"These increases peaked on the hottest days of the summer, the very same days that citizens were most at risk from smog pollution," says Sam Gieryn, community organizer for Wisconsin's Environmental Decade.
The power shortage was due primarily to the temporary shutdown of Wisconsin's last two operating nuclear power plants - down for recurring maintenance problems - and also in part to a system wide decrease in energy conservation efforts by Wisconsin's electric companies. Between 1993 and 1995, Wisconsin utilities' investments in energy conservation dropped from $144 million to $73 million - a decrease of almost 50%. Wisconsin Electric Co. (WEPCO), which serves most of Southeast Wisconsin, dropped its once substantial conservation investments by 60%!
"When you consider that it is much cheaper to meet energy demands by conserving energy rather than purchasing it on the open market, as Wisconsin Electric Corp. (WEPCO) was forced to do this year, you would expect that electric utilities would prepare for possible shortages by conserving as much power as possible," said Gieryn. "But instead WEPCO reduced its efforts, falling far short of goals set by the Public Service Commission (PSC)."
A recently released report by Wisconsin's Environmental Decade suggests that WEPCO could have had more than 100 megawatts (MW) available to meet the summer shortage if it had maintained its conservation efforts at 1993 levels. With 100MW of additional power available, it is unlikely that anyone would have needed to be cut off, even voluntarily.
Wisconsin's nuclear plants are rapidly approaching the end of their useful life and will leave a huge gap in the power supply of our state. With energy use rising by 2% per year and the onset of retail competition making out-of-state sales of electricity likely to increase, our power resources will be considerably strained. "Utility companies should be working hard to conserve energy, manage their energy resources more efficiently and develop new sources of clean, economical power," says Gieryn. "But instead they are rapidly cutting employees and services in preparation for retail competition, at the expense of the consumer and the public."
Electric utilities in Wisconsin - which rely heavily on coal burning plants - are currently the source of 64% of the total regulated air pollutant emissions in our state. Their contribution includes one third of the key ingredient in ozone - nitrogen oxides (NOx). Ozone has plagued Southeast Wisconsin's air quality for more than two decades. In 1994, researchers with the Wisconsin Division of Health stated that ozone was decreasing lung function and contributing to long term respiratory illness on approximately 15-20 days per year.
Utilities in Wisconsin also emit almost 2/3's of the state's sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions, which create acid rain and contain minute sulfate particles harmful to human health. Scientists are becoming increasingly certain that sulfate and other fine particulates are responsible for increased mortality at levels well below current federal standards.
And in March of 1997, WEPCO purchased credits under the Clean Air Act emissions trading program, allowing them to exceed their share of a nationwide SO2 emissions cap by 1,475 tons per year.
Wisconsin sportsmen are increasingly alarmed about the link between coal fired power plants and mercury contamination in state gamefish. The DNR's Health Advisory for People Who Eat Gamefish from Wisconsin Waters now lists 305 lakes and river segments where people are warned to not eat or limit consumption of walleyes and other popular game species because of high levels of mercury.
Emissions inventories in Wisconsin show that almost 40% of airborne mercury emissions come from coal burning power plants. The Wisconsin Council of Sportfishing Organizations has spoken out against mercury contamination from electric utilities and opposes changes in utility regulations that will allow more mercury and other emissions.
We have a wide range of options for meeting the energy crunch effectively, including conservation, alternative fuels, cogeneration (capturing the steam from electric production for heating uses), and baseload natural gas plants. Policy makers seem to agree that developing these alternative resources will help to lower future energy costs, stabilize supplies, develop Wisconsin's economy, and reduce pollution. The Public Benefits Fund is one way we can make this happen.
But accomplishing this will require the political will to make a major industry do something significant. Our utility companies need to continue to invest wisely for the future, not just comply with the whims of the competitive market.
You can help by contacting your state legislator and voicing your concerns.
Its Easy!
Just call the legislative hotline (1-800-362-9472) during normal business hours to find out the name and phone number or address of your state legislator. Be sure and ask for the new individual toll free number that each legislator now has for their office. Then call or write them directly.
Or, you can send your legislator and email message by clicking here to find his or her address.
Your views are important to legislators. Most legislators view one concerned caller as representing 10-20 votes!
If you write a letter, send one to your daily newspaper as well!