T. Boone Pickens a/k/a Mesa Power a/k/a AWA Goodhue’s helicopter and and an eagle captured on video.  This is the N144BH helicopter, which, upon information and belief, is owned by “Brainerd Helicopter Service.”

What on earth do they think they’re doing? Check the video and see for yourself:

Scott Logan caught this on video, way to go!

Complaints — a few things you can do, I’d recommend all of them:
1) Contact the Sheriff, either 911 or (651)385-3155
2) There’s a complaint procedure established by the PUC

PUC Complaint Process

Essentially, BOTH email a complaint to DOC.energypermitcompliance@state.mn.us
and mail to:

AWA Goodhue, LLC
706 2nd Avenue South, Suite 1200
Minneapolis, MN 55402

3) Call the FAA’s Flight Stand District Office to make a complaint 612-713-4211 (when I clicked on the contact link, I got a different number, 612-253-4400). Here’s the “email link.“

Info about how to make FAA Complaint:
FAA Low flying Aircraft Complaints

4) File on PUC’s AWA Goodhue Siting Docket - at www.puc.state.mn.us and then to Efiling, then eFile to docket 08-1233.

Meanwhile, AWA Goodhue is alleging in its Avian and Bat Protection Plan that there IS eagle baiting going on, and have made reports to the Board of Animal Health. AVIAN AND BAT PROTECTION PLAN (see p. 10-11)

“To make the blanket statement that this is being done to bait eagles, I’m not ready to make that statement,” Denkinger said.

That’s funny — the ABPP

.

T. Boone Pickens , a/k/a AWA Goodhue Wind, a/k/a Mesa Power, is at it again, and here come the helicopters!

First, let’s take a look-see at the Complaint that AWA Goodhue served on Belle Creek Township, the little township that could, and CAN, and DOES:

AWA Goodhue v. Belle Creek Township

Monday, the Township had a meeting where they were to discuss the road agreement that’s in negotiations right now.  The Township controls township roads, and AWA’s project would require a lot of road upgrading to support the very heavy trucks and cranes, meaning that the roadbed has to be made a lot deeper, meaning that corners have to be filled in so that trucks can get around the corners, culverts could easily be damaged by the weight, and this is something within the township’s jurisdiction.  And the day after the Monday meeting, AWA Goodhue serves the Town Board Chair with a Complaint!  Here’s what AWA wants:

How’s that for a punch line?!?!  So the Township shouldn’t have any say over the roads, the Township isn’t able to protect its interests?  Right… we shall see!

And as that’s happening, I started getting calls about very low flying airplanes, startling cows and horses, and residents too!  One scared a calf, which climbed over its stall and ran off — they were able to get it, and were lucky it was not injured as it climbed over.  Then today, it’s helicopters, with horses running every which way, windows rattling:

AWA Goodhue’s attorney did admit they were “their” aircraft.  We got the number, N144BH, which “upon information and belief” is owned by  “Brainerd Helicopter Service.”  AWA Goodhue’s attorney says that they’re doing avian work as specified by their (filed yesterday) Avian and Bat Protection Plan (ABPP), which states:

You tell me, does this look like 200 feet?  And anyway, exactly how is this the ABPP last word on anything?

Suffice it to say, the Sheriff is on it, and they’ve called in the FAA, apparently the FAA inspector is on it too.

Seems they’ve put out a press release - the market is at it again.  The first US offshore wind project is going down due to lack of interest, no investors, the market for electricity sucks, so they’re cancelling the contract with Delmarva.  Thanks to a little gas birdie for this heads up!

From the News Journal, a series from Aaron Nathans (I’ll be he’s glad he’s not in Wisconsin anymore!):

NRG to end Bluewater contract with Delmarva

Wind project in jeopardy as NRG drops contract

Bluewater: What went wrong

Offshore wind farms still have Del. potential

Colorado’s Leslie Glustrom, hot off the Boulder campaign to oust Xcel Energy from its Boulder electrical franchise (two birds with one stone, first, Xcel is out, and second, the PSC is out too!) will be featured in a conversation about municipalization of electric utilities - where a city takes over its own energy purchases and distribution, and yes, even generation too, to the extent possible!

TONIGHT!

Municipalization in Minneapolis?
Xcel’s Minneapolis Franchise

Energy Options for Minneapolis

Boulder Colorado’s Leslie Glustrom
Wednesday, December 14, 2011, 7:30 pm

UTEC Center - Room 102B
1313 5th St. SE
Dinkytown, Mpls

Boulder, Colorado, has long gotten its electric service from Xcel Energy. Now, Boulder seems well on the way towards kicking out Xcel and setting up a publicly-owned electric utility.   Boulder voters have made the choice, and Xcel lost the municipalization referendum in which it reportedly spent over ten times as much as the “municipalization” advocates.

Boulders ratepayers decide to explore a world without Xcel or the PUC.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, has also long received its power from Xcel Energy, and the agreement between the city and Xcel expires on Dec 31, 2014. This is the time to explore options, as Boulder has done!

Leslie Glustrom, Research Director of Clean Energy Action, headquartered in Boulder, has been close to the municipalization issue in Boulder and is visiting Minnesota. Leslie is a nationally-prominent energy figure and so effective that the Colorado Public Utilities Commission has banned her from intervening in Xcel proceedings!

Come meet with Leslie and other interested citizens to learn more about possible alternatives for electrifying Minneapolis.

TONIGHT at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
UTEC Center - Room 102B
1313 5th St. SE
Dinkytown, Mpls

Black Dog Plant - photo by Rick Orndorf.

Xcel Energy is cancelling some of its projects, choosing to shut down Black Dog coal plant rather than spent the $$$, our ratepayer $$$, to convert it to gas; pulling out of the Prairie Island uprate (though on this one it’s hard to tell if it’s economics or technical difficulties):

The Minneapolis-based utility said that its latest forecasts show demand for electricity in 2016 will be 5 percent less than previously forecast, according to Laura McCarten, regional vice president for Northern States Power Minnesota, the Xcel unit covering the Upper Midwest.

The Black Dog project would have more than doubled the plant’s output from 253 megawatts to 700 megawatts and reduced harmful emissions. Xcel also will reassess its plans to increase the power output at its Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant near Red Wing, Minn., and hold off on any new wind projects, the utility said.

From this, found in St.PPP (keep in mind that “would have more than doubled the plant’s output” is coal v. gas peaking power:

Xcel puts off power plant upgrades

And also this choice tidbit:

Xcel also has discovered that uprating a nuclear power plant is harder than it looks after running into snags on a similar project at its Monticello Nuclear Power Plant this year.

For the  financial-wonkishettes out there:

Xcel’s 3Q 2011 10-Q (you’re welcome)

Seeking Alpha:

Xcel Energy CEO Discusses Q3 2011 Results-Earnings Call Transcript

Note that Xcel Energy’s expected residential demand is 0.5-1.0% increase…

Delivering On The Plan - Theresa Madden

For the December 1, 2011 Xcel Energy’s Investors Dog & Ponies GO HERE!

Back to coal plants… Xcel Energy’s Sherco 3 down, to remain down, after a fire:

Becker’s Sherco plant unit to be silent till spring

And Xcel’s Black Dog blew up a while ago… what’s up with that trend?

…so let me see… they admit that demand is way down, that there’s too much generation… and we need CapX 2020 exactly why???

And consider that the Sherco plant and Black Dog plant are problem puppies in their pack — a direct quote from the 10-Q above:

NSP-Minnesota NOV — In June 2011, NSP-Minnesota received an NOV from the EPA alleging violations of the NSR requirements of the CAA at the Sherco plant and Black Dog plant in Minnesota. The NOV specifically alleges that various maintenance, repair and replacement projects undertaken at the plants in the mid 2000s should have required a permit under the NSR process. NSP-Minnesota believes it has acted in full compliance with the CAA and NSR process. NSP-Minnesota also believes that the projects identified in the NOV fit within the routine maintenance, repair and replacement exemption contained within the NSR regulations or are otherwise not subject to the NSR requirements. NSP-Minnesota disagrees with the assertions contained in the NOV and intends to vigorously defend its position. It is not known whether any costs would be incurred as a result of this notice.