Rail Freight

Did you know that using trains for transport of freight is 100 times more effective then using trucks.
But not very good at moving people short distances (50 MI) so then tell me why so many experts
are all about light rail that does not break even and requires massive tax dollars.
The same experts do not support what has been proven to work and helps reduce hwy travel and amount of fuel used.
In Racine WI those in power are trying to force a lt rail system on Southeast Wisconsin well IMHO is just that nifty P/C cool thing that they can play with while the real benefits that a Freight System could bring to the entire area not just a few rich folks wanting something to feel good about

More Wind Power

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has placed an order for 22 wind turbine generators with Vestas for the proposed expansion of the utility's Wild Horse wind and solar facility. Delivery of the turbines and initial construction, after all approvals are received, is slated for mid-2009, with entry into commercial service by later that year. The turbine order accounts for the major portion of the proposed $100 million project.

"The turbines have proven themselves at our Wild Horse and Hopkins Ridge facilities in providing a reliable source of clean, renewable energy," says Kimberly Harris, executive vice president and chief resource officer for PSE. "Building on the success of Wild Horse makes sense for our customers and for the economy of the Kittitas Valley."

Vestas is the current supplier to Wild Horse and the utility's Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility in Dayton.

In addition to the turbine order, the Kittitas County board of commissioners voted at a public hearing to approve the expansion plan as a modification to the original 2005 site development agreement with the county. The planned expansion will result in 149 turbines and a capacity of 269 MW at Wild Horse – well within the original development agreement limits of 158 turbines and 312 MW. Currently, the wind facility has 127 turbines capable of producing 229 MW of electricity.

An environmental impact study for the project will be completed later this year, with final approval of the expansion plan expected by the state Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council in early 2009.

Rhiode Island goes with off shore wind

R.I. Governor Names Developer For Offshore Wind Farm

in News Departments > New & Noteworthy

by NAW staff on Friday 26 September 2008

Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, R-R.I., has announced that Deepwater Wind was chosen as the developer to construct a wind energy project off the shores of Rhode Island that will provide 1.3 million MWh per year of renewable energy annually - 15% of all electricity used in the state. It is expected that the project will cost in excess of $1 billion to construct, and the funds will come from private investment sources. A team of experts spent several months evaluating the detailed proposals submitted by seven development groups. Deepwater Wind was established to develop utility-scale offshore wind projects in the northeastern part of the U.S. The company's major investors are FirstWind, a major developer of onshore wind projects in the U.S.; D.E. Shaw & Co., a capital investment firm with deep experience in the energy sector, and Ospraie Management, an asset management firm with a focus on alternative energy markets. "This is much more than an energy project," says Carcieri. "This is about creating a new industry in Rhode Island - an industry that puts Rhode Island at the epicenter of the emerging alternative energy market. Deepwater Wind will help bring new economic activity, jobs and opportunity to Rhode Island. From construction through operation, Deepwater Wind projects will provide high-quality, green collar jobs. Further, Deepwater Wind's jacket foundations are the ideal cost-effective solution for the deeper waters in our region." Deepwater Wind has pledged a significant private investment in Rhode Island of approximately $1.5 billion with the construction of a regional manufacturing facility in Quonset, and creating up to 800 direct jobs, with annual wages of $60 million. The Quonset facility will manufacture support structures upon which the turbine and its tower are based. The exact location of the wind project will be determined from the results of the Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) permitting process led by the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council in partnership with URI's Graduate School of Oceanography. The state and Deepwater Wind will now enter a 90-day period to negotiate a formal development agreement. The final agreement will include the total commitment to Rhode Island made by Deepwater Wind, including the establishment of a manufacturing headquarters in the state and the reimbursement of the cost of the SAMP to the Renewable Energy Fund. In addition, the agreement will outline the preferred developer status for Deepwater Wind in the permitting process. Final approval of the project is contingent on multiple regulatory approvals from both the state and federal governments. SOURCE: Office of Gov. Donald L. Carcieri, Providence Plantations

Virtual Fair Report

9/26/08

Green Racine after looking at resources needed to do the very best job that the Virtual fairs would need made the difficult choice to end further planing of the Fairs until Green Racine obtains those resources.
We are in the debit of those who have volunteered to help with the planing and the project teams for the guidance given and work done.
As we network and find more assets to put to the virtual fairs we will then start again.

Thank you

Wayne Clingman
Green Racine

Kettle Foods Gets it

Salem, Ore.-based Kettle Foods says that it has yielded environmental and economic benefits by adopting measures that include offsetting all of the electricity used to operate both its Salem and Beloit factories with wind power. Additionally, the Beloit plant is home to 18 rooftop wind turbines.

"When we decided to go for green - or in this case, gold - with LEED certification of our new factory, we knew it was the right thing to do," says Tim Fallon, president of Kettle Foods' North American division.

The company also recycles of 2,300 gallons of waste oil with conversion to biodiesel used to power a company fleet of diesel-engine cars called BioBeetles, and reduces more than three million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions annually resulting from the elimination of shipping lines between Oregon and the Midwest.

Cindy S is NUTS!

Crazy Cindy hasn't had an actual job, you know, something that you do and get paid for in many, many years.

She tried writing books:

Her first book, published in December of 2005 is at Amazon.com Sales Rank: #841,307. Amazon.com Sales Rank: #841,308 is : The Official Patient's Sourcebook on Pancreatitis".

Her second book was published on April Fool's Day of 2006 is at Amazon.com Sales Rank: #468,712, just beating out "Practical HPLC Method Development, 2nd Edition" published in 1997.

Her put recent effort, published in September 2006, is currently showing Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,303,398. I haven't been able to find out which book is #1,303,399, but I'll bet it's a pip!

Surprisingly, ALL these books are in-stock!

Sheehan tried making paid speeches:

Read the "Breaking News" item below to see how that's working out lately.

What to do? What to do?

Why not run for Congress? Against political powerhouse Nancy Pelosi?

It meets all Cindy's needs: it brings in the dollars and keeps Crazy Cindy in the spotlight. It's a rather faint spotlight, though. The mainstream media began losing interest in her when the public got tired of hearing the same old rants, over and over and over. She screeched "No blood for oil!" So where's the oil? She demanded the troops be brought home. Instead of listening to her, Congress sent in still more troops and now even the far-left New York Times admits that the troop surge has worked and things in Iraq are improving. Again and again this slogan-chanting paste-eater has been proven wrong. Aside from a handful of anti-American socialist ass-hats, no one finds her lunatic ravings entertaining any more.

When Cindy began attacking the Democrats in office, The MSM dropped her like a hot potato. Now only the extreme fringe media covers her campaign. It's more of a flashlight with tired batteries and a spotlight on a stage. Cindy needs attention, so she has entered a race she knows she can't win. The upside is that it's bringing in the dollars.

According to the Huffington post, Sheehan claims she has raised more than $300,000 in campaign donations source. Where did the money go? Not for radio and TV ads. Not for ad space in magazines and newspapers. She lists her campaign headquarters as her residence address (many candidates do this, in all fairness).

When Sheehan announced her retirement from the anti-war movement, she said:

"I have spent every available cent I got from the money a "grateful" country gave me when they killed my son and every penny that I have received in speaking or book fees since then."

"...my hospital bills from last summer (when I almost died) are in collection because I have used all my energy trying to stop this country from slaughtering innocent human beings."

The hospital bills she mentions were for having her uterus removed. She buried it under a bush in Crawford, Texas."

Between Casey's private life insurance policy and the government death benefit, we're looking at a minimum of $300,000. She used part of that money to buy land in Texas that she later sold for a $34,000 profit!

Then there's the money she got from speaking engagements. Her fees ranged as high as $11,000 per appearance source, and her minimum was $600. She spoke at least 30 times between August of 2005 and August of 2006. That's a minimum of $28,400.

The books probably brought in at least another $50,000.

Grand total - $412,400!!!

For a long time she lived rent-free, first at a friend's apartment in Berkeley and then at "Camp Casey" in Crawford. It's clear that she doesn't spend a lot on clothes or make-up. And she didn't spend it on her medical bills, that much we know.

Assuming that she had absolutely ZERO income after August 2006, she blew about $137,000 per year! WHERE'S THE MONEY, CINDY???

So now, here's Cindy, broke, by her own admission, asking for money, to run in an election she cannot possibly win. Maybe she learned something after watching Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton run for the White House? Hmmmmmm...

Wind Heros

The Wind Coalition has announced the recipients of its first annual Wind Champions awards, recognizing policy-makers in Texas who have had an impact on growing the burgeoning wind energy industry in the state.

The coalition issued several awards, including a legacy award for policy-makers that demonstrated vision and were principally responsible for the state policy that allowed for the growth of the wind industry; a champion award for policy-makers who took a leadership role during the renewable energy debate and/or filed key legislation to expand the wind energy marketplace; and an outstanding supporter award to recognize the dozens of policy makers who not only voted favorable on wind energy issues, but who took an advocacy role in encouraging the industry's growth - such as supporting CREZ and issuing public comments in support of wind energy, and economic and environmental policies conducive to the growth of the industry.

Recipients of the award are:

Legacy supporters: Gov. Rick Perry, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, PUC Chairman Barry Smitherman, former PUC Commissioner Paul Hudson, Senator Troy Fraser, Senator Kim Brimer, Representative David Swinford, Representative Phil King, and Representative Mark Strama.

Champion supporters: Sens. Kip Averitt, Kel Seliger, Leticia Van de Putte, Judith Zaffirini, Kirk Watson and Rep. Warren Chisum.

Outstanding supporters: Sens. Robert Duncan, Craig Estes, Rodney Ellis, Kevin Eltife and Carlos Uresti. Representatives Alma Allen, Rafael Anchia, Doc Anderson, Dan Barrett, Leo Berman, Dwayne Bohac, Valinda Bolton, Dan Branch, Lon Burnam, Joaquin Castro, Wayne Christian, Ellen Cohen, Garnet Coleman, Drew Darby, Yvonne Davis, Joe Deshotel, Dawnna Dukes, Jim Dunnam, Harold Dutton, Kirk England, David Farabee, Dan Flynn, Stephen Frost, Pete Gallego, Juan Garcia, Ryan Guillen, Rick Hardcastle, Linda Harper-Brown, Joe Heflin, Ana Hernandez, Scott Hochberg, Donna Howard, Carl Isett, Delwin Jones, Ruth Jones McClendon, Susan King, David Leibowitz, Eddie Lucio, III, Jerry Madden, Trey Martinez-Fischer, Brian McCall, Jose Menendez, Elliott Naishtat, Rene Oliveira, Dora Olivo, Solomon Ortiz, Ken Paxton, Paula Pierson, Jim Pitts, Eddie Rodriguez, Patrick Rose, John Smithee, Joe Straus, Larry Taylor, Sylvester Turner, Corbin Van Arsdale, Allen Vaught, Marc Veasey, Mike Villarreal, Hubert Vo and Bill Zedler.

SOURCE: Wind Coalition