Let’s see… Xcel invites so many from the City that there may be “a quorum of all Red Wing Boards & Commissions members and City Council members.” It’s obviously a lobbying shindig, THREE HOURS LONG. I’m guessing it’s the current rendition of their “Community Breakfast.”

Oh, we tried! Alan Muller and I went, and they wouldn’t let us in, because we were not invited. (Also turns out my Birkenstocks and Alan’s shorts are not allowed — if we’d been invited, guess that’s in the email.) The woman at the desk made a LOT of calls, left many messages, so quite a few Xcel employees are aware we were there wanting to be admitted.

Look who was there — turns out it wasn’t “just” Red Wing, but Goodhue County too! “My” District 1 County Commissioner is there, as well as the Land Use Management Director.

City says “all Red Wing Boards and Commissions.” I’m on Red Wing’s Charter Commission… and I see Goodhue County folks there, and I’m on Goodhue County’s Planning Commission. First I heard of this was the “Notice of Quorum” above.

This Xcel Energy “Private Event” was not announced at Monday’s City Council meeting, but there was an announcement of the Sturgeon Lake Road Overpass Ribbon Cutting to be held July 31, 2025, the day after the PINGP secret private “Plant Tour” three hour meeting!

Who was invited?? Who was not!!! SNORT! Who decides?

Why is this lobbying meeting held in private, on a site with attendance severely restricted with a gate and guards (I should note that at the gate, the two security guys had BIG guns). Shouldn’t it be open to the public? What are they saying and doing that they don’t want public?

Official business? There are Xcel issues on the City’s agenda so often, like their extortion of responsibility for the emergency sirens; request for additional dry casks; Integrated Resource Plan; the LATE PUC comment with watered down language… It’s likely no specific agenda item, pending or past, was discussed, but it’s easy to do umbrella lobbying about nuclear power, additional casks, and “need” for generation.

Does this pass the smell test for local officials of Minn. Stat. 471.895?

It’s been a long time since I attended the annual Xcel Energy community breakfast… SEVENTEEN YEARS!

Breakfast on Xcel May 14th, 2008

Today’s meeting will be over soon — better get this posted!!