— Wisconsin advocates have played a key role in shaping federal cap-and-trade energy legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gases, according to Dan Ebert, former chairman of the state’s Public Service Commission. He left the commission in May of 2008 and joined Sun Prairie-based WPPI utility in February as vice president of policy and external affairs. Ebert made his comments during a brown bag lunch he appeared at Wednesday with Keith Reopelle, senior policy director for the Madison-based environmental group Clean Wisconsin. Ebert said Wisconsin — which generates 70 percent of its electricity from coal and has a large manufacturing base — would have suffered financially under a plan put forward by the Obama administration that would have auctioned carbon credits. But he said efforts by Wisconsin and other Midwestern states were successful in getting the House of Representatives to pass legislation in which nearly all the credits are given out – at least initially – as free “allowances.” The bill has now moved to the Senate, where Ebert predicted “significant debate.” Reopelle, however, said he believes some of the credits should be auctioned to pay for what he hopes would be a Midwest-based research and development center focused on energy efficiency technologies and conservation. See more: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.Iml?Article=171979 — The state consumer protection department is closing three regional offices in Eau Claire, Green Bay and Wauwatosa. The regional offices handle issues ranging from landlord-tenant disagreements to auto repair complaints. The offices will close by early December and be consolidated into the main office in Madison. See details: — Attorney General J. B. Van Hollen announced that a Dane County Circuit Court judge has imposed a forfeiture award of $4.5 million against Pharmacia, Inc. in the fraudulent pricing litigation brought by the Department of Justice. Judge Richard J. Niess imposed a $1,000 forfeiture on each of 4,578 misrepresentations he found Pharmacia to have made or caused to be made that defrauded the Wisconsin Medicaid program. See details: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.Iml?Article=171953 — Wired Wisconsin, a non-profit technology advocacy group, has partnered with three Wisconsin Goodwill agencies — Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, South Central Wisconsin and Northern Wisconsin — to promote education and the responsible recycling of e-waste. See details: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.Iml?Article=171959 TOP STORIES USDA Designates 31 Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas: The U.S. Department of Agriculture designated 31 counties in Wisconsin as primary natural disaster areas because of losses caused by drought that occurred since March 1. Union official: Midwest Airlines to cut 170 jobs: An official with a flight attendants’ group says Midwest Airlines will be laying off 120 pilots and flight attendants by Dec. 1, along with about 50 other employees. Trucks crowd airport, city as orders pile up: Oshkosh Corp.’s military trucks are piling up around Oshkosh as the company rushes to complete a number of large orders for the United States military. Lawmakers approve more aid for dairy farmers: Struggling dairy farmers are likely to get another financial boost as a result of an agreement between House and Senate negotiators to include $350 million in aid in the 2010 agriculture spending bill.
************************************************************ See commentary from around the state and columns from WisBusiness contributors Jennifer Sereno, Kevin McKinley, Tom Burzinski, Gregg Hoffmann, Tom Still and Steve Jagler: ************************************************************
TECHNOLOGY (back to top) – MATC to run $6.9M solar education farm
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MANUFACTURING (back to top) – Report says state manufacturing activity improved in September
LABOR (back to top) – Panel discusses future of green jobs in Milwaukee
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INVESTING (back to top) – Alliant prices debt offering
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AGRIBUSINESS (back to top) – DATCP to Close Three Regional Offices
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UTILITIES (back to top) – Regional utility might help fix Menasha mess
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