It’s tough to follow all of the shenanigans going on in Madison during the waning days of the legislative session.
But there’s a whole lotta drama surrounding the Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) and a related bill that sets the standard for renewable energy sources.
First, an amendment to CEJA was offered this week, which includes some OK and not-so-OK changes. But it still provides some benefitslike reduced electricity bills and a commitment to energy conservation and renewable energy sourceseven though it seems like legislators are doing everything they can to placate the utilities, nuclear advocates and Republicans (even though GOP-ers will still run distorted campaign attack ads about it in the fall).
An Assembly committee has already passed it so it moves to the Assembly floor for the final week of the session. But who knows if it will actually come to a votethe clock’s ticking.
Some environmental groups are still championing the revised bill, saying that it includes a lot of great stuff that will help to promote clean energy and energy efficiency in the state.
On the other hand, Tuesday's amendment has caused some environmentalists to question their support of CEJA.
For example, here’s a statement from the Carbon-Free, Nuclear-Free Wisconsin Coalition, which blasts the bill's nuclear power passages:
We are extremely disappointed that the new version of the Clean Energy Jobs Act (AB649 / SB450) unveiled Tuesday continues to pretend that nuclear power is “clean energy.” The bill also gives the false impression that building new nuclear reactors could help avoid the serious dangers posed by global warming, when many independent experts and reports agree it is a risky and costly distraction from real solutions.Now to complicate matters, the state Senate approved a separate bill that would expand the definition of what qualifies as a renewable source of energy. The original version of the bill combined renewables with energy efficiency measures without raising the amount necessary to meet state standards for renewables.
It looks as though the utility and nuclear industry lobbyists held sway during the weeks of closed-door negotiations in the state Capitol. As a result, Wisconsin stands to lose the common- sense restrictions on new nuclear reactors that have helped protect our communities and ratepayers for decades.
Legislators did not even see fit to include language that would have required the radioactive nuclear waste to be “sufficiently secure that foreseeable terrorist attacks would not cause severe economic disruption or casualties,” as our coalition suggested. For these reasons – and because the renewable energy and energy efficiency policies in the bill have been significantly weakened – we now oppose the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Wisconsin deserves and needs better, to create green jobs and a truly clean energy future.
If the bill does become law – which is far from certain – Wisconsin residents must be protected from the environmental, public health and financial dangers posed by new nuclear reactors.
Legislators must block any attempts to allow “construction work in progress” (CWIP) financing of nuclear reactors in Wisconsin. This costly but common financing method allows utilities building nuclear reactors to charge ratepayers in advance, raising energy costs years or even decades before any electricity is produced – if it ever is. Utilities using CWIP make no commitment to produce electricity, much less to do so at a reasonable price. Failing to prohibit CWIP for nuclear reactors would endanger ratepayers and lead to business and citizen distress and resistance, as is happening in Florida.
In addition, the Public Service Commission must closely examine proposed plans for the management of radioactive nuclear waste, as the toxic material will remain in Wisconsin for decades, if not longer.
Wisconsin can avoid these problems – while continuing to work towards strong energy efficiency and renewable energy policies – by rejecting the Clean Energy Jobs Act. Our coalition urges state legislators to do so.
That’s why the League of Conservation Voters opposed it originally:
Oppose SB 273: Undermines Maximum Clean Energy in Wisconsin
Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters urges to oppose SB 273, which is before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Utilities, Energy, and Rail on Wednesday.
Wisconsin needs an energy plan that: 1) reduces the need for more energy generation through efficiency and conservation measures; and 2) replaces the use of dirty fossil fuels with clean, renewable sources. [SB 273] would undermine those efforts by combining both concepts under the state’s renewable energy goals. Counting conservation and efficiency efforts under the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) greatly reduces the amount of new renewable energy required. Taking such liberties with the definition of renewable undermines the intent of the RPS.
Then again, Clean Wisconsin had supported it because the expanded definition of renewables included some promising emerging technologies that would help Wisconsin's green businesses.
So it’s not that simple.
But on Thursday, Milwaukee Sen. Jeff Plale, Russ Decker and Jeff Hansen introduced an amendment that stretched the definition of “renewable energy” so far that it’s way out there. It would include burning (technically, “gasifying”) of pretty much anything. Some say it could include gasifying hazardous waste. Clean, hey? The technology for doing this doesn’t exist in the state, and from what I’ve heard it could be very expensive.
So instead of renewing Wisconsin’s commitment to truly clean energy sources like wind and solar, these other questionable sources of energy were added in the amendment, which dilutes the original intent of the bill.
The amended bill passed the Senate and moves to the Assembly.
Some reactions:
From Clean Wisconsin:
In 2005, the bipartisan passage of Act 141 set a commitment to produce 10 percent of Wisconsin’s electricity from renewable sources by 2015. Senate Bill 273 expands the definition of renewable energy to include energy produced from sources such as garbage. In doing so, the bill reduces the amount of power that must come from wind, solar, and other clean, renewable sources.
"By expanding the definition of renewable energy, Senate Bill 273 effectively weakens Wisconsin’s current commitment to clean, renewable energy," said Ryan Schryver of Clean Wisconsin.
And the League of Conservation Voters:
“Wisconsin needs an energy plan that: 1) reduces the need for more energy generation through efficiency and conservation measures; and 2) replaces the use of dirty fossil fuels with clean, renewable sources. SB 273 would undermine those efforts by combining both concepts under the state’s renewable energy goals.
Counting conservation and efficiency efforts under the renewable portfolio standard (RPS) greatly reduces the amount of new renewable energy required.
If that were not bad enough, Senators Decker, Plale, Hansen, and Sullivan have added Senate Amendment 1, an amendment that would allow for the burning of trash and the incineration of hazard waste to be counted towards the RPS, to this bill at the last minute.
Taking such liberties with the definition of renewables undermines the intent of clean energy. I can not imagine that the voters would not want to know about this in November. I strongly encourage each Senator to vote against this amendment and this bill.”
