LA CROSSE -- Earth Day has been expanded to Earth Month in this river town and the surrounding area.

The La Crosse Earth Week Coalition and other businesses and organizations have come together to stage a variety of "green" events. Mayor Matt Harter and County Board member Jai Johnson issued a proclamation at the start of the month proclaiming April "Earth Month."

Events have been held throughout the community, in schools and elsewhere. Several entertainment and education events are scheduled for Earth Day today.

Businesses also have been part of the month long celebration. A Green Expo, set for this Saturday at Western Tech's Lunda Center, will feature business vendors involved in "Green Homes" and "Green Transportation."

Topics ranging from Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cars to geothermal heating and energy efficient bathrooms are among the featured green offerings at the Expo.

"We have a real variety of topics at the Expo," said Rebecca Brown, co-chair of the La Crosse Earth Week Coalition. "A core of 18 individuals has been meeting for months on planning the whole month, but it's become a real community event. We have 32 partners, which are non-profits, and 30 sponsors, which come primarily from the business community."

Honda Motorwerks is one of those sponsors. Chris Schneider, the owner, will speak about green transportation and also has donated one month free use of a Honda CNG auto as a door prize.

Schneider, who bills himself as the "Hybrid Guru," conducts CNG and hybrid clinics on a regular basis. "We have been talking about alternative energy vehicles here for over 10 years and over that period of time we have been able to double our employment," Schneider said.

Roald Gundersen, a builder of whole tree homes, will present a workshop. On Sunday, a tour of Driftless Farm, where Gundersen has built his own home using all of the trees with virtually no waste, will be conducted.

Another tour of a home, owned by Guy and Joan Wolf, which uses geothermal energy also is planned. A workshop on that topic is set for the Expo.

Earlier in the month, tours were conducted of area farms that are involved in the Community Supported Agriculture movement. Organic Valley, the dairy cooperative based in La Farge, is one of the sponsors of the Expo.

The Driftless Regional Bicycle Coalition will present a workshop on bicycle commuting and have a booth at the Expo. The city of La Crosse police department will display a propane-powered squad car.

Driftless Solar LLC, based in Spring Green; Enercept, a West Salem provider of structured insulated panels; First Supply, a La Crosse supplier of solar panels, and Fowler & Hammer, a La Crosse company specializing in environmentally-certified construction and renovation, are just some of the alternative construction companies that will have spaces at the Expo.

Green efforts of Gundersen Lutheran Hospital have been documented in the GreenBiz feature before. Gundersen is a major sponsor of Earth Month and will have a booth at the Expo.

The Green Expo is being held in conjunction with an Earth Fair at the Three Rivers Waldorf School. A shuttle bus will transport people between the two events.

La Crosse decided to make an extra effort to expand the traditional Earth Day last year, when it went to a week-long celebration. This year's full month celebration is being done in recognition of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

"There have been things going on almost daily throughout the month and they will continue for the rest of the month," Brown said.

On Earth Day itself, three-time Grammy Award winner Bill Miller will join with regional musician Dan Sebranek in a concert that has sold out. Miller also will present "Sacred Ground" -- an inspirational presentation from a Native American perspective -- during the day at Viterbo Fine Arts Center.

After the weekend, children's singer Hans Mayer will perform two concerts at Myrick Hixon EcoPark on Friday and Saturday, April 30 and May 1. Mayer has recorded "It's Our World: The Green Album" for children.

More information on all events for Earth Month can be found at www.greenlacrosse.com.

Brown said it has been very impressive how the business, governmental, non-profit, educational and other sectors of the La Crosse area have come together. "There truly has been a commitment made here," she said.

"I hope that the (attendees) can learn something about sustainable and how much the community is behind us," Brown added. "I know personally I was doing stuff at home and felt kind of isolated and alone, and then I found these people and though, 'Well, I'm not the only one'."

-- Hoffmann has written many columns and features for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com over the years. He will write the GreenBiz column monthly.

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The wind energy industry has been blowing hot and cold in Wisconsin during the recession, and according to some advocates, has faced negative factors and obstacles that go beyond the economic times.

A couple new projects have started. More could be on the way. But, progress in moving to what many feel could be a key sustainable energy source has been slowed somewhat by tight credit, limited venture capital and other financial factors during the overall economic downturn.

The American Wind Energy Association reported last year that the recession was taking "a serious toll" on wind energy development in the nation and Wisconsin. It noted that the industry was "already seeing layoffs in the area where wind's promise is greatest for our economy."

Wisconsin ranked 15th in the country in wind energy capacity in 2009, according to the AWEA. But, much of that capacity has not been developed because of what the executive director of RENEW Wisconsin terms "state specific" factors.

"There is no new construction currently going on in the state," Michael Vickerman said. "The recession is not the main reason for that."

Vickerman said major factors include siting problems around the state, in part because of local governments' restrictive ordinances, utilities wanting to control all generation of power and the practice of some utility companies of locating wind farms in surrounding states and then bringing the power from those sources to Wisconsin customers.

After two small wind farms go into operation this year in Dane and Brown counties, the state will have 479 megawatts of power coming from wind, Vickerman said. Minnesota has 2,000 megawatts and Iowa 3,600. Power from out-of-state sources can go toward satisfying state utilities' "quota" for renewable energy.

"Only Michigan trails Wisconsin in the Upper Midwest," Vickerman said.

According to the RENEW Wisconsin web site, nine wind energy projects had been completed in the state from 1998 to 2009. The largest of those are an 86 turbine project in Fond du Lac/Dodge counties and an 88 turbine farm in Fond du Lac county.

Twenty-two projects had been proposed as of July 2009, as interest in sustainable energy has grown and the Obama administration has promoted such alternatives. But, seven of those projects have not received permits. They include a proposed 98-turbine project in Two Creeks by Pattern Energy. Projects of more than 100 turbines in Stockbridge-Brothertown and 99 turbines in Rock and Belmont counties also are listed as having no permits.

Work has not started on others that do have permits. One in the Ridgeville-Wilton area is listed as being "in litigation."

Seven proposed projects are listed as having 2010 in-service dates, but some of those could be slowed by the economy and, in some cases, opposition from some citizens in communities where they would be located.

On Jan. 11 of this year, the Public Service Commission approved a permit for what would be the largest wind farm in the state, a 90-turbine facility called Glacier Hills in Columbia County.

Cost of the facility, to be built by Wisconsin Electric Power Company, could reach $435 million. Work is scheduled to begin in the second quarter of this year, with completion in 2011.

"When built, Glacier Hills will be the largest wind farm in Wisconsin," said PSC chairman Eric Callisto when the permit was granted. "Today's action will not only provide the state with a facility that will increase the capacity of generation from wind by 30 to 46 percent, but also will allow the utility to provide needed renewable and low carbon energy to make future RPS (Renewable Portfolio Standard) requirements."

Some citizen groups expressed concern about the Glacier Hills wind farm. Opposition to wind farms in Byron township in Fond du Lac County has divided neighbors and prompted controversy.

In Manitowoc County last year, the Board of Adjustment rejected a request by Emerging Energies LLP to build a seven-turbine wind far in the Town of Mishicot. That led to wind energy supporters challenging the county ordinance on wind farm permits and calling for the state, not local governments, to have the say where wind farms are located.

State Rep. Bob Ziegelbauer, who also is Manitowoc County executive, told The Daily Reporter the county ordinance was "reasonable and was created in good faith." He added, "This isn't the final say in the matter by any means."

Concerns from neighbors about wind farms usually revolve around aesthetics of the operations, noise from the turbines and possible negative impacts on migratory birds. Some also doubt how efficient wind energy is.

Out-of-state wind farms that will serve Wisconsin customers are not immune to opposition. A lawsuit could delay the construction of the Bent Tree facility in Minnesota. The Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group and the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin sued the Public Service Commission claiming the latter approved the project without adequate analysis of possible environmental effects and costs. Alliant Energy plans to use electricity from the plant for Wisconsin customers.

Legislation passed last fall that would transfer permitting for wind farms from local governments to the state. The Public Service Commission still has to enact the transfer.

"That should help next year," Vickerman said.

The bad economy also has caused some wind energy developers to cut back or at least move slower on projects. Sun Prairie-based Wave Wind, cut its staff from 85 in 2008 to the mid-20s in 2009 because of the downturn.

"Last year was slow," Wave Wind VP Jeff Wilkinson told WisBusiness.com recently. "We hope 2010 will be a mirror image of 2008. Our business was down last year, but compared to the industry, we were above the average."

Some potential projects other than wind farms also have supporters of the industry hopeful. A Spanish company, Ingeteam, has talked with state and Milwaukee officials about locating a turbine generator factory in the city. That factory could create 100 to 200 jobs and provide needed equipment to state wind projects as well as others around the world.

The state also has a handful of companies working on wind energy components, including:
-- Red Arrow Energy Systems in Hubertus making wind turbines;
-- Magnetek in Menomonee Falls making power inverters for wind turbines, and;
-- Bassett Mechanical in Kaukauna planning to manufacture wind turbine towers.

State government has taken some steps to help the wind industry develop. Gov. Jim Doyle signed a turbine-siting law on Sept. 30 that many believe will make it easier to build wind farms in the state.

Legislation ranging from the establishment of Advanced Renewable Tariffs to provide long-term economic support for smaller scale energy resources to more standardization for wind energy permitting process are possibilities. Some bills have created controversy and could take longer than advocates hoped.

Perhaps the biggest of these bills from the viewpoint of wind energy advocates is the Clean Energy Jobs Act. It was introduced Jan. 7 of this year and incorporates several energy-related policies recommended by Gov. Doyle's Global Warming Task Force.

If adopted, it would increase the state's Renewable Energy Standard to 25 percent by 2025. The bill proposes buyback rates that would stimulate the installation of smaller scale renewable generation.

"To be certain that Glacier Hills will not be the last large wind project constructed in Wisconsin, the Legislature must raise the current renewable-energy standard on utilities," Vickerman said.

"The provisions in the recently introduced Clean Energy Jobs Act, which we strongly support, would life that requirement to 25 percent by 2025."

Wind energy advocates say that now is the time for Wisconsin to better position itself, so more projects can start when the economy starts to recover.

-- Hoffmann has written many columns and features for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com over the years. He will write the GreenBiz column monthly.

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Kent Burnstad is the third generation of his family to be in the grocery store business and knows you have to make adjustments to survive and thrive.

The Green Grocer pilot program of the Wisconsin Grocers Association has helped Burnstad's European Market in Tomah save energy, do the right thing for the environment and help the business's bottom line.

"We are pleased to be one of the first grocery stores in Wisconsin to be Green Grocer certified," said Burnstad, chair of Burnstad's Markets, which also has stores in Black River Falls and Richland Center. "It's all about serving your customers and earning their loyalty in this business. By reducing our energy consumption, we can pass the savings onto those customers. We're also doing the right thing for the environment."

Burnstad's underwent a major remodeling and expansion to include a restaurant, gift stores and other facilities. It made changes to refrigeration compressors, lighting, recycling of plastic bags and other materials, and other areas and practices. It had some upfront costs, but the payback will be worth it .

"Normally you remodel a store every seven years," said store director Alex Zamarripa. "It's been about 10 years since the last remodel. We think a lot of these returns will be in a couple years or three years."

Burnstad's will save enough energy to power 21 homes and the equivalent of taking 31 cars off the road. CO2 greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 408,795 pounds.

The store is one of seven in the state currently in the WGA Green Grocer program. Other participating stores are in places like Delavan, Cambridge, McFarland, Janesville. The participating stores will collectively reduce CO2 emissions by more than 3.9 million pounds and save more than 2.3 million kilowatt hours of electricity.

Better Environmental Solutions, a Madison-based environmental consulting group, administers the program for WGA.

Wisconsin Power and Light, an Alliant Energy company, has helped fund the pilot program. Participating stores can receive assistance in paying for their upgrading through WPL's Shared Savings business energy-efficiency improvement financing program and its network of strategic account managers. The stores have to meet standards in a check list provided by WGA and developed by Better Environmental Solutions.

The first phase of the program includes an audit of a store, with points assigned for up to 70 different energy areas. The second phase for certification includes the actual updating and changes to the store.

"We are excited to be working with Burnstad's and several other member grocery stores in Wisconsin," said Brandon Scholz, WGA president and CEO. "This program started with some concerns about recycling plastic bags at stores. I contacted Brett (Hulsey, president of Better Environmental Solutions), and as we talked we realized it was a lot bigger than just plastic bags.

"Grocery stores are energy hogs. For some grocers, their utility bills could be the third or fourth highest line on their monthly expense. So, this program can be a win for the grocer, a win for the environment and a win for the customer."

Scholz said in an industry that has a profit margin of around 1 percent, any cost savings in energy can be very important.

When Burnstad's launched its Tomah program in December, Gov. Jim Doyle said the program showed that businesses can reduce their costs, emissions and improve service with energy efficiency.

"This shows one concrete way for Wisconsin to be a leader to create green jobs and a green economy," added Doyle, who recently awarded a Governor's Award for Excellence in Energy Efficiency to the Green Grocer Program.

Hulsey has served as coordinator of the WGA program through Better Environmental Solutions. "The grocers have been very open to the audit and to making the changes," he said. "We can get the most bang for the buck by reducing their energy bills and carbon emissions.

"A supermarket (45,000 square feet store) pays about $18,000 a month for energy. One grocery store can use as much energy as 50 to 100 homes."

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, grocery stores are the most intensive major energy consumer in the commercial sector and an excellent opportunity for energy-efficiency efforts. Every dollar a grocery store saves on energy is equivalent to $59 in added grocery sales.

The first store to participate in the Green Grocer Program was Stinebrink's Piggly Wiggly in Delavan.

"We took many steps like more efficient refrigerators, lights and motors to save energy and reduce carbon emissions," said Mark Stinebrink, co-owner of the store. "We save money that we can pass onto our customers and pass a better community to our children."

Mike Day, owner of the Cambridge Piggly Wiggly, said, "We upgraded our refrigeration, incorporating energy efficiency features to reduce our carbon emissions and will save $50,844 per year."

Scholz and Hulsey hope to find additional funds to take the program beyond the pilot stage, and perhaps expand it to other areas of the state.

"We've talked with Roundy's and other groups, as well as governmental agencies, about ways to keep this going and expand," Hulsey said.

"It's a great program," Scholz said. "It could become a model for the industry. There's interest in it from those in other parts of the state and other states. I think this shows an industry can make changes like this on its own without governmental mandates. We hope to build on it."

-- Hoffmann has written many columns and features for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com over the years. He writes the GreenBiz column monthly.

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Not many students go to class 100 feet or more in the air, but those enrolled in the Lakeshore Technical College Wind Energy Associate Degree program do just that.

Practical experience in installing, maintaining and even rescuing people is gained on a wind turbine that was installed on the Cleveland, Wisconsin, campus in 2004. Students also do internships with a variety of commercial wind turbine companies around the country.

More turbines are in the pipeline for LTC, which, as of August 2008, was one of eight schools training people in wind energy technology in the country.

The LTC program is four semesters and a summer internship long. It currently has almost 40 students and the class for fall 2010 has a waiting list. "It has really mushroomed in the last 18 months or so," said Doug Lindsey, dean of trade and industry, agriculture, and apprenticeship. "When we first started working in the area in 2003, we could not find a market.

"We put the turbine up in part to produce some of our own energy on campus (an estimated 3 percent of the campus electrical energy needs) and as a demo site. But, things have changed."

The story about how it changed, and how LTC has carved out a niche in the fastest growing segment of renewable energy production, is an interesting one. "We had a student, Velvet Sommers, who had taken a couple of our courses while she was still at Lincoln High School in Manitowoc," Lindsey said. "She had some credits to burn and wanted to go up in the turbine to learn about it.

"We basically built a course for Velvet, and this 98-pound student in red pants went up the turbine with a crew. The local newspaper did a story, it was picked up by AP and the phones have been ringing off the hook ever since."

Wind energy also was a natural for LTC, which is a good place in the state for wind, not far from Lake Michigan. Three wind farms are located within a relatively few miles of the campus. So, a school that ranks 13th in total enrollment of the 16 technical schools in Wisconsin suddenly found itself in demand.

The school also had strong electrical and other program, so it wasn't a big transition to turbines. "I tell people that a wind turbine basically is a jet plane on a stick," Lindsey said. "We were already teaching some of the things that could be adapted to turbines."

Industrial leaders and groups have rallied to the LTC program. "We've had great partners from the industry," Lindsey said. "Without them, we could not have built what we have so far."

Focus on Energy provided a grant for construction of the turbine. WE Energies has helped with grants and the two entities also have combined for assistance in a photovoltaic solar project that also has started in campus.

In 2005, LTC received the Innovation Award from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council for the wind energy demonstration site.

A large Danish wind company, Vestas, GE and other companies have assisted in taking students as interns, with equipment donations and in other ways.

Jenny Heinzen serves as lead instructor for the program and has been an innovator since its beginning. A student-teacher ratio of 6 to 1 has been maintained so far in the program.

The LTC web site tells students they will learn to install, test, service and repair wind turbine components, troubleshoot and maintain control systems, learn climbing safety practices. Courses range from an introduction to wind systems course to industrial codes, troubleshooting and frequency drive procedures.

Associate degree graduates can prepare for careers as wind turbine technicians, mechanics and tower climbers, installation technicians, operation and maintenance technicians and wind farm maintenance managers.

Lindsey said additional standards are being developed for wind energy training by the American Wind Energy Association. Some LTC practices are used as models for establishing those standards.

U.S and Canadian commercial wind farms have been growing at 25 percent annually. That has created an intense demand for LTC graduates and others trained upper-level technicians.

Solar power should create the next intense demand, Lindsey projected. Then, small wind power systems -- which could be used in condominium complexes, retail developments and other industries -- could be the next wave.

LTC hopes to continue its reputation as a leader in education on emerging energy systems by expanding into these areas.

"As an institution of higher learning, we have a responsibility -- to our students, to the region and to ourselves -- to develop strategies which will allow LTC to make its contribution to environmental awareness and change," Lindsey said.

-- Hoffmann has written many columns and features for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com over the years. He will write the GreenBiz column monthly.

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As the green business movement gains momentum, trained workers are needed, and some sort of guide through the growing list of agencies and companies involved in it, is necessary.

The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), located in Custer, outside of Stevens Point, with an office in the Milwaukee area, is trying to provide those and other services to this movement.

MREA recently received a $3.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for solar installation training. MREA is working with six regional training centers throughout the Midwest to increase capacity for quality solar instruction.

The non-profit organization was one of three entities located in Wisconsin to receive the grants. The cities of Milwaukee and Madison received $600,000 and $370,000 each.

"The MREA is proud to be part of this Wisconsin team that is leading the nation in clean energy production and green job creation," said Tehri Parker, executive director of MREA at the time the grant was announced in late October. "These DOE awards attest to the commitment of our Governor, and local leaders, to build the legislative foundation for projects of this type to thrive."

MREA actually has been at the "green biz" work for quite some time. "The organization was formed in 1990 and grew out of an Energy Fair, which was started by a group of people interested in renewable energy and the environment," said Gina Sinisi, communications coordinator for the MREA. "We've grown considerably since then."

The organization currently has more than 3,200 active members, representing 39 states and three foreign counties. They range from students to business people.

That Energy Fair remains a big part of MREA's program. The event has become the world's largest energy education event. Last year, it drew more than 23,000 people over its three days and featured 275 vendors.

"Our vendors represent every aspect of the renewable, sustainable area, ranging from beekeepers to farmers to construction companies," said Doug Stingle, program director for MREA.

About 200 workshops are offered at the Fair, which is annually held in June, to coincide with the Summer Solstice.

The MREA also is the home for the ReNEW the Earth Institute, a demonstration site and educational facility at the Custer location. The Institute has working renewable energy systems, ranging from wind to solar hot water. The organization also offers more than 120 workshops per year, ranging from one day to two weeks, for homeowners, builders, educators, architects, engineers and others. It is the only organization in the country that offers certification programs for renewable energy site assessors.

On Dec. 3-4, at the Monona Terrace in Madison, the MREA will hold the Solar Thermal '09 Conference. Installers, manufacturers, site assessors, dealers, distributors, state agency representatives and others will be involved.

As a chapter of the American Solar Energy Society, MREA hosts a tour of solar homes and businesses throughout Wisconsin in October.

"Our activities are growing as interest in renewable energy grows," said Sinisi. "We are trying to meet the needs of people involved in various areas."

MREA maintains a database and other informational resources on grants, experts in various areas, technical assistance and other topics. "If we can't help you, we try to refer you to somebody who can," said Stingle.

While training and educational work for those already involved in renewable energy fields has grown, MREA also remains true to one of its original purposes, as an advocate for renewables and protection of the environment.

MREA "promotes renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable living through education and demonstration," reads an answer to the "Frequently Asked Question" of "What is the MREA?"

"The MREA is working to protect the environment by educating the public about the appropriate use of natural resources to meet our energy needs."

The listed "vision" of the MREA is to "provide the highest quality renewable energy education and training experiences available. Our programs and services will respond to evolving energy issues, empower people to make wise lifestyle choices and be accessible to the broadest possible audience. We will share our success with other like-minded organizations, recognizing that we are stronger when we all work together for our common goals."

Addressing the last part of that vision statement, Sinisi and Stingle emphasized that MREA works with technical schools and other educational institutions, as well as many other groups, including Habitat for Humanity.

"We have a project in Milwaukee where people who are taking our training work directly with specific homes being built by Habitat for Humanity," Stingle said. MREA also is partnering with Milwaukee Shines to develop Milwaukee as a Solar City.

Funding for MREA comes from a variety of sources, including program fees, grants, donations and independent contracts. The recent Department of Energy grant is a big one for the organization.

Over the next five years, the grant will help provide instruction, installation and curriculum development experiences in solar work to 200 instructors from six Midwestern states. The program will involve 120 instructors in the development, review and use of shared instructional resources.

A national network of solar instructors will share resources and a Midwest Solar Training Network will be formed to promote and advance training programs.

"You can see the momentum building in solar and other renewable energies," Stingle said. "We need trained people ready to go as it continues to grow."

You can find out more about the MREA at www.the-mrea.org or by calling the Custer office at 715-592-6595 or the Milwaukee office at 414-431-0758.

-- Hoffmann has written many columns and features for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com over the years. He writes the GreenBiz column monthly.

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LA CROSSE - It might seem like a stretch to combine beer and health care in one idea, but City Brewery and Gundersen Lutheran Health System have accomplished just that with a unique renewable energy partnership.

The two companies have combined efforts to generate 8 to 10 percent of the electricity used on Gundersen Lutheran's campuses in La Crosse and Onalaska by using waste biogas from the brewing process.

The project launched Oct. 7 and has been operating effectively. It is projected to generate about 3 million kilowatt hours per year. As Corey Zarecki, the project engineer and efficiency improvement leader for Gundersen Lutheran, puts it, that's the environmental impact equivalent of planting 490 acres of forest or removing 395 cars from the road. It is enough electricity to power about 300 homes.

"One reason we have done this is to cut energy costs and move toward our goal of being energy independent by 2014," Zarecki said. "But, we also feel it is healthy for the community, the right thing for our patients and fits in with being good stewards of the environment.

"You've seen the emphasis in the country on the economy, health and energy. We feel this project and our overall goal includes all three."

City Brewery has had to pre-treat wastewater from its plant, which brews beer, energy drinks and other beverages, since the mid-1980s at its own treatment facility, before sending it to the La Crosse municipal treatment plant.

In the pre-treatment process, solids are removed and used for fertilizer and other uses. Biogas, including methane, is given off during the process, and the brewery flared the gas to dispose of it for several years. "People around here called it the eternal flame," Zarecki said. With that flame came some air pollution.

The combined project captures the biogas, cleans it and sends it through an engine at the City Brewery site. The engine generates electricity that is then sent to the area power grid. Xcel Energy pays Gundersen Lutheran for the electricity that is produced.

This can allow Gundersen Lutheran to reduce overall costs, savings which could be passed to customers and patients. The company states that it believes "part of the answer (to stemming health care costs) lies in finding solutions to our rapidly rising energy costs."

In addition, heat generated from the engine is captured and recycled back to the City Brewery's waste water treatment center to make it more efficient.

"This type of gas-cleaning system, as well as the partnership, is to our knowledge the first of their kind," Zarecki said.

The statewide efficiency group Focus on Energy also has been a supporter of the project. "They've been very helpful from the start," Zarecki emphasized.

Of course, methane projects have been undertaken around the state, region and country, using manure digesters, landfill emissions and other raw material sources. Using water from a brewery has its own set of challenges, Zarecki said.

"We've had to make adjustments based at times on what they are brewing," Zarecki said. "The volume of water changes on the weekends and at night. So, you are making adjustments daily, hourly at times."

Such adjustments are necessary in all pioneering technology applications, added Zarecki, an engineer by trade. "We've made a lot of adjustments in our overall program on energy as we develop it. All I know is that we will reach our goal of becoming 100 percent independent," he said.

Gundersen Lutheran is in various stages of discussions and development of wind energy projects, in part with Organic Valley cooperative and Western Technical College, and possible environmentally-friendly energy projects in the Mississippi River.

A new parking ramp on the La Crosse campus includes solar panels on the roof. The electricity from the panels could power six to seven homes.

Gundersen Lutheran also has undergone a program of "retrocommissioning." Retrofitting of light fixtures in six buildings on the two campuses led to energy cost savings of $245,000 per year. Air handlers that blow warm or cool air through the buildings were adjusted to run only when needed, at a cost savings of $78,000.

Adjustments to how boiler systems work, to allow for the capturing of some of the heat produced, led to $64,000 savings. A process called chiller/tower optimization programmed into the cooling system on campus buildings realized an estimated $65,000 in annual savings.

"Some of the changes we're making seem obvious, but the way the space is used in buildings over the years has changed," Zarecki said. "That's why retrocommissioning is important. It takes a look at how the building's needs have changed to make sure your systems are being used in the most energy efficient way."

Gundersen Lutheran has issued the following "promise" as part of its "Energizing Healthcare" program: "Gundersen Lutheran is committed to environmental stewardship and energy management programs that promote a healthy environment for our patients, their families, our employees and the communities we serve. We are dedicated to solutions that make environmental and economic sense, creating a healthier environment and lowering health care costs."

What is called the Gundersen Lutheran "Envision Program" includes energy management through efficiency and renewable energy, recycling, waste management and control and sustainable design of new facilities."

Zarecki, while holding a soda can, said the effort begins with developing a "green" mindset. "As one of our company leaders says, I could throw this (the can) 'away', but away is someplace. You have to think of where that place is and what impact it has."

For more on the joint project with City Brewery and the overall Gundersen Lutheran initiative, go to: http://www.gundluth.org/green/

-- Hoffmann has written many columns and features for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com over the years. He will write the GreenBiz column monthly.

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The ethanol and overall biofuel industry has been started and built primarily by independent entrepreneurs to date in the nation and Wisconsin.

That independent spirit remains alive today, amidst a recession and attacks by the petroleum industry and others. It can be both an asset and a liability as the industry moves into a more mature phase.

"I once had a farmer tell me he'd rather go broke on his own than make money by sharing," said Josh Morby, who serves as a representative for the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance. "That independent, competitive spirit is still very much alive. At times, there has been some dissension in the industry, but the alliance was formed to see what members can agree on, and perhaps collaborate on."

The alliance is a non-profit corporation "that supports the development of bio-based renewable energy, power and products in Wisconsin." On its web site, it contends that "by bringing the appropriate players to the table, the organization will grow the bio-economy in Wisconsin, concentrating on a specific series of campaigns targeted at the most fertile opportunities in Wisconsin."

The bio-fuels industry has already grown to more than a $1 billion industry in the state. The alliance is conducting an economic impact study that should illustrate in more detail just what the past, present and future impact of bio-fuels could be.

Wisconsin now ranks seventh in bio-fuels production in the nation. It has created jobs in agriculture, construction, actual production of the fuels and in other areas, Morby said.

The alliance is working with a bipartisan group of legislators on bills and proposals that could make biofuels a bigger part of the state economy. One proposal will come up for a hearing on Oct. 7. It includes several recommendations that will build on the existing infrastructure of the industry and help expand it to include exploring the use of switch grass and other feed stocks for production.

Biofuels started first primarily as ethanol. In fact, the alliance grew out of the Wisconsin Ethanol Coalition, a movement to require 10 percent ethanol in all fuels in the state. That movement failed, but the coalition remained at least partially together and in the past 3-plus years has grown.

Members of the organization include ACE Ethanol, Didion, Renew Energy, Sanimax. Western Wisconsin Energy, Best Energies, UWGP, Utica Energy, Michael Best & Friedrich, Miron Construction, Plum Creek, U.S. Energy, Oscar J. Boldt Construction, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek law firm, Alliant Energy, WIPFLI, Agra Industries and J.F Ahern Co. There also are several associate members.

The alliance works with members and its associates on marketing, education, lobbying and other endeavors. Part of its mission in recent years is to counter what bio-fuel producers think is propaganda, created in part by the petroleum industry.

"Petroleum producers are our main competitors and our biggest customers," Morby said. "Ethanol is blended into most of the gas sold in Wisconsin, so they are buying our product."

That makes for an interesting relationship at times. Some of the claims against ethanol -- that mileage will be reduced by using bio-fuels, that energy is used to grow the corn and other feedstock, that ethanol takes corn out of the food supply, etc. -- Morby does not completely deny.

"DDT does a great job of killing bugs. Gasoline does a good job of fueling automobiles. If you want to use them, fine, but it's really about choices," Morby said. "We're talking about a cleaner-running fuel, from renewable sources, right here and not from foreign countries."

Morby said he keeps many of the claims, and the alliance's counter arguments, in a binder, but has them memorized so seldom has to refer to it anymore.

The alliance emphasizes that bio-fuels now go beyond corn-based ethanol, to bio-diesel made from restaurant wastes and many other sources. Many bio-fuel plants also produce byproducts that are used as food for livestock and people.

For example, Didion, based in Columbia Country, has developed a way of separating the protein from the starch in making ethanol. The protein is used for a corn-soy food product that provides agricultural food relief to people around the world.

"That counters the 'food vs. fuel' concept you hear at times," Morby said.

CO2 from bio-fuels plants also is captured and used in the packaging industry and by beverage makers. "Leinenkugel's buys CO2 from an ethanol plant in Monroe, for example," Morby said.

In addition to playing coordinating and advocacy roles, the alliance is building databases for educational purposes. For example, media can access a list of industry experts via the web site at www.wisconsinbioindustry.com. There's also a list of cars that run on the various blends of ethanol and gasoline where consumers can find out whether their auto can use it.

Morby regularly writes a blog on the alliance web site. Recent topics included job growth from ethanol (147,000 jobs in the country and 400 at nine plants in Wisconsin), South Dakota research that converts dried distiller's grains into flour, and a proposed biomass power plant in Rothschild that will use wood and paper waste from a local paper mill as an alternative to coal.

Morby said the bio industry in the state has come a long way, in part through support from the Doyle administration and recently the federal government. The U.S Department of Energy started reviewing an application in September for $1 million for the state through BRAIN (Biofuels Retail Availability Improvement Network) for installation of 27 E85 and biodiesel retail locations.

The state also will get $15 million in stimulus money for clean transportation projects through the federal Clean Cities program. The funds will pay for the deployment of 502 alternative and advanced technology vehicles through 119 public and private entities in the state. That grant was the biggest given to any state in the country.

More than 40 state companies also have filed applications for stimulus funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy, including bio-fuel projects. Wisconsin has been allocated $55 million in funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The initial round of $28 million has already been allocated.

Projects include biomass densification, waste-to-energy initiatives, development of second generation bio-fuels and the manufacturing of components for renewable energy.

-- Hoffmann is a veteran journalist who has written on a variety of topics for Wispolitics.com and WisBusiness.com. He writes the WisBiz GreenBiz column monthly.

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For several years, one of the biggest reconstruction projects in the Midwest has been going on -- in the middle of the Mississippi River.

The Pool 8 project is located within the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, just west of Stoddard, Wis., and east of Brownsville, Minn. It includes constructing 26 islands, which were virtually wiped out by high water after Lock and Dam No. 8 was constructed in 1937. Higher water allowed wind and wave action to erode the islands, resulting in the loss of aquatic plants and valuable habitat for birds, reptiles, amphibians and other animals.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, U.S. Geological Survey, Minnesota and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and others have cooperated on the project, which started in 2006.

The benefits of projects like this island restoration is varied. First, the habitats for birds, fish and other animals is being restored. That has an intrinsic value that is hard to put a dollar figure on, but it also should lead to continued growth in recreation and eco-tourism industries.

By restoring the islands and more natural flows to the river, the impacts of flooding and high water periods could be reduced. Land values also tend to go up along riverways that have been restored.

The rehabilitation is quite a project. Sand and water are pumped as far as five miles along the river to the island sites. Rock and other base are installed to gather the materials. Bulldozers, which from the shore seem to be working right out of the water, shape the contours of the islands. Various cover foliage then is planted, and as one worker said, "the river plants what it wants to grow."

"It really is a team effort out there, between various agencies and our contractors," said James Nissen, district manager for the Refuge. "We do the designs, but the ingenuity and creativity of our contractors who are out there doing the work really get it done."

Public tours were recently conducted of the work. "We started the tours last year," Nissen said. "There's a lot of interest in the project because it is visible from Highway 26. So, we take the opportunity to let people know what progress we are making."

Visitors also come for the wildlife -- the area serves as one of the migratory havens for more than 300 species of birds. Fifty percent of the world's canvasback ducks spend time in the area.

Twenty percent of the population of Eastern Tundra Swans stop on their migratory routes from northern Canada to Chesapeake Bay.

The arrival of the swans has become an annual tourist event. The birds begin arriving in mid-October, and some stay until mid- to late-December.

"We draw people from all over, not just the Midwest but also from other states and foreign countries," Nissen said. "It's quite a gathering, and people always have a lot of questions."

The area also is home to 119 species of fish. While hunting is not allowed in the Pool 8 area, fishing and other types of recreational activities are allowed, with some exceptions during peak migratory times.

About 3.7 million annual visits are made to the area for hunting where it is allowed, fishing, wildlife observation and other recreation.

Eco-tourism is a growing industry on the Big River. The Mississippi Explorer, which was used to transport some of the 300 people who showed up for the public tours, runs boats out of La Crosse, Prairie du Chien, Lansing, Iowa, and Galena, Illinois. Other nature tours are conducted in the area.

Economic Figures

The project has been rather costly. Estimated costs for the north and west islands is Pool 8 are $9.5 million. Costs for the four islands slightly further south are estimated at $5.3 million.

An east island was completed in 2006 for $780,000. The Army Corps of Engineers completed several islands in 2007-08 and several more are scheduled for completion this summer.

All this work has been funded through federal funds. Additional islands are being designed and will be built as funding becomes available. Nissen said work on those islands are scheduled to start in 2011 and be completed in 2012.

The entire Environmental Management Program, which includes much more than just the Pool 8 project, is authorized to receive $33.5 million annually. For fiscal year 2009, the allocation is $17.7 million. Project design, construction and other costs are fully paid by the federal government if the project is located on lands managed as a national wildlife refuge. For any other projects, costs are funded 65 percent by the federal government and 35 percent from non-federal sources.

"Any time you are doing marine construction, it is expensive," Nissen said. "We have been funded through the EMP funds and could be tapping other sources. We also are receiving some stimulus money from the American Recovery Act."

According to the Refuge web site, the Mississippi River annually contributes an estimated $1 billion in recreational benefits to the region. Refuge visitation generates nearly $90 million per year in economic output.

Visitation to the refuge, plus visits to adjacent counties in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa, generates another $255 million annually.

The Pool 8 project created some controversy because of a drawdown of water in the backwater area. But, adequate water depth for commercial transportation and other navigation has been maintained in the main corridors of the river.

While Pool 8 might be getting the most attention right now, it is by no means the only project along the river. In fact, 25 projects have been completed -- ranging from island reconstruction to dredging to dike construction and bank restoration -- from Gutenberg, Iowa, to the Twins Cities since the EMP was authorized by an Act of Congress in 1986.

Perhaps the most valuable benefit of projects like these is summed up by a couple signs along Highway 26, on the Minnesota side of Pool 8. One reads that the Upper Mississippi Refuge is "perhaps the most important corridor of fish and wildlife habitat in the central United States."

The second deals with the migration of the tundra swans: "You are lucky. Not everyone can say they have witnessed the spectacle of tens of thousands of tundra swans making their way on the 4,200 mile journey to and from their wintering grounds.

"Stop where swans have gathered and listen. You will hear the melodious bugling call of swans talking to each other. It is a sound you will not soon forget."

-- Hoffmann has written on a variety of topics for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com. He writes the WisBiz GreenBiz feature monthly.

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A vast majority of people in the world live within 10 miles of their food sources, but in the United States much of our food travels as far as 2,000 miles from the farm to the table.

While that system allows us to eat relatively fresh fruits and vegetables in winter in Wisconsin, it adds costs, has adverse environmental effects through transportation, raises questions about health and "food security" and takes money out of the local economy.

As transportation costs increase, and other factors change, such a system looks unsustainable over the long run. So, groups around the state are in various stages of organizing and running Community Food Systems.

From Vernon County in the southwest part of the state to Madison, Milwaukee and elsewhere, a variety of CFS projects can be found. A CFS is defined as: "a collaborative network that integrates sustainable food production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management in order to enhance the environmental, economic and social health of a particular place."

Ken Meter, CEO of Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, recently reported on an economic analysis for the food and farm system in southwest Wisconsin, including Monroe, Vernon, Richland and Crawford counties. The research has been backed, in part, by the Valley Stewardship Network, in cooperation with the Vernon County Economic Development Association and the Crawford County UW-Extension office.

One of the major findings of the analysis is that consumers in southwest Wisconsin spend $208 million buying food from outside the region. If consumers purchased 25 percent of their food directly from local farmers, it would produce $33 million of new farm income every year. That would offset current farm losses.

"Local food systems may be the best path toward economic recovery in this country," Meter told a recent gathering of about 100 people in Viroqua. "A farm and food economic system should build health, wealth, connections and capacity.

"Our current food system fails on those goals. It separates people from those who produce the food. It creates wealth for some and not for others."

The current system -- based on large farming domestically and imports from China, Mexico, Chile and other countries -- treats farm products and food as commodities and doesn't look at the impact on those who produce the food and eat it, Meter maintains.

Meter's statistics present a rather sobering picture of the food system in America overall and Wisconsin. State farmers as a whole make about $1.9 billion less than they did in 1969, when figures are adjusted for inflation, Meter claims. Wisconsin farmers have suffered the fourth worst loss of income of any state in America, he said.

In the country, farm income in 2008 was less than it was in 1929, when adjusted for inflation, Meter said. "And 2008 was considered one of the best for farm incomes in recent history," he said.

The current farm and food system encourages farmers to borrow beyond their means and become as big as possible. Arizona and New Mexico, where huge feed lots have been established, are two states that have shown increases in farm income.

But large operations raise concerns about environmental impact and health, Meter maintains. Plus, there's evidence the large operations aren't sustainable over the long run, he adds.

The Wall Street Journal reported recently that the United States could be close to becoming a net food importer. "This is in a country where we have prided ourselves in farm country for years on being able to feed the world," Meter said.

Because of these flaws in the system, Meter claims momentum is building for local farm and food systems. If you survey Wisconsin, there's evidence backing him up.

The Farm Fresh Atlas has become a go-to directory for those seeking to link farmers and consumers in direct buying arrangements. It is published by the REAP (Research, Education, Action and Policy on Food) Group, the Dane County Farmers' Market, the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the Friends of the Dane County Farmers' Market.

You can find producers and markets for cheese and dairy, vegetables, fruit, eggs and many other goods. Farmers' markets around the state are listed. So are CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) groups through which consumers can receive weekly fresh produce and other foods for a membership fee. See more: http://www.farmfreshatlas.org

Madison is a hotbed for CSAs and other innovative farmer-to-consumer programs. Of course, the market on the Capitol Square has become a tradition.

The Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition is active in maintaining a list of participating farmers, publishing guidelines on how to cook farm-fresh produce and with the Partners Share Program, a program that helps lower income people afford organic produce.

One of the concerns about organic farm produce is that people with more expendable income have been the traditional buyers, Meter admitted. However, programs like Partners Share are very helpful, he said.

By no means are CFS and CSA programs only found in small towns, rural areas and the state capital. Milwaukee has its share of programs, too. The Milwaukee CSA Initiative links urban dwellers with farmers around southeastern Wisconsin for transactions at share fees that range from $20 to $25 per week. The Initiative also maintains a directory of area farmers, drop off sites and markets.

Perhaps the best known program in Milwaukee is Will Allen's Growing Powers Inc. Allen was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship for his work in the urban center. Using low-cost farming technologies, such as raised beds, aquaculture, and heating greenhouses through composting, Growing Power grows a vast amount of food year-round at a two-acre farm site within the Milwaukee city limits.

The organization has grown to other farm sites in and around the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. "We started locally and now do work internationally," Allen said in MacArthur Foundation video when he received his fellowship in 2008. "More than a million people die annually because of poor food. It's happening here in the inner cities. I believe no matter what their income, people deserve access to safe, affordable food, grown naturally."

Growing Power provides training on how to grow food and puts on workshops all over the country for children and adults.

Of course, in rural areas, CSAs are looked at as potential boosts to the local economy as well as a way of feeding people. Meter said the loss of farms hurts merchants and service businesses in the small towns in rural areas.

"It can have devastating effects on many areas of the local economy," Meter said of farm failures.

Schools often also are hurt. In some rural areas of Wisconsin, almost 50 percent of the students qualify for federally subsidized meals programs. Farm-to-school programs around the state have helped local farmers and school meal budgets.

Americorps and other organizations provide grants for schools that participate in farm-to-school programs.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection also has become more active in recent years in maintaining a statewide local food guide and providing grants. This past year, 94 applicants sought more than $3 million in grant money, but DATCP had only $225,000 to distribute.

Meter believes the demand for grants and other funding will continue to grow because momentum is building rapidly for a better farm and food system.

"More and more people want very healthy food that we know the source of," Meter said. "It's especially important in low income areas, inner cities and in farm country. The momentum is amazing. People are saying we need to change the system.

-- Hoffmann has written many columns and features for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com over the years. He will write the GreenBiz column monthly.

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