Legalectric

Here we go again. It’s bad enough that CapX 2020 is morphing into CapX 2050/Grid North Partners, but they’re having a “conference” (sign up here) in a couple weeks.

Look at the Chair of this panel, none other than the Chair of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, and the description:

… TO MEET OUR COLLECTIVE GOALS?

Remember the toadying for CapX 2020? Remember the toadying for Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Project coal gasification? Remember the toadying for Prairie Island/NSP/Xcel Energy’s nuclear plants, particularly Prairie Island circa 1994 and 2003?

This sort of thing has been an issue before, and former Chair LeRoy Koppendrayer has been the only one to acknowledge this type of participation as an issue — this was in 2007:

IEDC gets carried away

When this happens, I contact the PUC and register concerns, and have always been assured that they know well the boundaries.

And, well, here’s Commissioner Tuma on DOE Nuclear Waste panel circa 2016:

DOE “Consent-Based” Nuclear Waste Mtg.

This was also an issue with Commissioner Reha when she went off on a coal gasification junket to Belgium and promotion of CapX 2020! See the John Tuma link, above, for this with active links:

When the promotion and bias is so blatant, I’m not about to watch silently. Earth to PUC Commissioners, here are the PUC’s rules:

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/7845.0400/

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/7845.0700/

And when you see something, say something?

Ummmm, right…

ALJ “INVESTIGATIVE REPORT PURSUANT TO MINN. STAT. § 216A.037”

Listen to Commissioner Tuma’s words that were the subject of our complaint at the link above. And the ALJ’s report delivers this warning:

I guess it will be an informal complaint, eh?

It’s amazing what 14 months in COVID isolation, going nowhere, but working, working, working, can do to a brain…

This is your brain on vacation… no, wait, this is MY brain on vacation:

Or this?

It’s the rhubarb sauce… and no eggs, the fridge froze everything, and, well, over-easy frozen just isn’t doable, whereas french toast is.

Yeah, a week of loafing… do do do, lookin’ out my back … window:

Site 22e at Potawatomi State Park, it’s the best site in the park, and yeah, hard to get, shoulder seasons are most likely:

Lots of asparagus, for breakfast and dinner, those went too fast to even get photos!

… and the weather was perfect, raining at night, gentle little drops but lots of it, and cool but just right. Though it was SO windy up on top of the Door County Maritime Museum lookout in Sturgeon Bay:

And look, it’s Aunt Mimi welding!

Yes, there’s a shout out to women shipbuilders:

It was mostly sunny in the day, so we were checking out other parks, like Peninsula State Park. Good luck getting reservations, Weborg Campground is impossible, it’s more intense than other parks, but overall, reservations just aren’t available! Will try for 104 or 105 sometime in my lifetime!!!

Picnics. We saved a lot by not going to restaurants… sigh… though there looked to be some good ones here. On the other hand, saved enough to tow the too-low mpg trailer! Picnic areas were open at Peninsula park:

Also just opened last week, and the SMELL, oh my, newly constructed Eagle Tower, scary high, but accessible with the longest biggest ramp ever:

And from the top:

And a cruise around Shore Drive:

And a little bit of work, with this view out the office window:

And off to Washington Island, isolated community, and it reminds me of Florence Township just south of us in Red Wing:

First stop, Camp Jacobsen — unfortunately, Alan had on his Jacobsen’s shirt the day before:

Had a very chilly picnic at Whitefish Dunes State Park, water was almost surfable:

It was odd, Sadie, who is terrified of rainstorms, was absolutely fascinated by the waves, jumping up and down happily excited!!!

It was so cold, the park was pretty much deserted. Trilliums everywhere, and here, they weren’t as rain damaged as at Potawatomi:

And its about time the STrib published one of mine — a couple of friends seem to get one in like the tide! For some reason they won’t publish any thoughtful LTEs on energy issues, which I OFTEN write, but nada… yet when I dash off one in fit of a pique, there it is, in print! That’s happened twice in the last few years.

Tonight is the Red Wing City Council meeting, and on the agenda is:

And the Attachment for 10D explaining the situation.

Tune in HERE – link for webcast is at the top!

And the flyer I sent to Red Wing residents with the City Attorney opinion, you’d think I’d sent a letter bomb! Mayor Wilson’s response was particularly bizarre:

Now, where are those Petitions, etc., subject to Data Practices At Request.

Just filed… Walleye Neighbors in Minnesota and South Dakota Comments on the Walleye Wind Draft Site Permit. Now it’s time for a nap!