Doyle Announces New State and Regional Efforts on Energy Independence, Global Warming

MADISON, LA CROSSE – Governor Jim Doyle on Thursday announced the next steps in Wisconsin’s effort to become the nation’s leader in energy independence and fight global warming.  The initiatives are part of the Governor plan to achieve the goal of “25 by 25” – getting 25 percent of our electricity and 25 percent of our transportation fuels from renewable sources by 2025.

 

“With our vast agricultural and forestry resources, our strong research institutions, and our strong manufacturing base, I want the Midwest to become the Saudi Arabia of renewable energy – with Wisconsin at the forefront,” Governor Doyle said.  “The fact is, if an oilfield in Iran has to compete against a farmfield in Wisconsin, that’s a very good thing for the environment, for our economy, and for the world.”

 

Last year, Governor Doyle launched Wisconsin’s “Declaration of Energy Independence,” setting three broad goals for the state:

·         To generate 25 percent of our electricity and 25 percent of our transportation fuel from renewable fuels by 2025.

·         To capture 10 percent of the market share for the production of renewable energy sources by 2030, helping America kick its addiction to foreign fossil fuels and bringing tens of thousands of new jobs to our citizens.  Achieving this goal would bring $13.5 billion annually to Wisconsin’s economy by 2030.

·         To become a national leader in groundbreaking research that will make alternative energies more affordable and available to all – and to turn those discoveries into new, high paying jobs right here in Wisconsin.

 

Office of Energy Independence

 

Governor Doyle today signed an Executive Order creating the new Office of Energy Independence to advance the Governor’s vision on energy policy and promote the state’s bioindustry.  The office will serve as a single-point of contact for citizens, businesses, local units of government and non-governmental organizations pursuing bio development, energy efficiency and energy independence.  The office will also identify federal funding opportunities and serve as the State Energy Office, working to maintain federal designation and funding.

 

One initial project for the office will be to work with the Public Service Commission (PSC) on a potential multi-utility effort to build a “clean coal” electric generation facility.

                                                                                  

Judy Ziewacz will serve as Executive Director of the office, which will be located in the Risser Justice Building. 

 

Currently the Deputy Secretary for the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, Judy Ziewacz has a long history of working to strengthen Wisconsin’s agricultural industry, and preparing it with the resources it needs to help Wisconsin become a national leader in energy independence. Judy served as the director of government affairs for the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives, where she played a key role in the overhaul of Chapter 96 the Agricultural Marketing Act, leading to the creation of WMMB, Wisconsin Corn Producers Board, Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board and other commodity programs. Judy was also the executive director of the National Rural Cooperative Development Task Force, where her determination and leadership resulted in 17 new cooperative development centers around the U.S., an investment of over $34 million, and hundreds of new cooperative initiatives – the first major reinvestment of new forms of cooperative development in over two decades.

 

Task Force on Global Warming

 

Governor Doyle signed an Executive Order creating a Task Force on Global Warming that will bring together a prominent and diverse group of key Wisconsin business, industry, government, energy and environment leaders to examine the effects of, and solutions to, global warming in Wisconsin.  Using current national and local research, the task force will discuss and analyze possible solutions to global warming challenges that pose a threat to Wisconsin’s economic and environmental health.  The task force will create a state plan of action to deliver to the Governor to reduce our state’s contribution to global warming. 

 

In conjunction with the new task force, the Governor directed the Department of Natural Resources, with the assistance of the PSC, to lead an effort to obtain a current estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions in Wisconsin.

 

The task force will be chaired by Roy Thilly of the Wisconsin Public Power and Tia Nelson of the Board of Public Land Commissioners.  Other members of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming include:

 

·         Daniel Ariens, Ariens

·         Forrest Ceel, IBEW

·         Jeff Crawford, Forest County Potawatomi

·         Kristine Euclid, MG&E

·         Jonathan Foley, UW-Madison

·         Jon Geenen, United Steel Workers

·         Charlie Higley, Citizen Utility Board

·         Steve Hiniker, 1000 Friends

·         Mary Jean Huston, The Nature Conservancy

·         Margi Kindig, Citizen

·         Gale Klappa, Wisconsin Energy Corporation

·         Gary Malkus, General Motors – Janesville

·         C. David Myers, Johnson Controls

·         Representative Phil Montgomery

·         Bill Oemichen, Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives

·         Senator Jeff Plale

·         Keith Reopelle, Clean Wisconsin

·         Tom Scharff, Stora Enso

·         Gary Schmuck, Trane Corporation

·         Henry Steuber, General Electric – Oil & Gas Division

·         Susan Stratton, Energy Center of Wisconsin                    

·         Barbara Swan, Wisconsin Power & Light

·         Michael Swenson, Xcel Energy – NSP Wisconsin

·         John Vrieze, Dairy Business Association

·         Larry Weyers, Integrys Energy Group

·         Lynn Wilson, Plum Creek Timber

                                   

Regional Summit of Midwest Governors

 

Governor Doyle announced that he has recently been elected to serve as Chair of the Midwestern Governors Association and will hold a summit of Midwest governors in Wisconsin this fall to focus on regional efforts to achieve energy independence and fight global warming.

In advance of this summit, Governor Doyle asked the PSC and Chairman Ebert to explore new technology that may allow us to capture carbon emissions before they go into the atmosphere, and to see how those technologies might be implemented across the Midwest.

 

Additionally, as chair, Governor Doyle will focus on reauthorization of the federal Farm Bill and promoting the economic vitality of the Midwest.  The Governor’s agenda builds upon the work conducted by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty as chair over the past year.

 

To prepare for regional collaboration, the Governor asked the PSC to explore potential opportunities to capture and sequester carbon across the Midwest.



Launch of Credit-Trading System Throughout the Midwest to Encourage Renewable Energy

 

To keep the cost of renewable energy down and to encourage more development across the Midwest, the PSC is launching a market driven regional effort with Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and the province of Manitoba to track and trade renewable energy credits.  The Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System will help support and stimulate a trading market to help these regional partners meet their renewable energy standards.