Gov. Doyle: Awards $1.7 million to six manufacturers to invest in energy efficiency

Contact: Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today awarded $1.7 million in competitive grants to improve energy efficiency at six of the state’s leading manufacturers. The state’s Focus on Energy industrial grant program will provide grants to complete energy efficiency projects at BPM Incorporated, Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, Mercury Marine, Procter & Gamble and Thilmany Papers.

“Wisconsin is working hard to help our manufacturers invest in energy efficiency technologies that reduce energy costs, improve their bottom line, and create and retain jobs,” Governor Doyle said. “Through these investments, we’ll help some of our biggest manufacturers invest in energy efficiency that will help them compete.”

These grants will help companies that are lacking access to capital in the current economic climate. Each grant will fund up to $500,000 or 50 percent of project costs for large energy efficiency projects that have been stalled due to lack of available internal capital. Projects must be completed by December 15, 2010 and were awarded to companies that scored the highest on several criteria, with an emphasis on energy cost-effectiveness.

Together, the grant recipients will save an estimated 12.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 1.1 million therms of natural gas annually – enough energy to power nearly 2,500 homes for a year and eliminate more than 35 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) from being released into the atmosphere.

Last week, Governor Doyle announced the release of an independent evaluation that shows Wisconsin’s clean energy programs through Focus on Energy have added more than 5,000 jobs and more than $1.4 billion to Wisconsin’s economy since the program began in 2001.

Governor Doyle has led major efforts to help Wisconsin manufacturers improve energy efficiency and invest in clean energy technologies. Wisconsin is the only state directing 100 percent of its state energy funds from the Recovery Act – more than $55 million – to help state manufacturers bring down their costs through energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. Through the state energy program, companies like Helios USA, Nature Tech, ZBB Energy Corporation, Renewegy and Cardinal Glass are already creating hundreds of jobs through these investments.

Governor Doyle has also laid out plans to continue building the state’s economy and create jobs, including establishing the Wisconsin Green to Gold Fund to help manufacturers reduce energy costs and create and retain jobs. The Governor has also called for passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act to create 16,000 jobs in the emerging clean energy economy and called for passing the CORE Jobs Act to build on successful economic development tax credit programs and strengthen programs for manufacturing, research and development, and worker training. Governor Doyle has worked hard to improve Wisconsin’s tax ranking and business climate. Today, Wisconsin ranks 30th in business taxes – well below the national average.

Grant recipients include:

* BPM Inc of Peshtigo: will receive $227,700 to increase energy efficiency at its operation by replacing a fan pump on a paper machine; installing a double doctor system designed to remove water from the couch roll and decrease drying requirements; adding an innovative technology for freeness control across its main refiner; and installing an energy-efficient rotor on the main mill pulper for the facility. Overall, the project will save more than 1.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and 39,000 therms of natural gas annually – enough energy to power 191 homes for a year and save the manufacturer more than $189,000 on its annual energy costs.

* Briggs & Stratton Corporation of Wauwatosa: will receive $203,800 to install an innovative power regenerating system that would recapture some of the lost power generated during engine and generator endurance testing. By recovering this “waste” energy, the project will save more than 1.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough energy to power 128 homes for a year and save the small engine and outdoor power equipment manufacturer more than $104,000 on its annual energy costs.

* Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products L.P. of Green Bay: will receive $125,000 to fund an aeration optimization project that will save more than 3.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough energy to power 352 homes for a year and save the company more than $210,000 in annual energy costs.

* Mercury Marine of Fond du Lac: will receive $270,000 to install three centralized air collection systems for its machining centers. These systems will allow clean, filtered air to be recycled inside the facility rather than treating the contaminated air and exhausting the treated air outside. The project will save more than 600,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 236,000 therms of natural gas each year – enough energy to power more than 300 homes for a year and save Mercury Marine more than $200,000 in annual energy costs.

* Procter & Gamble of Green Bay: will receive $441,204 to install medium voltage variable-frequency drives in two of its fans and modify a fan impeller in a third fan which together will increase fan efficiencies and reduce annual site power consumption by over 5.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This saves enough energy to power 571 homes for a year and save the manufacturer more than $327,000 on its annual energy costs. These measures will also slow down the fans and reduce noise in the fan room areas – contributing to a quieter workplace.

* Thilmany Papers of Kaukauna: will receive $500,000 to improve the thermal efficiency and water usage on its paper machines by upgrading several pieces of equipment, including replacing rotary siphons with stationary siphons on dryers; installing a high-efficiency separator; and adding a thermo-compressor to capture blow-through steam and flash steam from dryer cans. Overall, the project will save 740,000 therms of natural gas annually – enough to power 760 homes for a year. The project will also help the mill reduce water usage by up to 1,300 gallons per minute.

Focus on Energy builds on the Governor’s energy efficiency and clean energy efforts through energy-saving programs for homes and businesses. In January, Governor Doyle announced that Focus on Energy has helped Wisconsin residents and businesses save more than $268 million in annual energy costs. For more information on Focus on Energy, please visit http://www.focusonenergy.com.