Legalectric

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Freeborn Wind Pre-construction Mtg? May 14th, 2020

Here’s Commerce-EERA’s response, POST pre-construction meeting:

Hello Ms. Overland,

EERA would like to address your request to be provided information regarding the Freeborn Wind Farm Pre-Construction Meeting held last Wednesday, May 13^th.  EERA holds and conducts pre-construction meetings as directed per the issued site permit, which indicates that EERA staff and Commission staff are to meet with the Permittee.  We do occasionally extend invitations to other state agencies and local county staff that have permitting and regulatory authority over portions of the project, local boards or authorities with jurisdiction in the project area, and occasionally participating landowners with interest in project construction activities specific to their property.  These additional attendees are not the same for all projects, and they are only included for clarification and discussion on items or issues for which they have direct approval responsibilities or authority. 

It is our understanding that pre-construction meetings for wind facilities are not covered by Minnesota’s Open Meeting Laws, as there is no final decision being made and there are no individuals present at the meeting with the authority to make a final decision with respect to authorization of project construction.  These meetings are held to ensure that the Permittee has provided the necessary pre-construction filings and satisfied the necessary pre-construction compliance aspects of the conditions and special conditions in their site permit.  Pre-construction meetings are not held as another opportunity for environmental review and public comments.  All the items referenced in compliance filings, general construction activities, turbine locations, access roads, collector lines, ABPP, downstream permits, etc. have been included in the environmental review and public participation associated with the project’s site permit application, public information meeting, development of a draft site permit, public hearing and essentially the entire permitting process as well as the permit amendment process.  

As you have specifically mentioned that the Commission is responsible to promote public participation, and EERA does agree with promoting and encouraging public participation.  However, the Commission is directed to promote and encourage public participation during the site permitting process, which they currently do through public information meetings, public hearings, and public comment periods.  The Commission has issued a site permit, and multiple amended site permits for the Freeborn Wind Farm, with that, the permitting process has been completed and the Project has proceeded on to the permit compliance phase.  EERA is responsible for ensuring that the Permittee is meeting the Commission approved site permit conditions and special conditions. If you have specific compliance concerns, please provide EERA with details on the compliance issue and identify which site permit condition or special conditions has not been complied with, so EERA can follow up.

Thank you,

Rich Davis

It looks like I missed posting Xcel Energy’s Peak Demand for 2019, down from 2018. You can get all their SEC filings on their INVESTORS’ page.

Here’s their 2019 SEC 10-K:

And here’s what the last 20 years looks like:

Hacking suspected as technical difficulties stymie Minnesota GOP convention

Hard to do anything but SNORT! The main thing they had to do was to endorse a Senate Candidate to run against Sen. Tina Smith. One of the two is Jason Lewis.

JASON LEWIS? How could anyone take Jason Lewis seriously? He was our carpetbagger one-term Representative here in CD2 — really — he didn’t even live in the district! He’s the one who would not hold town halls until near the end, when he held one of the most policed ever, one that required a reservation (and few were given), intense police showing outside and in, requirement of ID to get in, and no direct questions, only pre-written on cards and heavily edited if used with no follow-up when he ducked and swerved. Rep. Jason Lewis is clueless about so much – May 21, 2018

And his judgment? The photo above says it all.

‘Liberate’ protesters put others at risk – STrib Editorial

This 2020 election will be a 2018 redo for Jason Loser.

In the meantime, since they can’t handle online, it’s time to “OPEN UP” the GOP. Hold their convention in person, no masks, no distancing, and invite tRump as main event and for the pre and post convention mingling.

Yes, it’s true, and here it is — finally found the full doc:

Trump team failed to follow NSC’s pandemic playbook

Thanks to Ellen for doing some digging for me, MUCH appreciated.

I heard a rumor that there was to be another “pre-construction” meeting on the Freeborn Wind project. Last time this happened, I’d sent a request, ANOTHER request, for notice of any pre-construction meeting. Turns out the meeting was THAT SAME DAY, starting just half an hour after I’d sent the request for notice. That time, I’d known nothing, no rumors. And of course, Association of Freeborn Landowners, a PARTY in this docket, got no notice.

In that letter:

AFCL AGAIN requests notice, of at least 10 days, of the time and location of
any and all pre-construction meetings for the Freeborn Wind project. AFCL is a party in this proceeding.

Oh well… a meeting was had… and Xcel Energy filed this required summary of the pre-construction meeting held on November 25, 2019:

Yesterday, I fired off emails to Commerce, Freeborn County, and PUC, left phone messages, and filed a copy on the docket so everyone would be aware that we were asking:

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Minn. Stat. §216E.08, Public Participation anyone?