https://www.sj-r.com/story/news/politics/state/2020/06/04/cwlp-could-become-worldrsquos-largest-carbon-capture-research-station/114279824/

City Water, Light & Power is on path for constructing the world’s largest research and development pilot for a new carbon capture system.

The U.S. Department of Energy had about 30 responses from power plants across the country when it initially proposed the idea about three years ago. The DOE has narrowed it down to about five competitors – CWLP being one.

While CWLP is not guaranteed to host the pilot system, Kevin OBrien, director of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center at the University of Illinois, and the principle investigator overseeing the project, said DOE is “very impressed by the team,” and by CWLP’s facility.

“They toured the plant, they feel it’s a very, very well-run plant and they’re impressed by that, and that’s an important factor when you’re competing for these types of projects. So there’s no guarantee, but we think we’ve got a really high probability of winning this one,” OBrien said.

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Go there and read. Then write letters to the Mayor and the City Council condeming the idea. More next week.

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The post Springfield Wants To Keep Burning Coal – They have come up with an insidious way to do it appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

http://www.illinoispeoplesaction.org/uploads/1/2/6/2/12620849/update-_kill_sb_1585.pdf

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Go there and read. More important, do everything they say and show up at the State Capitol if you can. More next week.

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The post Illinois Senate SB 1585 Is A Bad Bill – It is worse than the original bill appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

http://www.sj-r.com/article/20140802/News/140809877

Wind power drives demand for new transmission lines

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The post I Think Clean Energy Transmission Lines Are Splendid – But there are the classic complaints appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

Thursday, April 11,2013

Letters to the Editor 4/11/13

Fracking and litter control act

By Letters to the Editor

FRACKING STINKS

I am writing to argue for a moratorium against fracking in Illinois (SB 1418). Chicago environmentalists argue that “fracking is going to happen anyway.” That is a total capitulation to the industry. The bill that the environmentalists endorse (HB2615) is amazing in the things it does not prevent. It does not force the frackers to recycle their water, allows for methane flaring, allows wells within 300 feet of water sources, allows wells within 500 feet of a house, does not allow adequate testing of produced waters especially for radiation and then allows that waste to be deep well injected and finally allows for the state to overrule counties and municipalities who do not want fracking or more protective measures.

Many states have tried to establish hydraulic fracturing regulations that would allow the industry to drill safely. The problem is regulations do not work. The industry always violates the regulations and when caught pays the fine as part of standard operating procedure. These violations include injecting radioactive water underground, open pit storage of fracking and waste waters even where not permitted, the production of toxic fumes and the sickening of residents, well water contamination and the direct dumping of toxic water into springs and streams. They have gone so far as to sell toxic water to county townships to suppress dust in the summer and to de-ice roads in the winter as if that was safe. Homeowners are duped into selling mineral rights without being told that it will make their houses impossible to sell and wreck their mortgages. In Pennsylvania their violations include:

– 224 violations of “failure to properly store, transport, process or dispose of residual waste.”

– 143 violations of “discharge of pollutional material to the waters of Commonwealth.”

– 140 violations of “pit and tanks not constructed with sufficient capacity to contain pollutional substances.”

This does not include the actual damage that they do to the environment, like damaging the roads where they work, and flaring the natural gas that should be harnessed as a fuel source and the constant noise pollution that the above activities produce. I was visiting a friend in Colorado when such a well was put in and the noise and smell alone were enough to sicken me.

Doug Nicodemus
Riverton
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Go there and read. They did a whole 5 page article on the issue. More later.

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The post Fracking Should Be Banned In Illinois – But apparently the frackers have decided to forge ahead appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Roselawn-Memorial-Park/121946907815445

http://www.roselawninfo.com/

And here is a great little write up on them:

http://wakethememory.com/blog/category/cemeteries/

Are There Green Cemeteries in Illinois?

I am happy to report that the answer is finally, YES!

The Green Burial Council in California recently approved Roselawn Memorial Park for green burials. You can now be buried in Illinois without a casket, without embalming, without anything but a shroud if you want.

I do not personally think that a green burial ground has to be approved by the Green Burial Council, but they have some strict standards that make sense, and their mission is great. In a previous life, I worked in the architectural world, and saw first-hand what it was like dealing with the logistics of becoming LEED certified, and know how hard it can be. Additionally, it is very expensive to become “Certified Organic”. I think it’s worthwhile to recognize any cemetery or burial product willing to become more natural, and I will support any company that tries to be better.

Here is their information. They do not seem to have a working website yet. I will keep you posted and update after I contact them directly.

Roselawn Memorial Park – Hybrid Cemetery
924 South 6th Street
Springfield IL 62703
217/525.1661

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Go there and read. More tomorrow.

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The post Green Burials In Springfield IL – I love these women appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

http://www.cwlp.com/energy_services/ESO_services_programs/solar_reb.htm

SOLAR REWARDS Rebate

CWLP’s SOLAR REWARDS program offers rebates of up to $15,000 per household or business to CWLP electric customers who install solar electric—also known as photovoltaic (PV)—systems at their residential or commercial facilities. To qualify for participation in the program, customers must meet all eligibility criteria, including being pre-approved prior to purchasing any equipment or starting any work.

The SOLAR REWARDS rebate program is being offered on a first-come/first-served basis until funds budgeted for the program are exhausted. The rebate is calculated at $1,500 per kilowatt (kW) of system capacity. Qualifying systems can range from a minimum of 0.5 kW to a maximum of 25 kW. Rebates will be provided in the form of a CWLP bill credit. For rebates exceeding $1,000, applicants may request their rebate payment in the form of a check, but must provide CWLP with their social security number or FEIN number. Customers have 90 days from the date of their pre-approved application to complete their PV system installation and submit their post-installation documentation to CWLP. Failing to either meet this deadline or receive a deadline extension from CWLP will result in the loss of rebate eligibility.

To apply to participate in the SOLAR REWARDS Rebate Program, use the Pre-Approval Application in the online SOLAR REWARDS Application Packet. To request a hard copy of the Packet, contact the CWLP Energy Services Office by phone at 789-2070 or by email.

Photovoltaic systems convert energy from the sun into electricity using panels that are installed to take maximum benefit of available sunlight. Some systems are even designed to allow the panels to “track” the sun throughout the day. The lifespan of a typical PV panel is approximately 25 years.

Using solar energy can help homeowners and businesses reduce consumption of fossil fuels and lower their monthly energy bills by reducing the amount of electricity purchased from CWLP. (View photos of a sampling of PV systems that have been installed in Springfield.)

Residential applicants can combine CWLP’s SOLAR REWARDS rebate with Federal tax credits or State of Illinois incentives to make solar a more affordable renewable resource option.

For more information about the SOLAR REWARDS Rebate Program or about photovoltaic systems, contact the CWLP Energy Services Office at 789-2070 or nrgxprts@cwlp.com.

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More tomorrow.

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The post CWLP Offers 15,000 $$$ Solar Rebate – Home owners should move fast appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-9550-ameren-illinois-launches-10-year-modernization-plan.html

Thursday, January 12,2012

Ameren Illinois launches 10-year modernization plan

Proposed new rates could mean a decrease for some customers

By Neil Schneider

Ameren Illinois, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, took its first step in implementing its Modernization Action Plan (MAP) on Tuesday, Jan.3. The plan will provide customers with a more reliable and modernized electric distribution system.

In a press release, Ameren said that over the next decade an additional $625 million will be invested in updating the Ameren Illinois electric delivery system, while also creating 450 new jobs during the program’s peak year. Ameren Illinois serves 20,767 customers in Sangamon County.

“Today’s filing with the Illinois Commerce Commission marks the beginning of an initiative that will enable Ameren Illinois to modernize its electric distribution system over the next 10 years in order to meet the service expectations of our customers in the 21st century,” said Craig Nelson, senior vice president of Ameren Illinois.

The filing includes the deployment of about 750,000 automated “smart” meters, greater use of advanced distribution system automation, the modernization and expansion of electric substations and the installation of new transformers.

Smart meters allow consumers and utility companies to monitor electricity more closely during the day through the usage of wireless transmitters, while also allowing a utility company to “talk” to the meters and adjust power usage and distribution throughout the day.

Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris said that a major advantage of the “smart” meters is Ameren customers will be able to take advantage of a “time-of-use service.”

Morris said that there is the potential, for people who choose to use the “time-of-use service” to save money.

“Customers can choose to buy electricity at a certain time of the day, at the certain price it is offered at during that time,” Morris said. “You can imagine that electricity is typically going to cost more at three in the afternoon than at seven in the morning. Like anything else, it is about supply and demand.”

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Go there and read. More next week.

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The post Ameren’s Plan For A Smart Grid – What a joke appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

http://www.sj-r.com/top-stories/x1627418028/LLCC-programs-offer-free-training-in-green-industry

LLCC programs offer free training in ‘green’ industry

Lincoln Land Community College expects to begin training about two dozen students for “green” jobs  early next year through two pilot programs made possible by $600,000 in federal training grants.

The Renewable Energy Academy and the Green Construction Academy will provide intensive training — classes are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday — for jobs in renewable energy and energy-efficient building.

“We are looking at a lot of new skills and jobs that have not been there in the past,” Julie Rourke, LLCC director of workforce development, said Thursday.

The renewable-energy classes are scheduled to begin Jan. 9 and the classes in green construction on Feb. 13. Both continue into mid-June.

Rourke said the school hopes to enroll 15 students in renewable energy and 12 in green construction. There will be no cost to the first group of students, because the federal grants are paying for the expense of setting up the program, including equipment.

But she said the four-days-a-week schedule will take a strong commitment.

“It’s set up that way for a reason. One is the grant period,” said Rourke. “The other is that we expect a lot of non-traditional students who may be transitioning from one career to another, and there’s an urgency to get them back in the work force.”

The grants, $350,000 from the U.S. Department of Education and $250,000 from the U.S. Department of Labor, were awarded through the LLCC HIRE Education program. The goal is to make the classes self-sustaining once the grants expire at the end of 2012.

LLCC Green Center manager Julie Bates said classes will cover a variety of renewable-energy and energy-efficiency skills, including solar, small wind systems, geothermal, green construction, plumbing and heating, landscaping and site planning.

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More tomorrow.

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The post LLCC Green Center Coming Soon – It should help the area out a lot appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

That is Aaron Ridenour of PPI. According to him, they originally got the Wall to take to there members Board Members meeting but since then it has been to North Dakota, Kansas and Washington DC. They were actually in a Senate Hearing concerning a Coops Bill.

Here is what they say about it:

http://www.ppi.coop/environmental/energy-efficiency/

tilized by PPI and its member cooperatives over the past few years. The sixteen foot “Energy Efficiency Walls” illustrate various opportunities for air infiltration or leakage within the common home due to poor construction practices and materials. The displays address: energy efficient construction practices and materials, and energy efficient equipment and technologies. The proper use of caulking around penetration points in the home’s external walls, such as window and door openings, gas, water, AC and heating system fuel lines and ventilation systems, and the selection and installation of energy efficient insulation materials, ventilation equipment and lighting systems are just a few of the energy efficient items illustrated in the Walls. Utilizing the displays at member cooperatives’ annual membership meetings, NRECA and Touchstone Energy regional events, community college workshops and educational classes, … homebuilder shows, county fairs, legislative briefings in Washington DC to promote energy efficiency loan programs and other events, … over 400,000 consumers have been exposed to the educational opportunities of the Energy Efficiency Walls since 2009.

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More tomorrow.

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The post I Never Miss The State Fair – But sometimes it require grit appeared first on Community Energy Systems.

http://www.agr.state.il.us/isf/

CARNIVAL SPECIAL
NEW THIS YEAR- The Illinois State Fair will be offering Bargain Bracelets for all rides (excluding Giant Slide and SkyGlide). It will be conveniently available for purchase at the Carnival and Adventure Village when you arrive to enjoy the fair. This Bargain Bracelet will replace Children’s Miracle Network Wristbands.

Grandstand reserved seats and track tickets on sale Saturday, April 30, 2011, 10:00 a.m. at ticketmaster.com and Ticketmaster Phone centers (800-745-3000, TTY-800-359-2525) and all Ticketmaster outlets. Grandstand ticket office will accept Mail Orders starting Monday, May 30, 2011. Grandstand box office will open for walk-up sales starting June 4, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. All adults and children 3 years of age and older MUST have a ticket for Concerts.MAIL ORDER WILL BE ACCEPTED – after May 30, 2011 at: The Illinois State Fair Ticket Office, P.O. Box 19427, Springfield, IL 62794-9427.

Order tickets via U.S. mail with our order form.

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More tomorrow maybe.

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The post Going To The Illinois State Fair Today – Post Wednesday maybe appeared first on Community Energy Systems.