By Tracy Will
For WisBusiness.com
MADISON — Clean Wisconsin policy director Keith Reopelle told the UW-Madison Nelson Institute’s Earth Day conference that regional efforts to deal with CO2 limits may bear fruit before federal actions take shape, thanks in part to Gov. Jim Doyle.
“A lot of the governors want these energy efficiency products to be built in this area, advancing the economy as well as the energy issues in the process,” Reopelle said.
As for carbon sequestration, Roepelle said plans call for three advanced coal/gas plants to be built by 2015 in the Midwest to augment natural gas supplies, while sequestering carbon gas underground.
“A lot of people, when they hear about carbon sequestration technology, think that its very far off, when in fact there are companies right here in the Midwest working on these technologies,” he said.
At the state level, Assembly Natural Resources Chair Rep. Spencer Black predicted ultimate success for passage of his proposed “Wisconsin Safe Climate Act” to address climate change in Wisconsin. It would require Wisconsin to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. Proposed provisions call for mandatory reporting to monitor greenhouse gas levels, limits on greenhouse gas emissions and using market mechanisms, such as permit trading, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“I can think of no more appropriate topic than energy on Earth Day. The most important issue is the issue of global warning,” said Black, D-Madison. “We had fairly relaxed activity on environmental issues the past 14 years. It is important for the state of Wisconsin to take action. We do not know how strong the federal action will be.
“This is a very tough piece of legislation to pass,” Black said. “This is the place to start. This proposal was put together by a wide set of groups. It is a strong and comprehensive approach.
“I think Wisconsin has a very strong economic reason to pass it, that’s why we call it the ‘jobs bill,'” Black said, adding that new companies producing energy efficient equipment recently opened shop in Janesville and Wisconsin Rapids, both hit by high unemployment.
- More from the Earth Day conference: PSC chair signals support for cap and trade
