Legalectric

Just got notice yesterday of the 2024 Annual Power Plant Siting Act Annual Hearing. I was going to post the statute, 216E.07, except that no longer exists, it’s now 216I.15:

Anyway, here we go:

And the PPSA Annual Hearing Reports from 2000 – 2023, not that the EQB, or now the PUC, has ever paid any attention:

2000 Summary of Proceedings

2000 Report EQB

2001 Summary of Proceedings

2001 Report EQB

2002 Summary of Proceedings

2002 Report to EQB

2003 Summary of Proceedings

2003 Report to EQB

2004 Summary of Proceedings

2004 Report to EQB

2005 Report to PUC

2006 Report to PUC – Docket 06-1733

2007 Report to PUC – Docket 07-1579

2008 Report to PUC – Docket 08-1426

2009 Report to PUC – Docket 09-1351

2010 Report to PUC – Docket 10-222

2011 Report to PUC – Docket 11-324

2012 Report to PUC – Docket 12-360

2013 Report to PUC – Docket 13-965

2014 Summary Report– Docket 14-887

2015 Summary Report – Docket 15-785

2016 Summary Report – Docket 16-18

2017 Summary Report – Docket 17-18

2018 Summary Report – Docket 18-18

2019 Summary Report_Docket 19-18

Summary Report – Docket 20-18

2021 Summary Report – Docket 21-18

2022-Summary-Report_Docket 22-18

Today was declared “America Recycles Day” by President Biden:

But do we? Not nearly enough. And more importantly, what are we doing to generate less? Not nearly enough. City of Red Wing is in the garbage burning business, with Xcel, taking in garbage from Ramsey and Washington Counties. Given that, there’s no incentive to do more.

There have been a couple introductions of a “Zero Waste Act” in Congress, but it goes nowhere.

Omar-Zero Waste Act Download

Let’s get with it folks, it’s not that difficult.

Which nuclear wonk mentioned this? The Nugget File, edited by Robert D. Potter.

I had to find it, and I quick grabbed one at abebooks.com. It’s both very scary and hilarious. Unfortunately, it was published by Union of Concerned Scientists in 1979, which is unfortunate, as so many really stupid human scientific tricks have happened since.

We’ve had warning though. For example, on page 6, “Runaway Fuel Handling Crane — Improper Design.” It seems a “grapple hoist” for irradiated fuel handling “ran away” due to an electrical short, “and caused the grapple hoist to operate in its upward movement at maximum speed.” The plant is “unidentified,” and this nugget was referenced as “1965-68 #28.”

That reminds me of the time when a crane at Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant here in Red Wing was putting a cask into the pool, and it went up, and got stuck, and a multi-ton empty cask was twisting in the wind, well, no wind, but hanging up there for quite a while. OOPS!

There are two more of these books at abebooks.com.

Electric rates in Minnesota used to be among the lowest in the nation. Now, it’s UP, UP, UP! Why? Because we’re paying for all those billions of dollars of transmission lines going UP, UP, UP!

Here’s an example, from the West Central Tribune — note in the article below, the issue of whether it’s to bring energy “into the area” was deftly dodged. This line is about MONEY, it’s NOT about bringing energy into the area.

Willmar Municipal Utilities reaches $100,000 net gain benchmark on transmission investment

The Willmar Municipal Utilities Commission on Monday heard an update from staff electrical engineer Jeron Smith regarding its transmission investment in the Grid North Partners project.

By Jennifer Kotila

November 15, 2024 at 5:17 AM

WILLMAR — Willmar Municipal Utilities has realized a net gain from its investment in the Upper Midwest transmission project formerly known as CapX2020, the Municipal Utilities Commission learned this week.

Willmar Municipal Utilities invested $550,000 in what is now known as the Grid North Partners project, making its last payment in 2012. Thus far, Willmar Municipal Utilities has realized a net gain of $101,000 from the investment, according to staff electrical engineer Jeron Smith, who presented an update to the commission during its regular meeting Monday.

Willmar Municipal Utilities and 14 other municipalities entered into an agreement with Central Municipal Power Agency/Services for the 250-mile Brookings line — a transmission line from Brookings County, South Dakota, to Hampton, Minnesota, located just south of the Twin Cities.

The transmission line was constructed for a double circuit, with only one circuit being installed when it was completed in 2015.

In January 2024, the Utilities Commission approved investing an additional $550,000 in the project to install the second circuit, which is currently in progress with an expected completion date of Sept. 15, 2025.

Willmar Municipal Utilities owns a percentage of the transmission line and shares in operating and management costs for its share of the line, according to Smith.

Owners are also responsible for roughly 10% of the cost for substations that want to interconnect using the transmission line, and the costs are allocated by each member’s percentage of ownership.

Currently, there are three new substations in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator generator interconnection application queue to interconnect with the transmission line, according to Smith.

“If those come to reality, we could potentially have more expenses in that, but we’ll keep you informed as they come along and materialize,” Smith told the commission.

Commissioner Bruce DeBlieck asked if the additional transmission is to assist in bringing more renewable energies into the area.

“It’s part of the larger MISO transmission expansion plan, but yes, that’s the bulk of it, to replace the carbon generators that are being shut down and bring more renewable energy into our area,” Smith said.

According to the Central Municipal Power Agency/Serviceswebsite, it sponsored 11 public power utilities in Minnesota and four in Iowa in the CapX Brookings/Grid North transmission project 10 years ago in order to allow public power to make transmission investments on the same basis as investor-owned utilities.

The municipal power agency and its participants own 3.9% of the 345-kilovolt line along with Xcel Energy, Great River Energy, Otter Tail Power Corporation and Missouri River Energy Services.

The investment by Central Municipal Power Agency/Services in the CapX Brookings/Grid North transmission line was a strategy to hedge future MISO transmission usage rate increases, according to the website.

During the 40-year life of the CapX Brookings/Grid North project, Central Municipal Power Agency/Services participants are projected to earn a return of $17.8 million in excess of their expenses in the form of distributions and savings from the $32 million investment to construct the line, according to West Central Tribune archives.

Got that rooftop sign taken down with Complaint #1.

Here we go. Got over the prima facie determination hurdle for Complaint #2, and on to the Probable Cause hearing, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on December 9, 2024.

And here’s Complaint #3 (Notice & Complaint here) Prima Facie Determination:

p.s. FYI, yesterday, they did take down the (#3 Complaint) sign on the trailer that was parked on Main Street: