Legalectric

Last night was to have been the last meeting of the Prairie Island nuclear generating plant uprate and dry cask Citizen Advisory Task Force.  There was a meeting in Northfield and so I bowed out of the Task Force meeting, and drat, it seems that it was more exciting than the last few.

Alan’s Letter to the Editor was in the Beagle on Tuesday:

Letter: Nuclear power task force is asking key questions

The Republican Eagle – 10/21/2008

To the Editor:

I attended the Oct. 8 and 15 meetings of a _task force_ created by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to advise on “environmental review” of proposed actions at the Prairie Island nuclear plant.

Prairie Island Unit 1 started up in 1973; its license expires in 2013. Unit 2 started up in 1974; its license expires in 2014. Xcel wants to increase power output by 82 megawatts (15 percent) for each unit, and run them another 20 years.

Bill Storm of the Office of Energy Security runs the task force, which concerned citizens petitioned the PUC for. He admitted opposing it, but was allowed to chose the members. He said the public couldn’t comment at the meetings. He turned the main part of the first meeting over to Xcel. Most absurd, he said the task force wouldn’t produce a report. Rather, he would convey what he wished to the PUC.

This is not how a task force should operate, and the members shouldn’t go along with it.

Like nukes or not, we all likely agree that the future of the PI units is significant to Red Wing, the health of the Mississippi River, and our rapidly changing energy situation.

Xcel’s applications — available in the Red Wing library — fill over 10 inches of binders . They raise many questions needing better answers. Xcel admits that radiation releases would increase, heat dumped into the river would increase, and local nuclear waste storage would increase.

The nuclear industry says it has learned a lot since Prairie Island were started up. If Prairie Island is to expand, and run 20 years more than originally agree to, it should be improved — it should become cleaner and more environmentally protective, not less so. “Closed circuit” cooling must be used at all times to protect the river and the fish in it.

It is up to Xcel to show that the hundred of millions of ratepayers’ dollars to be invested in PI might not be better used in some other way — such as conservation and efficiency programs.

No public agency should try to blow off these concerns and exclude the public. The task force members should insist on adequate answers and listen to the public, no matter how long it takes. There is a lot at stake.

The task force will meet at 7 p.m. Wed. October in the Red Wing Public Library.

Alan Muller
Red Wing

After Todd in Minnesota this week, and Sarah again last night:

… today in the inbox was Earl’s url for a little musical interlude:

You’ll need some grey to be “Old and In the Way!”

The STrib reports Todd Palin is in Minnesota, Duluth, Grand Rapids, Hibbing…

Todd Palin stumps in northern Minnesota

And from a little birdie, the photo below and a memorable sound bite from Todd Palin:

“When Sarah makes up her mind to do something, I’ve learned to just get outta the way, ‘cuz she’s gonna do it!”

It’s our job to make sure she doesn’t get the opportunity to do anything, eh?

Here’s something better — a photo of a really fine specimen near Duluth:

Here’s Theresa, who just had pups about 8 weeks ago, and she and her pups are all at the Humane Society of Goodhue County, 1213 Brick Road, Red Wing, or 651-388-5286.:

She’s about 4 years old, born in October, 2004, kind of small for a shep, and very gentle.  She’s a “leaner” and was very calm when i let her out of the pen and put her on a leash.  Her puppies are in the pens next door, they’ve just been weaned, and there are 11 of them, yes, ELEVEN, and though it’s clear dad or dads are not sheps, more like yellow lab, rottweiler, and who knows what else, they are adorable.  Theresa is on the way to the vet to be spayed tomorrow and she’ll be back waiting for YOU on Monday or so.

The Humane Society of Goodhue County is located at 1213 Brick Ave Red Wing, MN. Hwy 61 runs directly through the city of Red Wing. Approximately one mile north of the downtown district will be Wilters Harbor Drive. Wilthers Harbor will loop around at that time take a left onto Tile Dr. Take Tile Dr. approxiately 1/2 mile to Brick Ave. Take a right onto Brick Ave.  They are at the end of Brick on the left hand side.

Picture this scene with a 115kV transmission line on one side of the path… or BOTH?!?! AAAAAGH!

Scroll down for the scoop from Pam Rasmussen, Xcel…

Just when you thought it was the “Midtown Greenway,” maybe Xcel has another idea… maybe it’s going to be the “Xcel Transmissionway.” Xcel has announced the “Hiawatha Project” for Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis. Where in Phillips?

Here’s the map, but essentially, it’s stretching east-west between Midtown and East Phillips:

Hiawatha Project Map

They’re holding public meetings soon, at both ends of the project:

Midtown Global Market Management

920 East Lake

Greenway Level Conference Room – Lower Level

Wednesday October 29th

12-2pm and 5-7 pm

and

Thursday November 6

12-2 pm and 5-7 p.m.

Be there or be square…

There are supposed to be other meetings in November at the YWCA on East Lake Street, but I don’t have any info on when — have emailed Pam Rasmussen and her response is down further.

For more information from Xcel, see:

Xcel’s HIAWATHA PROJECT page

Here’s how they explain the project, from their blurb on the project page:

What is being proposed to improve the system?

Our proposed project involves construction of one substation near the Hiawatha corridor and another in the Midtown area, connected by two 1.25-mile, 115-kilovolt transmission power supply lines. The two lines may be located on the same corridor.

Is that bizarre? In other proceedings they use “geographic diversity” as a reason not to use a pre-existing corridor, and here they’re saying it’s “two” lines which “may be located in the same corridor.” Uh-huh…

Xcel claims that they’ll be conducting “open discussion with all stakeholders, including the city of Minneapolis” (in the Q & A blurb they also commit to including “area neighborhoods), and they say that “[i]nput from stakeholders pertaining to visual impacts will be considered prior to final location of structures, rights-of-way and other areas.” So do tell, Xcel, who is a “stakeholder?” I would expect that the East Phillips, Midtown and West Phillips neighborhood groups would be stakeholders. I would expect that the Midtown Greenway Coalition is a stakeholder. Does Green Institute have a dog in this? The hospitals, clinics, and associated medical interests in the area? The Midtown Exchange? And the Midtown Eco-Burner?

What I’m not seeing in any of this is a need statement with any specificity, but hey, who needs a need statement when there’s no Certificate of Need required? How would system alternatives be considered? It sure wouldn’t happen in the Routing permit. Maybe they just have to say they want it and the City agrees? In looking at the area, with Honeywell gone and WellsFargo in, with all of that hospital and associated medical stuff, and that they took OUT the substation on Oakland, there’s probably not so much a shortage of power as a power quality problem, given the old distribution system. And why would they build line from the 115kV line on Hiawatha to near WellsFargo, a radial line, connecting to the sub, but not to another line, not to the grid? Why not just update the existing system? Is there something else in the works? Inquiring minds want to know.

In their press release, they state:

The company plans to employ state-of-the-art “Smart Substation” technologh that will allow enhanced monitoring and control of substation equipment. In addition, other elements of SmartGrid technology can be incorporated that will improve reliable service to customers.

SmartGrid? That’s the project they’re working on in Boulder, Colorado, and blurbs for that that THEY put out say that it can cut load by 30%. Let’s just forget about transmission and put in SmartGrid, eh?

Where did that SmartGrid blurb of theirs go? It’s in the CapX 2020 exhibits. Will post it later…

Here’s what Pam Rasmussen had to say in answer to a few of my questions:

Carol:

The project substations and lines are 115 kv and the new lines will be about 1.25 miles long. It will not require a CON, but does fall under the MN PUC Route permit process.

I saw that you found the map. We are going to post it on the web page as a direct link today along with the meeting announcement.
The map should give you an idea of where the two substation siting areas are in the area.

It is two 115 kV kv lines, with single 795 ACSS [originally she reported ACSR, and corrected that to ACSS — thanks for that clarification!] at this time. No bundling. Depending upon the route and design it could be double circuited or it could be two single circuit lines.

This is not replacing the 115 kV line along Hiawatha. The proposed Hiawatha substation will tie into the existing line and then the two new 115 kv lines would go from the Hiawatha sub to the new Midtown substation.

I see you have the dates for the public meetings on your web page. We will be mailing letters to landowners in the area is shown on the map later this week as well as putting ads in the paper.

We don’t have any other meetings scheduled at this time, but will be scheduling them as we move forward. This is just the first set of meetings to provide information on the project and to gather input on concerns or suggestions people have.

Pam

As I understand it, there’s been a “stakeholder” meeting with at least one neighborhood group. Still tracking down info on the others… stay tuned!