Speaker at Milwaukee Energy Forum Says Power Demand Requires Mix of Sources
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel --Jun. 2
Energy efficiency, nuclear and renewable power sources should be an important part of the mix if Wisconsin wants to get serious about meeting growing demand for electricity, speakers at an energy forum in Milwaukee said Tuesday.
Other speakers -- including the chief executives of two utilities --
emphasized the need for more power plants and power lines to foster economic
growth.
Jose Delgado, president and chief executive of American Transmission Co.,
said it's clear that the state needs better links with surrounding states to
ensure power remains available when a major line fails.
"The most expensive transmission line is the one you don't have when you
need it, because that's the one that creates economic havoc," he said.
The forum was convened by the state Public Service Commission to receive
feedback on its seven-year energy outlook as it balances utilities' requests for
more infrastructure against environmental concerns and customers' concerns about
rising rates. About 70 people attended the forum at Milwaukee Area Technical
College.
The state's energy assessment, dubbed Energy 2010, concludes that
construction of $3.7 billion in power plants to quench the state's thirst for
electricity will add $70 a year to electricity bills by 2010 on top of the $88 a
year that state ratepayers already have swallowed, on average, in the past five
years.
The report, relying on data submitted by utilities, said Wisconsin
electricity demand hit an all-time high last year and is growing at 2.5 percent
a year -- enough to require a major new power plant every other year.
Paul Schueller, president of Franklin Energy Services in Port Washington,
called for increased energy efficiency to limit pollution from fossil-fuel power
plants and for economic development.
Energy efficiency has the added benefit of helping the "stoppage of the
flow of dollars out of Wisconsin that we send out every day for (bringing in)
coal and natural gas (to fuel the state's power plants)," he said.
Gale Klappa, chairman and chief executive of Wisconsin Energy Corp., said the
state needs to have a balanced approach in planning for future demand. That
should include a mix of fuel sources as well as energy efficiency, he said.
Earlier Tuesday in Madison, Gov. Jim Doyle reiterated his call for utilities
to have 10 percent of their energy supply come from renewable sources by 2015.
He also threw his support behind a proposal to have all state government
buildings buy 10 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2006, and 20
percent by 2010.
Speaking at an energy conference in Madison, Doyle said he was awaiting the
recommendations of his energy efficiency and renewable task force, which has a
group working to decide what renewable power target utilities should be required
to meet. The task force recommendations are expected this summer.
Wisconsin currently requires utilities to obtain 2.2 percent of their supply
mix from renewable sources by 2011. But most utilities are well on their way to
achieving that target and Wisconsin Energy Corp. of Milwaukee has set its own
target -- to have 5 percent of its supply come from renewable power by 2011.
Klappa said a 10 percent mandate would be too onerous and would be costly for
customers.
"My fear is that would put so much upward pressure on rates that we'd be
losing our balance," he said.
Michael Vickerman, a member of the task force and the executive director of
RENEW Wisconsin, said in an interview that he expects the task force to push the
utilities to do more -- but it's not clear yet how much more.
"We're going to come up with some fairly aggressive policy that is in
fact achievable," he said."
More information about Energy 2010, the state's Strategic Energy Assessment,
is available at psc.wi.gov. Public comments about the energy outlook are being
accepted through July 14 at Energy.Assessment@psc.wi.state.us
.
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