed doing so by increasing funding for energy education and training through a program called RE-ENERGYSE (short for REgaining our ENERGY Science and Engineering Edge). More than 100 organizations, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison, signed a letter last summer urging Congress to support the program, which would augment energy education in universities, training schools, community colleges and even K-12 teacher education. It’s easy to see why: UW-Madison professor and energy policy expert Greg Nemet said that he thinks “maybe the biggest opportunity is to take advantage of the fact that we have tens of thousands of students here who could potentially be working on [creating a clean energy economy].” However, Congress ignored last summer’s call to action by rejecting Obama’s $115 million budget request for RE-ENERGYSE.

Despite Congress’ lack of support for energy education and training, hope is not lost for Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Legislature is currently considering a bill dubbed the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA). CEJA rolls out a policy to ramp up renewables to provide 25 percent of Wisconsin’s electricity by 2025. This policy, known as a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), makes sense. The RPS ensures a stable, long-term market for renewable energy, thus creating market opportunities and driving investment in wind and other low-carbon technologies. Investment in turn makes clean energy cheaper and lowers utility bills. Perhaps more important, the state’s Economic and Policy Staff has estimated CEJA would create more than 15,000 jobs. In addition to more jobs, the bill provides an opportunity to develop smarter students and a stronger workforce.

Why add a provision to the bill to increase funding for energy education and training? Because the RPS alone will not create the low-carbon energy system Wisconsin needs. The Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming recommended that Wisconsin implement “substantial increases in federal and state research and development (R&D) for greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction technologies.” R&D is particularly crucial to figuring out ways to modernize the electricity grid, store wind and solar power and invent breakthrough technologies. CEJA could support R&D by giving UW-Madison—recently ranked among the top 10 universities for cleantech—and other Wisconsin institutions the funds to advance our energy system. To sustain the R&D of clean energy, CEJA must also invest in Wisconsin’s students. At a recent town hall, President Obama said: “We’re not going to be able to ramp up solar and wind to suddenly replace every other energy source … [W]e’ve got to look at how to make existing technologies and options better.” To meet our clean energy goals over the next century, Wisconsin will need a new, well-educated generation of researchers.

To meet the short-term objectives laid out by the CEJA, Wisconsin must also invest in its current workforce. Along the lines of the proposals laid out by the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming, we propose that CEJA directly fund the training of Wisconsinites to create knowledgeable workers who can construct Wisconsin’s clean energy economy over the coming years.

We realize that with Wisconsin currently short on cash, it may be fiscally difficult to add an additional program to CEJA. If adding our proposal to CEJA does indeed prove politically impossible, we recommend incorporating it in the next state budget. Now or in the near future, Wisconsin needs to increase energy education. Gaining a competitive edge in clean energy requires not only opening markets with policies like a RPS, but taking advantage of those markets by creating talented researchers and a skilled workforce.

As the saying goes, if you teach a man to fish, he will build a clean energy future. If we fail to invest in today’s students, we will miss a critical opportunity and give other countries a head start in the global clean energy race. This is our chance to lead the generation of a low-carbon economy.

Stephen Collins and Danny Spitzberg are pursuing master’s degrees in public affairs and environmental studies, respectively. Please send all responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.

(This article was originally published in the Daily Cardinal)

The fourth annual UW-Madison Residence Hall Energy Competition, organized by Big Red Go Green begins Monday.

According to Clay Thomas, Big Red Go Green media intern, the competition encourages residences of each dorm on campus to reduce their energy consumption, offering a prize for the winning dorm. Big Red Go Green is a campaign run by the Wisconsin Students Public Interests Research Group on campus.

Thomas said in the past that the prize has involved parties or socials for all members of the winning dorm, but the organizers are looking into new ideas for this year’s prize.

He added that students who promise to save energy individually by signing a pledge will become eligible to win prizes from area businesses such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Sconnie Nation and Underground Textbook Exchange.

Click here to continue reading at The Daily Cardinal

Dear students and researchers,

The application process for presenting at the Friday Energy Showcase of the MIT Energy Conference is still open and the deadline for submitting an abstract has been postponed to February 3rd.

The MIT Energy Conference, held on March 5th & 6th, is an event which strives to discuss and develop solutions to our most pressing energy challenges by bringing together leaders in energy technology, policy, industry, and finance.

Application Process

In order to ensure we present a diverse selection of research and technologies we ask you to submit a one-paragraph description of your poster and/or display to mit.energyconference.showcase@gmail.com. We will then select the final set of presenters based on the content we receive. Unlike traditional poster sessions, presenters are highly encouraged to utilize physical samples and interactive displays to showcase their research. The deadline for submissions is now February 3rd and selected presenters will be notified by February 8th. We encourage early submissions due to the limited space.

Event Details

The Friday Energy Showcase will exhibit the latest and most innovative energy research and business endeavors from MIT, the New England area, and beyond. The event is free, open to the public, and will feature live music, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. Last year, the Friday Energy Showcase was a great success. Over 1,300 attendees were given the opportunity to interact with more than 30 innovative energy companies and 60 cutting-edge academic energy research groups. This year we are moving to a larger venue at the Boston Sheraton Hotel and are planning to welcome even more presenters and attendees than last year. We believe that your participation in the Friday Energy Showcase would be a fantastic opportunity for you to share your work with other researchers in the energy sector, members of the MIT and broader energy communities, as well as the public at large.

Saturday Conference Ticketing Policy

Tickets for the Saturday Conference are now available online at www.mitenergyconference.com and usually sell out very quickly. Please note, however, that out-of-town students (i.e., not from Massachusetts) who are ultimately selected to present at the Friday Energy Showcase will be guaranteed the opportunity to purchase a ticket to the Saturday Conference.

For more information about the event please visit www.mitenergyconference.com

Should you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to contact us at mit.energyconference.showcase@gmail.com

We look forward to reading your application!

Yours Sincerely,
2010 MIT Energy Conference Organizing Team

An ice sculpture of a polar bear outside the conference center in Copenhagen Photo: REUTERS

What exactly happened at the U.N. climate talks last December? While countless commentators have weighed in on international politicking, only a few individuals have discussed the on-the-ground activities and activism.

Speaking before a crowd last Wednesday on UW-Madison campus, two Madison locals shared their first-hand account of their recent excursion to Copenhagen. Molly Stentz of WORT and Free Speech Radio News and John Peck of Family Farm Defenders and La Via Campesina narrated the story alongside dozens of photographs they took both inside and outside the 15th annual U.N. summit.

The presentation was intended to give the perspective of an well-informed visitor, and so Stentz and Peck highlighted many colorful, humorous, and grave incidents. Ice sculptures of (melting) polar bears and other public art decorated the whole city. Singers, speakers, and street theater performers entertained and educated crowds, while fair trade coffee roasters, Food Not Bombs, and other vendors fed the marching masses. And wherever corporate sponsors co-opted the “hope” motto for the conference, graffiti artists made creative edits.

In addition, Peck addressed some items of public concern. He related to the audience that the worst global polluter as recognized by conference attendees is our northern neighbor, Canada. He pointed out how large blocks of African states and island states banded together for voting power. And he said that the two-page Copenhagen Accord resulting from the summit is neither binding nor a draft text to provide the basis for future discussion.

Podcasts broadcasted live from Copenhagen on WORT are available at http://archive.wort-fm.org/

Rachel argues that nuclear power should not be singled-out with nuclear-specific legal hurdles to new power generation construction.  This discussion is an ongoing battle in Wisconsin energy and environment politics, and few expect the debate to be settled anytime soon.  Wisconsin currently has a moratorium which forbids the the construction of new nuclear power plants, unless two conditions are met:

• a federal repository to dispose of nuclear waste is available
• the cost to construct and operate a new nuclear plant is economically advantageous for ratepayers

The recommendations made by Gov. Jim Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming include the modification of the moratorium, which would effectively reduce the legal obstacles to new nuclear power in Wisconsin.  Other proposed legislation would repeal the moratorium entirely.  Earlier this month the Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free Wisconsin Coalition declared their opposition to an outright repeal of the existing moratorium.  The coalition is formed of a number of existing environmental and citizen’s advocacy groups that range from anti-nuclear advocacy to consumer advocacy.  Their press release, and a full listing of the groups behind the Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free Wisconsin Coalition is available here.

More on the recent resistance to repeal or modify the existing moratorium in the context of Task Force on Global Warming recommendations:

http://www.wrn.com/2009/12/nuclear-power-gets-attention-at-the-capitol/
http://www.wiscub.org/documents/CFNF%20Press%20Release
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/12/02/groups_rally_to_safe.phphttp://www.wisbusiness.com/index.Iml?Article=178688
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/12/02/anti-nuclear-statements-prompt-strong-legislative-response/

Charley Higley, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Citizen’s Utility Board, a part the Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free Wisconsin Coalition, supports a modification of the existing moratorium (which is also the recommendation of the Task Force) and explains what the modified nuclear rules should be:

“Realizing that many task force members supported the outright repeal of the nuclear moratorium, CUB supported a compromise: the moratorium’s requirement that ‘a federally licensed facility… will be available… for disposal of the waste’ would be replaced by a requirement that ‘the [Public Service Commission of Wisconsin] must find that the nuclear waste plan for the plant is economic, reasonable, stringent, and in the public interest, given the safety and other risks presented by such waste.

“In addition, the task force recommended that any new nuclear plant ‘must be built to meet Wisconsin electricity needs at a cost that is reasonable and advantageous to customers in comparison with available alternatives….’ and that this requirement would apply to nuclear plants proposed by utilities and non-utilities alike.  This recommendation retains the nuclear moratorium’s current requirement that a new nuclear power plant must be ‘economically advantageous to ratepayers’ before the Public Service Commission can authorize construction.

Energy Hub members are encouraged to participate in the discussion on nuclear power in Wisconsin, and on the broader opportunities and challenges that result from the recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming.  Join us for weekly discussions during the Spring 2010 semester, join our email list, or submit your own editorial to the Daily Cardinal (or your favorite news outlet) with your opinion!

Donna Cutler-Landsman, the gifted and talented resource coordinator for two Middleton-Cross Plains area elementary schools is in the process of planning Science Fairs for these schools to be held the evenings of March 11, 2010 and April 12, 2010. Donna is looking for university students to attend the science fairs either to do presentations, have exhibits, or both.

If you would like to do some outreach to elementary school students and/or exhibit at these science fairs  - the time commitment would be from approximately 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. both nights.

Please email Alicia Jackson, ajackson@engr.wisc.edu, if you are interested and available and she can connect you to Donna.