HELP US SHAPE OUR FUTURE

Unleashing the potential:

The future of energy in Michigan

You can preview Michigan’s energy future and explore the options our state has for a more stable energy economy at a special energy conference Thursday, October 20.

Held at Lansing’s Radisson Hotel, the conference will focus on three topics: energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies, and energy policy/finance. All topics include successful local and national energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, and the potential for applying them in Michigan.

Sessions will discuss the renewable energy portfolio standard, a Michigan energy policy update, project financing, biomass applications and more.

To register on the Web, click here. The Energy Conference is sponsored by the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, Urban Options and the State of Michigan Energy Office.

The BWL is planning for the future and we’d like some help from our customers.

In technical jargon, we’re preparing an Integrated Resource Plan, or IRP. In simple terms it’s a plan for meeting the needs of our electric and steam customers over the next 20 years.

The plan will evaluate a full range of alternatives for meeting our customers’ energy needs. It will take into consideration such things as the adequacy of current electric and steam generating facilities, the expected impact of environmental regulations, the role of conservation and energy efficiency, producing and delivering energy economically, and the relative importance of relying on locally owned and operated facilities to meet the needs of our customers.

In some ways the IRP will be highly technical and will rely on the expertise of specialists and consultants. But all the specialists and consultants in the world can’t tell us what’s important to the members of the Lansing community. And, that’s where our customers come in.

That’s why we plan to form a citizen advisory committee to help put together the IRP. At meetings in October and November, committee members will be asked to express community values concerning price, reliability, environmental concerns, and other issues they think are important to consider in the planning process.

We’ll recruit eight to ten members from the community to serve. Half will be selected at random from all customers who volunteer. The rest will be recruited to ensure representation of customer diversity.

All BWL residential, commercial and industrial electric customers are invited to submit their names by mail, phone or e-mail to serve on our citizens advisory committee. The deadline for receiving applications is Wednesday, October 5.

Please contact Jan Simpson at the BWL to submit your name. You can send your application through the mail at P.O. Box 13007, Lansing, MI 48901. You can phone during regular business hours at 702-6679, or e-mail her at jan@lbwl.com. Please include:

· your name

· home address

· home phone number

· work phone number (if applicable)

· e-mail address (if applicable)

 WESTSIDE HOME TOUR

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9

Ten Westside neighborhood homes will open their doors to visitors for the 11th annual Westside Home Tour Sunday, October 9 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s tour homes include eight homes from the 1920s, a classic 1950 tri-level, and a new home built this year by Habitat for Humanity volunteers.

Tickets are $15 and proceeds benefit Advent House Ministries and the Westside Neighborhood Association. Advance tickets are available from Advent House at 485-4722 and at other community locations. On the day of the event you can buy tour tickets at Fire Station #7 located at the corner of Saginaw and Jenison Streets, or at Letts Community Center, 1220 West Kalamazoo.

Click here for a preview of homes and more information.

Unleashing the potential:

Wind energy in Michigan

The following day, October 21, the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association and the U.S. Department of Energy will present a conference focusing on advances in wind energy.

Also held at Lansing’s Radisson Hotel, the conference will provide attendees with information on the advancement of wind energy use, successful wind energy programs, and steps Michigan can take to implement wind energy technologies. For more information call 1-800-434-9788, or click here to register online.

SAVE MONEY NEXT YEAR

ON OUTDOOR WATER USE

The outdoor lawn sprinkling season is almost behind us, but if high water bills have you concerned, there’s a solution that could help you lower your future lawn sprinkling costs.

City of Lansing customers can save lots of money on outdoor water use by installing a separate water meter that measures the water you use outdoors. Here’s why.

City of Lansing sewer bills are based on the amount of water you use each month, even water used outdoors which, for the most part, doesn’t enter the sanitary sewer system. With sewer charges accounting for about two-thirds of a combined water and sewer bill, that can add up to big bucks for those who water their lawns a lot.

Under a City of Lansing ordinance, most sewer charges are eliminated for water that’s used outdoors and doesn’t directly enter the sanitary sewer system. To qualify for this exemption, you’ll need to install a separate meter that measures water used outdoors, and your plumbing system must isolate pipes carrying water for outdoor use.

The BWL will install the separate meter for a one-time charge of $500. A qualified plumber can help with any required adjustments to your interior plumbing.

How much you save depends on how much outdoor water you use, but for customers who water their lawns frequently during summer months, savings could exceed $600 per year. If you’re a City of Lansing customer and would like to take advantage of this service, call our customer service department at 702-6006.