Yet another perk for Mesaba?
May 7th, 2008
How can it be? The IGCC coal gasification project from hell, the zombie that lives on and on and on that even its developers, Excelsior Energy, don’t even dare bring before the PUC tomorrow, this boondoggle got yet another perk from the IRS! $133.5 in tax credits! WHATEVER ARE THEY THINKING?
Here’s the press release:
IRS grants Mesaba Project $133.5 million in investment tax credits
Pass the barf bag…
DOE announces Capture & Release program
May 7th, 2008
Promotion of IGCC and coal gasification takes a bizarre twist! What will the DOE think of next!
The DOE has announced their new FutureGen program, which focuses on Carbon Capture and Storage, but wait… read it… they say that the project has to be designed to capture 90% of CO2 emissions, but also say that it must capture and sequester ONE MILLION TONS ANNUALLY. OK, folks, let’s do the math… slowly ‘cuz I’m a math idiot. Using Mesaba as an example, 600MW produces at least 5.4 million tons annually, and so 90% of that is 4.89 tons annually. Under FutureGen, they’d have to capture, transport and store 1 million. OK, now what about the 4.89 tons minus 1 million = 3.89. We’re missing 3.89 tons that they’ve captured. So what is this? Why, it’s a fancy-schmancy CO2 CAPTURE AND RELEASE PROGRAM!!!
Here it is, straight from the horse’s… ummmmmm… nevermind (in tribute to Eight Bells, no horse’s ass awards for a while) Here’s what their press release says:
DOE’s draft FOA also requires that at least 50 percent of the energy output of the project’s energy conversion system must be used to produce electricity; the project must produce at least 300 megawatts (MW) gross electricity output; and the project must be located in the United States. In addition, the projects must be designed to achieve a goal of approximately 90 percent capture of carbon content in the syngas or flue gas and must achieve a minimum capture rate of 81 percent. Under the draft FOA, projects must also remove at least 90 percent of the mercury emissions based on mercury content of the coal, at least 99 percent of the sulfur emissions based on sulfur content of the coal, and reduce nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions to very low levels.
To ensure safe and permanent sequestration, DOE requires a number of monitoring and verification performance requirements for FutureGen project(s), including quantifying and assessing CO2 capture, transport, and storage aspects for the duration of a 3-5 year demonstration of a least one million metric tons of CO2 injected per year in a saline formation; monitoring the plume(s) of injected CO2 for a minimum of two years after cessation of the injection demonstration, with the results of the monitoring reported to DOE; and developing information necessary to estimate costs of future CO2 management systems.
What will they think of next? I sure hope they’re not thinking of a way to give Excelsior even more $$$$$$!
Oh, and before I forget — Greenpeace has joined the radical fringe organizations like the Department of Energy’s NETL and Wall Street in noting that Carbon Dioxide Capture and Sequestration ain’t happen’ anytime soon:
So, take that, FutureGen!
Thursday’s Mesaba hearing at PUC is OFF!
May 6th, 2008
Nevermind about coming to the PUC Hearing on Thursday.
First you say you will, and then you won’t
Then you’ve got a hearing… and then you DON’T…
Yes, here we go again. Excelsior Energy, the denizens of desparado, finagled yet another delay, this from the guys who didn’t want to sit still at the beginning. IGCC, coal gasification, by any name it’s a disaster… yet it drags on and on and on and on. Here’s what they filed this afternoon:
And even later this afternoon, this came out from the PUC’s Janet Gonzalez:
Parties and interested persons:
Item #6, Oral Argument and Deliberations on Excelsior-Phase 2, Docket E-6472/M-05-1993 has been pulled from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission agenda of May 8, 2008.
It will be rescheduled at an as yet unspecified date after the period for reconsideration has run out, or the Commission takes action on any petitions for reconsideration that may be filed, of its April 23, 2008 ORDER DENYING REQUEST FOR INDEFINITE STAY in this docket.
Janet F. González, Energy Unit Manager
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
Like with poor Eight Bells, it’s time. It’s gotta happen. Will somebody just do it and put us all out of our misery?!?
Comments on Gov’s Greenhouse Gasbags’ Report
May 6th, 2008
The Comments sent in on the Green Chameleon’s Gov’s Greenhouse Gasbags’ Report are out. Oh, translation for those not keeping up, the Green Chameleon is Gov. Tim Palwenty, because he talks the talk and walks in the other direction and too few are watching and comparing. The Minnesota Climate Change Action Group members are the Greenhouse Gasbags because in their recommendations, they promote increased generation of CO2, which is counterproductive and goes against their charge under the statute. Aaaaah, but what do they care, they’ve got a job to do, which apparently is to assure that there’s no “impediment” to Big Stone II and Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Project. Here are the comments received:
What a great showing — 63 pages of comments, many of them objecting to the exemption of Big Stone II and Mesaba from regulation. YESSSS! They sure need to be slapped upside the head for that lame-brained idea, and you missed the increase of burning biomass??? I don’t think so…
MPCA Solid Waste “Stakeholder Process”
May 2nd, 2008
I received Notice yesterday from the MPCA of a Proposed Stakeholder Process, soliciting comments on it. Yes, of course they’ll get Comments, but what struck me was that 1) I was on the list, and 2) so many others weren’t on the list. So it seems to me it’s important to get word out about this.
Here’s the proposed stakeholder process:
The “stakeholder” list is very short. If you’re interested in receiving further information, email ALL these folks and tell them you didn’t get notice of the “2008 Part 4 Stakeholder Process” and that you should be added to the list:
tim.scherkenbach@state.mn.us
brad.moore@state.mn.us
tina.patton@state.mn.us
This “Stakeholder Process” group is yet another of those toady groups like the Govs. Greenhouse Gasbags Group (MCCAG) that signed off on dreadful policy, for example exempting Big Stone II and Mesaba IGCC from CO2 regulation.
PROPOSED STAKEHOLDER PROCESS
COMMENT DEADLINE
4:00 P.M.
MAY 13, 2008
Send comments to:
tim.scherkenbach@state.mn.us
brad.moore@state.mn.us
tina.patton@state.mn.us
This new stakeholder group, under the proposed process, has a “Steering Committee” and one of their specific tasks is to “establish process outcomes.” Oh, OK, well, if you establish the outcome, what’s the point of the process where outcome is predetermined? Another problem is that it “MAY” utilize the Gov’s Greenhouse Gasbags’ recommendations…
… and it “MAY” utilize the 2007 Solid Waste Policy Report:
Both of these reports are problematic regarding solid waste — both recommend increased burning of “biomass” which is highly polluting and there just isn’t enough “clean wood” to go around and they burn stuff that’s even worse than the already polluting “clean wood,” like old junk pallets, C&D waste, and GARBAGE. In Minnesota, under statute, mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) and refuse derived fuel (RDF) is deemed “renewable.” Biomass can be up to 1/3 garbage! Great, just great.
Anyhoo, Comments on the proposed “Stakeholder” process are due in about two weeks. Get to it!
Read the proposal: 2008 Part 4 Stakeholder Process
PROPOSED STAKEHOLDER PROCESS
COMMENT DEADLINE
4:00 P.M.
MAY 13, 2008
Send comments to:
tim.scherkenbach@state.mn.us
brad.moore@state.mn.us
tina.patton@state.mn.us