It’s time to tank the TANC project.  I love the irony of beautiful shots of transmission lines, particularly where the media is finally getting it right:

“To be sure, it will be ugly.”

Yeah!  That’s a direct quote, see the article below…

This 600 mile long and $1.3 billion (somebody better put a new battery in that calculator, that estimate is WAY off) project has wrapped up every ugly aspect of transmission all in one (like almost every other project I’ve seen these days!).  Let’s see, yes, it will visually be butt ugly.  Landowners didn’t get reasonable notice.  It will have massive impact on environment, economics, and public health.  Oh, and need we mention, like the others, it’s not needed.  Look where it starts and guess how far it is from the nearest coal plants, online or on the drawing board.

Now notice all the back and forths, this isn’t just one line, each segment has at least two, if not three lines (their type gets in the way of ID’ing what’s planned.  CLICK HERE FOR THEIR MAP PAGE.

Heard enough?  Ready to do something about it?

PRE-MEETING RALLY

HOLIDAY INN — REDDING, CA

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 2:00 PM

then

PUBLIC MEETING WITH TANC:

CASCADE THEATRE – MARKET STREET

REDDING, CA

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 6:00 PM

ALL LANDOWNERS  ATTEND

Need more information:

Here’s the TANC site

Here’s WAPA’s TANC site

Here’s the STOP TANC site

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From the Modesto Bee:

Big power line controversy

last updated: June 20, 2009 09:43:13 PM

The word “huge” aptly describes just about everything about the proposed electrical transmission line that would run from northeast California down the Central Valley into the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts and over to the Bay Area.

The 500-kilovolt line would stretch more than 600 miles, through more than a dozen counties and across thousands of privately-owned properties. The towers would stand up to 150 feet high. And the estimated cost starts at $1.3 billion, but likely will far exceed that.

Read the rest of this entry »

News from the Department of Energy — the Excelsior Energy Mesaba Project’s Environmental Impact Statement, which has been delayed and delayed and delayed, is delayed again, not due out until July… yeah, right… we’ve heard that how many times before?

DOE’s June 2009 Key EIS Chart

So folks, don’t hold your breath…

For the full Excelsior Energy Mesaba Project docket, go to www.puc.state.mn.us and then to “eDockets” and then search for 05-1993, and for the siting docket, search for 06-668.

Oh, and I saw that Renee Sass is now doing something equally reprehensible, some biomass scheme… what was it… if I remember, I’ll put in the link. She’s working with a group of ex-NRG people, of course!

Public meetings all over southern Minnesota, that’s what!

Hop over to www.nocapx2020.info

It’s been a busy week…

A little birdie told me that John Norris, who was a biggie in “Organization of MISO States” home of UMTDI, was appointed by Obama to FERC.

Here’s the White House press release:

John R. Norris, Nominee for Commissioner, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

John R. Norris is currently serving as Chief of Staff for Secretary Tom Vilsack at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Prior to joining the USDA, Norris served as Chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) from 2005 to 2009.  As a member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) he worked on the Electricity Committee and was Co-Chair of the 2009 National Electricity Delivery Forum.  He served as a Board Member, Secretary and President of the Organization of Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) States as well as Chairman of the MISO Demand Response Working Group.  He also was a member of the FERC/NARUC Demand Response Collaborative.  Norris was on the Board of Directors of the National Regulatory Research Institute, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Iowa Power Fund and served on the Advisory Councils of the Iowa Energy Center, the Financial Research Institute for the University of Missouri College of Business and the Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research at the University of Iowa.  In 1999 and 2000 he was Chairman of the Iowa Electric Restructuring Task Force while serving as Chief of Staff for then Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack.  Norris also worked for U.S. Representative Leonard Boswell (IA-3rd) as Boswell’s Chief of Staff from 1997 to 1998.  From 1989 to 2003 he owned and managed a restaurant in Greenfield, Iowa and he was State Director of the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition during the Farm Crisis of the 1980’s.  Norris graduated with distinction from the College of Law at the University of Iowa in 1995 and received his undergraduate degree in 1981 from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.

Obama names Vilsack aide to serve on energy panel

WASHINGTON

President Barack Obama has nominated a longtime aide to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve on the federal board overseeing the nation’s energy sector.

John Norris, who currently serves as Vilsack’s chief of staff at the Agriculture Department, was nominated by the White House on Wednesday to serve on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Norris worked as Vilsack’s chief of staff when Vilsack served as Iowa’s governor. Norris was also a top aide to Iowa Rep. Leonard Boswell.

Norris previously served as chairman of the Iowa Utilities Board from 2005 to 2009.

Gee, I wonder where he’ll stand on transmission… sigh…

Part 2 – Chisago Transmission Project

For the full PUC docket, go to www.puc.state.mn.us and click on “eDockets” blue button, and search for 04-1176 and/or 06-1667.  The issue before the PUC was Taylors Falls’ Petition to Amend the Chisago Routing Permit because NSP was trying to route the line contrary to the specifics of the Agreement between the City and the utility.

Taylors Falls Amendment Request

Comment – Neuman

Comment – Overland

Comment – Xcel

It was a Petition from City of Taylors Falls, but the Order was off, and Pugh, acting as Chair (after Reha, who had been acting as Chair in Boyd’s absense, recused herself), had MOES’ David Birkholz start, and argue against the Petition.  Hmmmmm… then after that, we did introductions and argued the Petition.  It started with the City of Taylors Falls, Loren Canaday, past council member back when the Agreement was made, and Michael Buchite, current Mayor.  Loren Canaday was in office and was an advocate for the Agreement, and he spoke about the history of the Agreement, and recommended “a small jog south of the utility corridor, which would permit undergrounding without harming the wetland.”

Bill Neuman brought in a letter dated May 29, 2007, from Commerce’s Birkholz, asking the National Park Service for a summary of its position, noting that the “opinion of NPS is critical.”  and asking whether NPS DOES have significant objection if the transmission line is not undergrounded dto the river.  NPS said that the routing should NOT reverse conditions agreed upon by Cities of Taylors Falls and St. Croix Falls and Xcel.

Jill Medland of NPS came in and spoke.  She is in the Resource Management Division, in charge of Environmental Compliance and Permit Review.  She gave some history of the St. Croix River Valley protections.  She noted that Taylors Falls has done an exemplary job of protecting the river valley, using its authority and its will.  She said that the way she reads the Agreement, they all advocated for the configuration in the Agreement, undergrounding down the high river bluff to the dam.

O’Brien asked whether NPS opposed blasting in the basalt, and Medland responded, “We have no reason to oppose that.”

Through out this discussion, I was wondering how they thought Xcel would bury the line down the bluff if not by blasting…  EARTH TO MARS!  IT’S A BLUFF!  IT’S ROCK!

It was a tortured discussion, with Commissioner Wergin noting that she was not there for the decision, and the Agreement was in the record (implying, HEY YOU, WHERE WERE YOU ON THIS!).  Pugh and O’Brien were pretty sheepish about not having addressed the agreement in the Order.  I got it in the record, Exhibit 218, but it wasn’t my job to advocate for Taylors Falls interests, that’s their job, and where were they?  But neither the ALJ nor the PUC took any note of the material terms in the Agreement and addressed consistency of the plan with the Agreement.

Bottom line – Motion to require company to make compliance reports, and to suspend the Petition to Amend, and that parties are urged to revisit the Agreement and if necessary, to invoke the Arbitration clause.

Passed unanimously, only Pugh, O’Brien and Wergin, as Reha was recused and Boyd was absent.