This good news is about the Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS Carbon Transport LLC)’s Midwest Carbon Express from North Dakota Public Service Commission:

North Dakota regulators deny siting permit for Summit carbon dioxide pipeline; company will reapply

And in trying to find that North Dakota Public Service Commission denial of the “SCS Carbon Transport LLC” (Summit Carbon Solutions) application for the “Midwest Carbon Express” pipeline, I found this map, showing a more extensive intrusion into Minnesota, not just southern Minnesota but way up into central Minnesota:

And the aerial version:

Here’s the North Dakota PSC’s Order:

Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Order

They’ve filed for Reconsideration, no surprise.

For full SCS Carbon Transport/Midwest Carbon Express docket click HERE!

The Minnesota Summit docket (PPL-22-422) is segmented, so far, just a small part of what’s planned for Minnesota, this part near the North Dakota border. It’s good to know that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is aware of the North Dakota denial:

Though the Summit Carbon response seems a bit too optimistic!

Meanwhile, the Scoping Decision is out for this Minnesota Summit docket (PPL-22-422), the segmented 28 mile portion in west-central Minnesota, which means that the Draft EIS will be submitted for comment sometime, though probably not soon — GET READY TO COMMENT:

And the other good news is that I can’t find any other Summit Carbon Solutions, SCS Carbon Transport, or Midwest Carbon Express dockets. Perhaps I’m missing something?? Or perhaps it really is good news…

Got the best news from a client today — the “Heartland Greenway” CO2 pipeline project has been withdrawn, killed, canceled, and/or put on hold:

Navigator kills its $3.5B carbon capture pipeline across Iowa, South Dakota, other states

Major Navigator CO2 pipeline project is on hold while the company reevaluates the route in 5 states

It would cover much of Iowa, and just this 12 mile stretch in Minnesota, starting at the Valero ethanol plant to the east of Welcome, MN:

And while catching up on the Navigator CO2 pipeline, more good news — it’s time to catch up. This good news is about the Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS Carbon Transport LLC)’s Midwest Carbon Express from North Dakota Public Service Commission:

North Dakota regulators deny siting permit for Summit carbon dioxide pipeline; company will reapply

I’ll put this Summit CO2 pipeline info in a separate post — DONE!

“Our” Mayor Wilson is fond of waving around a handful of papers, claiming to have screenshots of Open Meeting Law violations and of Data Breaches by City Council and/or City Commission members.

Received today, “Response” which I don’t think is responsive (and again below):

Check the handwritten comments – I doubt that’s his writing!! Note also, claim hand-written in that Becky Norton is using her private page yet making comments “speaking as Elected Official” — FALSE (Wilson forgets his ex parte letter to judge opening with “As Red Wing’s Mayor...”); a written comment on October 13 that Moderator Laura McDonough is Evan Brown’s wife (I really doubt that she was Moderating last week); that Anna Ostendorf is on Charter Commission (DOH, School Board… perhaps he means Ann Vogel or Anne Robertson?); “posting pics without knowing” (ha ha ha ha ha…) and I guess I shouldn’t say “WTAF.” Well… WTAF!

As you may recall, after that Council meeting, August 28th, 2023, where he TWICE waved around a handful of papers making these claims of violations of Open Meeting Law and Data Breqches, I fired off a Data Practices Act Request. If, that is IF, there are such violations and breaches, let’s see the proof, get it to the City Attorney, and the City must investigate! Amy Mace, City Attorney, did say on the record that the City would be interested in such violations.

That DPA Request was denied, with a claim that Wilson was using a “hypothetical,” which was off, because he was referring to specifics, so I sent a follow up request:

Today, just received a response, though I think that this is only part of the larger handful of screenshots, as these seem to focus mostly on yours truly! If this is really all he has, that’s a long way from Open Meeting Law violations and Data Breaches. And dig the handwritten comments, how petty can you get!

Just WOW… pathetic…

YES!

Can you believe it? A media report listing much of the new transmission proposed for Minnesota. The plans are being noticed!!!

Minnesota Utilities Completing 19 Transmission Line Upgrades

And here’s the list — yes, it’s extensive:

CapX2020 Brookings 2nd 345 kV Circuit 60 Xcel Energy/GRE/OTP/ MRES/CMPAS Lincoln, Lyon

CapX2020 Helena 2nd 345 kV Circuit 39 Xcel Energy/GRE/OTP/ MRES/CMPAS Scott, Dakota

Hoot Lake-Fergus Falls 115 kV 2 OTP/MRES Otter Tail

Morris-Grant County 115 kV 24 MRES Grant, Stevens

Franklin-Ft Ridgely-Swan Lake 115 kV 39 Xcel Energy Nicollet

Swan Lake-Wilmarth 115 kV 16 Xcel Energy Nicollet

Red Rock-Raptor 115 kV 7 Xcel Energy Washington

AAR* – Johnson Jct.-Morris 115 kV 15 GRE/OTP Big Stone, Stevens

Canby-Granite Falls 115 kV 39 OTP Yellow, Medicine

AAR* – Inman-Elmo-Parkers Prairie-Miltona-Alexandria 115 kV 34 GRE/OTP Otter Tail, Douglas

AAR* – Mud Lake-Benton 230 kV 51 GRE/MP Crow Wing, Morrison, Benton

Rogers Lake-High Bridge 115 kV 0.5 Xcel Energy Ramsey, Dakota

Wakefield-St. Cloud 115 kV 18 Xcel Energy Stearns

Pleasant Valley-Byron 161 kV 17 Xcel Energy/GRE/SMMPA Mower, Dodge, Olmsted

Big Stone-Blair 230 kV 33 OTP Grant, Deuel (SD)

Coon Creek-Terminal 345 kV 14 Xcel Energy Anoka, Ramsey

Coon Creek-Kohlman Lake 345 kV 20 Xcel Energy Anoka, Ramsey

AAR* – Forbes-Iron Range 230 kV 34 MP St. Louis, Itasca

AAR* – Blackberry-Riverton 230 kV 67 MP Crow Wing, Aitkin, Itasca

The Public Utilities Commission deemed the “Northland Reliability Project” complete, and so we’re off to the races, the permitting process has begun. Minnesota Power and Great River Energy filed both the Certificate of Need application (CN-22-416) and the Routing application (TL-22-415). It’s a long line, and the application is LARGE. Here’s the joint application narrative:

For the rest of the application go HERE TO PUC eDOCKEtS PAGE and click on “Go to eDockets” and search for “year” 22 and “Docket” 415 or 416.

Now, about that road show, errrr, “Public Information and Environmental Assessment Scoping Meetings” to be held over a week around northern Minnesota:

There’s also a Webex meeting on Friday the 27th!

This is the time to let them know your concerns, up close and personal. You can also send comments in writing — keeping in mind that this is the time for comments about the scope of the “Environmental Assessment” and here’s what they want comments on — not that this is ALL you may comment on — but commenting on these issues, framing your concerns into these questions, will increase odds of yuor concerns being considered. Be as specific as possible, and yes, include maps, charts, graphs, circles, and arrows:

Read the “need” section carefully, because I sure can’t find anything specific, and the “Transmission Studies” in Appendix I are “CONFIDENTIAL.” What? And what I’ve found in other transmission dockets is that the need is overstated at best, and usually it’s not needed at all, it’s WANTED. It’s all about money, it’s all about market, after all, the MISO “studies” that they now rely on as demonstrating “need” is for MISO, MISO is a MARKET. It is not a reliability organization like NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation). (In case you’re interested, here’s the latest NERC report, the 2022 Long Term Reliability Assessment, with the details.)

MISO is all about delivering benefits (dollars) to its MEMBERS (read all about it HERE):

I digress…

If you have questions, if you have concerns, read the Application-Narrative, look up the docket filings, determine if there are things missing, issues of concern, considerations that they’re NOT considering, put all that into a comment. And look at the questions for which they’re seeking answers, and write up comments specific to those questions. It’s a bit of homework, but that’s what’s required if you want to weigh in, and that’s OUR job, letting them know what we know that they should account for, and what they’re missing or ignoring.

Send comments:

Get to work! It’ll take a while to get familiar with the application, and it will take forever to download the maps and other appendices.