Legalectric

Monday the 14th was the day that Comments were due to the Dept. of Energy regarding the Scope of the Environmental Impact Statement that is to be done in conjunction with the state’s EIS.

Here’s where the “preferred site” is, from a STrib article:

Here’s the notice with more details on Mesaba than we’ve ever seen before.

My Comments: Download file

Here are the Sierra Club Comments on the DOE’s EIS.

Clean Water Action Alliance Comments: Download file

ME3/Waltons Comments: Download file

From Excelsior’s website:

And for those of you who need more, here’s the most recent update from the MAPP SPG meeting minutes on transmission for Mesaba:

Mesaba Generation: Steve S. reported that the last update on this project was given on May 5, 2005 meeting. The ad-hoc committee for the studies consists of AEP, MP, GRE, XEL and MH. For the first unit (MISO project no G477) rated 530 MW located at Hoyt Lake (near LTD Taconite) the designated point of interconnection is Forbes 230 kV bus. The plant was designated as network resource. Last March, screening and stability results were completed. This project assumes that Arrowhead â?? Weston project is in place. Some 230 kV breakers at the Forbes bus would need to be replaced. The Phase II study, which is the system impact study, started on May 11, 2005 by PTI. It uses summer peak load flow cases. One 115 kV MP line is overloaded (including in the base case as well). MP is completing the short circuit studies. There were some problems with the 2005 stability model, as a result stability studies were delayed, but they are now under way. The results will be reviewed at an October 7, 2005 meeting.

For Unit 2, rated up to 600 MW (Project no G519), an alternate location north of the taconite plant was proposed. The in-service date is one year later at 2011. The point of interconnection is the Blackberry 230 kV bus. It is assumed that the Boswell â?? Wilson 230 kV (in-service 2010) will be built by this date, but the Maple River â?? Benton 345 kV line will not likely be completed (in-service 2012). This unit will require conversion of existing Blackberry â?? Benton and Blackberry â?? Arrowhead from 230 kV to 345 kV and construction of a new Blackberry â?? Riverton 230 kV line.

Mesaba marches on…

And the same meeting minutes note that they’re planning, as if the six “Phase I” projects weren’t enough, they’re planning on resubmitting the Chisago Transmission Project application before year end! But we’ve been hearing that since 2001.