Sneaking Geronimo Special Legislation through Senate
April 28th, 2015
The Senate Energy Omnibus Bill with the offensive special legislation for Geronimo is moving forward with great stealth. It’s the language that would end the 7 year time limit for wind easement contracts. That language is hidden in the bill in the words, “Laws 2008, chapter 296, article 1, section 25, as amended.”
How would anyone know what that means? It’s hidden in the footnote to Minn. Stat. 500.30:
In the Senate, the more specific language is stalled out because the Senate Energy Omnibus bill is stalled out… but in the meantime, HF 843 has passed out of the house and moved over to the Senate and is moving forward there. The Senate took it in as passed in the House, and it marches onward, now just needing that 3rd reading.
DELETE THIS SECTION OF HF 843!
- The words to look for in the bill are in the intro:
Laws 2008, chapter 296, article 1, section 25, as amended;
- And the specific language that needs to be deleted is on p. 147:
DELETE THIS SECTION OF HF 843!
Contact all Senators today and tell them to delete this special legislation for Geronimo.
SENATE CONTACT INFO HERE!
Oh, Baltimore…
April 28th, 2015
I really don’t know how to deal with our inability, our refusal, to deal with the systemic problems in this country. In the 50 years that I’ve been aware that there’s no “liberty and justice for all,” not much has changed…
Plains & Eastern UnClean Line non-NEPA process begins!
April 27th, 2015
The long awaited moment has arrived — the substantive review by DOE of the Plains & Eastern UnClean Line is now public. Remember, there are NO RULES, this is uncharted territory, they’ve not done anything like this before!
There’s a lot of stuff here — this is cut and pasted from the DOE SITE, and downloading will take a while:
Plains & Eastern Clean Line Transmission Line – Part 2 Application
Non-NEPA Review (1222 Review): In addition to conducting a NEPA review of the proposed Plains & Eastern Clean Line Transmission Line project, DOE will also conduct due diligence on non-NEPA factors such as the project’s technical and financial feasibility and whether the project is in the public interest. DOE will conduct a thorough review that includes making all required statutory findings and will consider all criteria listed in Section 1222 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as all factors included in DOE’s 2010 Request for Proposals.
In December 2014, DOE requested additional information from the applicant to supplement and update its original application. The updated Part 2 application and other documentation are now available below for a 45-day public comment period. The public comment period begins on April 28, 2015, the date the Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register, and will close on June 12, 2015. DOE is accepting comments on whether the proposed project meets the statutory criteria listed in Section 1222 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, as well as all factors included in DOE’s 2010 Request for Proposals. All comments submitted during either comment period will be considered in the DOE’s ultimate decision as to whether to participate in the proposed project under the Section 1222 Program. Therefore, comments submitted during the NEPA public comment period do not need to be re-submitted during the 1222 public comment period, regardless of the subject discussed in the comments.
Some appendices have been redacted to protect privileged or confidential business information.
Bill Howley, “The Power Line” blogger, has died
April 26th, 2015
Bill Howley died yesterday.
Bill Howley is known by anyone working in opposition to transmission projects. Due to a transmission line proposed in his community, he learned pretty much everything there is to know about transmission, wrote about it faithfully and fearlessly for years, and became an expert on advocacy, economics and technology of all things electrical. He’s one of the first resources people would turn to when they first learned of transmission projects. Recently, he’d taken the position of Program Director for WV SUN.
Bill Howley’s blog, since 2008 — take a few minutes to get an idea of the depth of his work. Here’s hoping that his family will keep this blog going in perpetuity, a memorial to his work and as a guiding light for all those who are dealing with transmission projects:
The Power Line
The View from Calhoun County
From the Hur Herald from Sunny Cal:
People’s Advocate Bill Howley of Calhoun County has died.
He was a well-known researcher, consultant, consumer advocate, activist, writer, and paralegal.
Rep. Garofalo — working against landowner interests
April 23rd, 2015
The price of Garofalo is too cheap — toadying to the corporate masters.
Rep. Garofalo claimed it is not the legislature’s role to interfere in private contracts. But in taking out the language specific to Black Oak/Getty wind, he adds this tidbit, it supposedly was added in committee “during markup” — did anyone on the committee understand? Did anyone look at this footnote to Minn. Stat. 500.30? It’s in the 2nd Engrossment, then 3rd, and 4th which was passed yesterday with some amendments:
This is language that modifies a footnote to Minn. Stat. 500.30. It pushes up the sunset of the 7 year limit for wind easement contracts. And there’s nothing in here that says that it does not apply to current contracts. Geronimo wants it because it WOULD apply, at least they’d try to make that happen!
Nope, this is not OK at all. That’s just doing the corporation’s bidding in another way. Thanks, thanks a lot. If you want to keep this language in, it needs to expressly state that it has no application to existing contracts.
I wonder — did Sempra know they were jumping into this morass when they bought the project?
Now it’s time to keep on Senate to remove it, and be alert for the Conference Committee.
Here’s the contact info for all Senators, it will hit the floor sometime, either in SF 1431 or maybe even SF 2101:
Why?
1) We need to make sure that the Senate, THE WHOLE SENATE, knows that the special legislation for Geronimo in S.F. 1431, p. 34, lines 8-16, must be deleted when this comes to the floor in the Senate, if not before. Check that bill carefully.
2) Also don’t try to sneak it in like they did in the House:
3) They also need to know that this special legislation for Geronimo must not appear in any other bill — don’t try to sneak it in somewhere else, and don’t forget to take it out, don’t try to drop it in during Conference Committee! NO! NO! NO!
Contact each and every Senator and let them know “No special legislation for Geronimo” and that under Minn. Stat. 500.30, wind easement contracts now terminate after 7 years — do not attempt to change this 7 year limit for existing contracts between landowners and the wind developer/owner. This change would be for the benefit of the Black Oak/Getty wind project(s) and to the detriment of the landowners.