Hare-brained idea

“We don’t want them to even consider this. I’m sure the people who fought for non-proliferation weren’t expecting them to dislocate people, in order to achieve that goal. It’s an honorable goal, but 50 houses? Bulldozed? Come on,” explained Applegate.

The Dodge County Wind project’s transmission, the grossly oversized 345kV line for a 170 MW transmission project, is in the news again (it’s been a long couple of weeks, and I’m catching up!). This is about the notion of running a 345kV line, needing a 150 foot easement, through town on an existing 69kV or 115 kV line easement. Through neighborhoods, taking out houses, yeah, right, great transmission planning. A simple look at google earth would reveal just how impossible this would be, the definition of “non-constructible.” I wish at that PUC meeting where it was proposed they would have pulled up google earth. There’s just no excuse for this.

This headline is awful though — it’s not about preparing for the worst, it’s about taking preventative action to assure it doesn’t go further:

Dodge Center residents prepare for the worst in power line dispute

“… prepare for the worst…” WHAT? This is a bizarre headline. KTTC, what are you thinking, it’s the opposite of the point, the mindset, the actions. The essence is preventative, check this quote — the point is to prevent it from being considered — once more with feeling:

“We don’t want them to even consider this. I’m sure the people who fought for non-proliferation weren’t expecting them to dislocate people, in order to achieve that goal. It’s an honorable goal, but 50 houses? Bulldozed? Come on,” explained Applegate.

This one, also KTTC, was from May:

Dodge Center residents feel taken advantage of with latest proposal

The release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement has been delayed, at this point, the DEIS is now due out at the end of July. That’s a good thing, that’s success, because that Draft Environmental Impact Statement should state in specifics why running a 345kV line through residential neighborhoods is a no-brainer. Just NO! This never should have been offered as an “alternative” in the first place. Shame on Commissioner Tuma for putting this out there, for pushing Commerce to put it in the Scoping Decision. He knew better, or should have known better, because he said he looked at it on Google Earth.

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