The 2009 Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit kicked off Tuesday at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee with many notable Wisconsin politicians and a keynote speaker from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The event featured speakers including Gov. Jim Doyle; Rep. David Obey, D-WI, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee; U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee; Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and keynote speaker James Hansen, director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

This year’s summit theme was Green Business Unlimited Economic Opportunity.

During his address to summit members, Doyle spoke about the opportunity the state has to make important changes regarding the way Wisconsin uses and produces energy as well as efforts the state has recently undergone to support efforts to harness energy from biofuels, according to Doyle spokesperson Lee Sensenbrenner.

“Wisconsin is not a coal or gas producing state, so for the most part, the energy we use is energy we import,” Sensenbrenner said. “We have a chance to change that model. Parts of [the governor’s] budget and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are going to be important.”

University projects at the state’s technical colleges and universities will also help the state develop renewable energy resources, Sensenbrenner added.

Support for renewable energy resources seems to cross party lines, as Senate Minority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, supports looking into various renewable technologies, according to spokesperson Kimberly Liedl.

“Granted, there are all sorts of different proposals out there,” Liedl said. “[Fitzgerald is] supportive of looking at different avenues and different technologies.”

The remainder of the seminar will feature speakers as well as exhibits on renewable energy and break out sessions where attendees will discuss everything from solar electric and wind energy to green businesses.;

According to Doug Reinemann, professor of biological systems engineering at the University of Wisconsin, solar hot water and wind energy are currently the most promising renewable energy applications both in Wisconsin and nationally.

“Wind is mainly being developed with large scale machines on wind farms being installed by electric utility companies,” Reinemann said in an e-mail to The Badger Herald. “Small scale wind costs three to five times more than large wind systems and is difficult to site in urban areas. Although the uptake on solar hot water has been low, it is the most economical option for residential application.”

A solar hot water system uses solar panels on the roof of a house to heat the water for things like showering and washing dishes. It can provide about half of the energy needed to heat water in a typical house, Reinemann added.

“Many utilities offer green power purchase options for residential customers,” Reinemann said. “Other electric utilities have programs in which customers can purchase up to 100 percent of their electricity from renewable energy production.”

The summit will last until March 28.