Legalectric

Today in the mail, I got the annual Prairie Island nuclear calendar, above, with notice of the exciting “NEW Xcel Energy Nuclear Planning App” available at “Google play.”  Gee, I feel so much safer now.

Also today, thanks to the internet, I learned that the Fukushima Diiachi nuclear plant is exploding, again, underground… as a friend noted, time to kiss our collective ass goodbye.

It’s everywhere, just like the radioactivity emitting from the plant.  Just GOOGLE IT!

Anyway, to make a dreadful story short, on December 31, 2013, there were two explosions, one a 5.1 magnitude explosion, followed by a 3.6 magnitude explosion.

Underground Nuclear Explosion At Crippled Nuclear Plant Shocks World (take with a grain or two of salt!)

Steam Rises from Fukushima reactor, cause still unknown

Homeless recruited to clean up Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facility and surrounding area

 

The Hollydale Transmission Project is on its way toward being withdrawn by the Applicants.  Judge Lipman has issued his Order and we’re awaiting referral to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission:

11 PreHearing Order

And here are the suggestions of parties for that Recommendation/Report and referral Order to the PUC:

BarryFamily_ProposedOrder

Proposed Order_WPNA

Xcel Proposed Order

And there were a number of public comments, Judge Lipman said that “over the last 30 hours, I’ve received 165 emails…”  These were filed by the PUC:

PUC Public Comments 20141-95035-01

PUC Public Comments 20141-95121-01

 

I’m so tired about the vacuous blather about “freedom of speech” these days.

So now for something completely different…

If you’ve not read it yet, here, read something with some substance, read it now, now that you’re warmed by all the good vibes of the holiday season, think about this one guy standing up, speaking out, and putting himself on the line:

Edward Snowden interview, by Barton Gellman, Washington Post

Snowden likened the NSA’s powers to those used by British authorities in Colonial America, when “general warrants” allowed for anyone to be searched. The FISA court, Snowden said, “is authorizing general warrants for the entire country’s metadata.”

“The last time that happened, we fought a war over it,” he said.

And if you’re looking for more holiday warm fuzzies, try this:

Snowden’s Alternative Christmas Message 2013 – Ch. 4

Snowden says spying worse than Orwellian, Gellman, WaPo

Birthday greetings from Little Bro’ David included a photo of my first car, Piglet!  $144 at Freeway Ford.  We held it with about $20 in change from a pile o’ teenagers pockets, and days later, it was mine.  That’s one of David’s car behind, looks like the 69 SS, so I figure this was 1974 or so.

Yes, it’s the long awaited North American Electric Reliability Corporations Long-Term Reliability Assessment!  Usually it comes out in October, and this year, December?  Go figure.

2013 NERC Reliability Assessment

In particular, check out the charts showing the most impressive reserve margins (click for larger version) starting on p. 15 of the report (22 of the pdf):

The section on MISO begins on p. 52 of the report.

As my buddy at ATC would say, “Cuddle up with your Kindle!”