Rising Diesel Prices Fuel Higher Electric Rates

Friday, April 15, 2011

For immediate release
April 15, 2011

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RENEW Wisconsin
Michael Vickerman
608.255.4044
mvickerman@renewwisconsin.org

We Energies Customers Will Pay the Higher Cost of Hauling Coal

We Energies’ electricity customers can look forward to coughing up an additional $25 million in 2011 due to the Public Service Commission’s approval yesterday [April14] of a rate increase to cover the escalating cost of transporting coal to Wisconsin power plants.

Milwaukee-based We Energies, Wisconsin’s largest electric utility, imports coal from such distant locations as Wyoming and Pennsylvania to generate electricity. Transportation now accounts for two-thirds of the delivered cost of coal to Wisconsin.

Diesel fuel costs have jumped to approximately $4.00 a gallon this year, propelled by political unrest in the Middle East, declining petroleum output from Mexico, a weakening dollar, and other factors. We Energies’ request predated the ongoing civil war in Libya.

“While we cannot control any of those price drivers, we can more effectively cushion their effects by diversifying our energy generation mix with locally produced wind, solar, small hydro, and biogas electricity,” said Michael Vickerman, executive director of RENEW Wisconsin, a statewide organization advocating for public policies and private initiatives that advance renewable energy.

“The coal mines aren’t getting any closer to Wisconsin. Therefore we have to be serious about reducing our dependence on fossil fuels that are tied to the global oil supply picture. Now is not the time to skimp on investments in conservation and renewable energy that will help stabilize the utility bills of businesses and residents,” Vickerman said.

“Do we have the will to pursue energy policies that take us off of the fossil fuel price escalator? Doing nothing will bake these rate increases into our future without any corresponding boost to Wisconsin’s job market and sustainable energy economy.”

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Feds allocate more dollars for Chicago-to-Twin Cites rail

Thursday, October 28, 2010

From an article in BizTimes:

The federal government is allocating another $2.4 billion for high-speed rail projects across the country, on top of the $8 billion for high speed rail that was previously announced as part of the federal stimulus act, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced today.

The additional high-speed rail funds will include $44 million for the Chicago-to-Twin Cities corridor, on top of the $822 million that was allocated for the corridor earlier this year, including $810 million for the controversial Milwaukee to Madison line.

The additional $44 million for the Chicago-to-Twin Cities corridor includes $3.7 million to replace two rail bridges between Chicago and Milwaukee that will allow for higher-speed trains to travel between the two cities. The Department of Transportation announcement did not say where the bridges are located, but a recent Chicago Tribune report said the bridges are in Wadsworth, Ill.

Who should vote on commuter rail sales tax?

Thursday, July 15, 2010

From an article by Matthew DeFour in the Wisconsin State Journal:

Some Dane County Board members are pushing to hold a countywide referendum this November asking voters to approve a half-cent sales tax to pay for commuter rail.

The proposal, which board Chairman Scott McDonell said will not be able to get enough support to move forward, comes after County Clerk Bob Ohlsen said his office won’t be ready to hold a Regional Transit Authority referendum this fall.

Madison and county officials have long promised to hold an advisory referendum before raising taxes in the Regional Transit Authority area to pay for local transit. But holding a referendum is not easy because any RTA referendum would only appear on ballots within the RTA area, which includes seven cities (except a small part of Fitchburg), five villages, four entire towns and parts of 11 other towns.

That means the state’s Government Accountability Board has to create a new voting district, and after that the county clerk’s office must compile the names of eligible voters and prepare additional ballots, while making regular election preparations.

“From what I’m hearing from the clerk’s office it would be very difficult if not impossible to have the voter file ready by the fall election,” RTA board Chairman Dick Wagner said.

Railroad chief makes the case for federal stimulus for freight rail, too

Monday, February 15, 2010

From an article by Jane Burns in the Wisconsin State Journal:

There's been much talk about passenger rail lately. But Bill Gardner is trying to get people to talk about freight rail, too.

The president and CEO of Wisconsin & Southern Railroad has spent the past year speaking to federal and state elected officials and community leaders about his plan to spur economic growth if federal stimulus dollars are earmarked for freight rail improvements.

Gardner proposes that with $90 million, three sections of state-owned track could be repaired. The sections, totaling some 91 miles, are between Madison and Whitewater; Brodhead and Avalon through Janesville in Rock County; and between Slinger and North Milwaukee.

"We heard (President Barack) Obama was ready to do some shovel-ready projects," Gardner said. "We can have this thing up and running in less than 90 days. We're ready to go to fix a state-owned property."

Wisconsin & Southern Railroad is a Class 2 regional railroad that operates 600 miles of track it leases from the state and another 100 miles of privately leased track. While the railroad is responsible for routine maintenance of the system, capital improvements such as track upgrades are a joint effort by the railroad, the state and 18 Wisconsin counties that are part of rail transit commissions.

Gardner says he has met with representatives of Gov. Jim Doyle, Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl, and Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan.

Ron Adams of the state Department of Transportation said he didn't think there is any money left from the federal stimulus package, as the state DOT earmarked the $529 million it was granted to local governments for road and bridge projects. In addition, the state was awarded $810 million in stimulus money for high-speed passenger rail.

"There's certainly talk of a subsequent bill that might have stimulus implications but we don't know what might be eligible," Adams said. "But Bill is certainly making the pitch that he's got work that can be done and started very quickly."

Minnesota gets on board for rail plan

Monday, January 04, 2010

From an article by Bob Von Sternberg in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune:
The much-touted high-speed rail line between the Twin Cities and Chicago reached an important milestone Thursday with the release of Minnesota's final statewide rail plan.

The plan, released by state transportation officials, doesn't resolve the knottiest political hurdle about the rail line: Its route through southeastern Minnesota.

It does, however, put the state on record supporting a project that could cost several billion dollars.

According to the plan, freight and passenger rail 20-year capital costs could range from $6.2 billion, with nearly two-thirds of that provided by federal, state and local government. The Twin Cities-Chicago line is expected to top $1 billion alone.

The plan was ordered last year by the state Legislature, well before a scramble erupted in many states to push their own high-speed rail plans. That was triggered by the infusion of $8 billion in federal stimulus money specifically earmarked for such rail lines nationwide.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty, previously not a big advocate of high- speed rail, endorsed the Twin Cities-Chicago route last spring.

The plan recommends that both St. Paul and Minneapolis would have stops on the line.

But the transportation department, for now, hasn't endorse a route through southeastern Minnesota that has pitted local officials against each other

Rail opponents want spring referendum

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

From an article by Paul Snyder in The Daily Reporter:

Dane County Supervisor Eileen Bruskewitz has introduced a resolution to the County Board for an advisory referendum in spring 2010 asking whether Dane County should have commuter rail.

She said she was prompted to ask for the referendum after hearing from many residents upset about the county’s creation last month of an RTA.

“People are furious they haven’t been given a voice in this yet,” Bruskewitz said.

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk and four RTA-area mayors last week announced their appointments to the newly created RTA.

One of the appointments, Steve Hiniker, executive director of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, said any referendum at this early point is irresponsible.

“We’re going to be making decisions on allocating money for bus systems, and perhaps how commuter rail fits into that equation,” he said. “But I wouldn’t go in tomorrow or in spring saying we need a referendum.”

First look at Yahara Station proposal

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

From an e-mail sent by Robbie Webber:

(Thursday) at the Long Range Transportation Plan Commission, we will have a first look at a proposal for Yahara Station, a possible intercity transit center. This location would be 1.7 miles from the Capitol, between E Johnson and E Washington just east of the Yahara River. It would allow connection with 14 Metro routes, the proposed Dane County commuter rail line, and is very pedestrian and bicycle
friendly.

This is an information-only session, so no decision will be made.

Nothing but yawns over $43M for five miles of road

Friday, August 28, 2009

From a commentary by Dave Zweifel in The Capital Times:

The news earlier this month that the five-mile stretch of Interstate 94 from its junction with I-90-39 east to the Cottage Grove exit will immediately be expanded from four to six lanes caused barely a ripple.

I point this out because those five miles will eat up $43 million in federal stimulus money to make it faster and more convenient for cars and trucks to travel those five miles -- about the cost, coincidentally, of the $47 million that Gov. Jim Doyle has decided to spend on two high-speed train sets that he hopes someday soon will speed passengers from Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison and back.

While tens of millions being spent to widen an already wide ribbon of concrete drew nothing but yawns, Doyle was beat over the head by Republican legislators, talk radio and several newspaper editorials for signing a deal with a Spanish firm to provide the trains and open a maintenance facility in the state.

But such has been the fate of passenger rail for decades now. The naysayers proclaim that we don't want to "waste" money on train travel, sounding as if we don't waste money on wider highways that only encourage more inefficient travel by automobile. To paraphrase the admonition in "Field of Dreams" -- build those highways and they will come. Just look at the relatively new South Beltline here in Madison: gridlock nearly every day in the morning and early evening.

Where should the Madison train station go?

Thursday, August 13, 2009

An article by Jeramey Jannene in Urban Milwaukee gives a Milwaukeean's point of view:

Things look good for high-speed rail (110mph max speed) to be connecting Milwaukee and Madison courtesy of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The state has actively drafted plans for the route and conducted environmental assessments to put Wisconsin as close to first in line as possible if and when capital funding were to become available. The stimulus package provides just the perfect opportunity.

While we won’t know if Wisconsin gets the funds until the final months of the year at the earliest, the announcement that Talgo will locate in Wisconsin and that $47 million in train equipment will be purchased from Talgo seems to indicate that Governor Doyle is either extremely confident we’ll get the money, or has received a verbal promise.

Milwaukee has recently invested in an excellent, centrally-located intermodal station that will provide an excellent hub on the line. The Milwaukee Intermodal Station itself is near a number of bus transit routes, will likely be served by the coming streetcar, and is even within walking distance of numerous destinations. It also features a lot of available, low-cost parking, which encourages many to take the Amtrak Hiawatha to Chicago from further off neighborhoods and suburbs. Also important, the development potential of the site is limited only the looming presence of Interstate 794, something that eventually be overcome. . . .

What does Madison have? Well at the moment, nothing. The plan is, however, for the stop to be located at the Dane County Airport in Madison.

What does the airport provide in terms of opportunity? For starters at least a $12 cab ride to the Capitol. Sure it provides parking, but at a cost greater than the parking in an urban location in Milwaukee.

There are few to no development opportunities at the airport itself, which of course enforces building height restrictions. The proposed station site is a big parking lot shared with the airport that can never be developed, and it is constrained by a creek and other wetlands. Without connections to an urban context or a street grid, walking to the station will never happen, and taking a bus isn’t much better. The current single bus route that serves the airport requires a transfer at Madison Metro’s North Transfer Point to reach downtown.