Legalectric

From the public meeting materials, here’s what they’re looking at, above.  These are significant additions to the transmission grid in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

MISO’s Economic Planning Users Group is planning a “Regional Transmission Overlay Study” and they’re having another meeting tomorrow, May 25, 2017 down in Metatairie, Louisiana.

Here’s the call in info:

WebEx Information
Event Number: 966 575 350
WebEx Password: Ts824634

Participant Dial-In Number: 1-800-689-9374
Participant Code: 823713

Meeting Materials from the MISO site:

• 20170525 EPUG Item 01 Agenda 5/23/2017 05:24 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 02 Regional Transmission Overlay Study Overview 5/22/2017 05:47 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 03 Preliminary Overlay Indicative Concepts 5/23/2017 05:29 PM
• 20170527 EPUG Item 04 Explore New Benefit Metrics RECB Survey 5/22/2017 04:42 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 05 Michigan Exploratory Transmission Study Transmission_Ideas 5/22/2017 04:44 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 05 Michigan Exploratory Transmission Study Update 5/22/2017 04:44 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 06a Indicative Overlay Design Work Session West 5/24/2017 02:20 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 06b Indicative Overlay Design Work Session Central 5/24/2017 02:21 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 06c Indicative Overlay Design Session Sub-regional Connections 5/24/2017 02:22 PM
• 20170525 EPUG Item 06d Indicative Overlay Design Work Session South public 5/24/2017 02:23 PM
• 20170525 EPUG RTOS Issues List 5/23/2017 05:45 PM
• 20170525 EPUG RTOS Ideas Tracking Sheet 5/23/2017 05:44 PM

Here’s the problem — they close the meeting, and people like me aren’t allowed to attend.  First I was told, back in January when I tried to register:

Thank you for registering for the Economic Planning Users Group (EPUG) on Jan 31.  The afternoon portion of this meeting will be held in CLOSED session and reserved from MISO Members or Market Participants only.  Please feel free to attend the morning session from 11:00 am to 12:45 pm ET / 10:00 am to 11:45 CT.

I filled out their “CEII – Non-Disclosure Agreement” form and fired it off.  But noooooo…

So next I went to the PUC’s Quarterly MISO update, where I was assured that we could make arrangements so that I could attend.  I resent the “CEII – Non-Disclosure Agreement” and went back and forth and it came to this (click for larger version).  Note this “explanation” of options to be able to attend:

The reason that you were not permitted to attend the closed session is because the meeting involved discussion of Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII) and CEII access requests by Non-Member Individuals requires FERC clearance.  Another access option is to be included on Appendix A of a MISO member or Market Participant.

So that says there are two ways to gain access, 1) get “FERC clearance” or 2) “Another access option is to be included on Appendix A of a MISO member or Market Participant.”  One or the other. Emphasis added.  Here’s the email (click for larger version) laying out those two options:

Oh, I says to myself, off to FERC.  I sent in the requisite paperwork to FERC, and got “FERC clearance” and they shipped me the CEII information, including but not limited to the map.  I let MISO know I’d obtained “FERC clearance,” and here’s the response (click for larger version):

ARRRRGH, they have my CEII NDA on file, have had it since January 23, 2017.  I resent it to the writer of these emails on March 4, 2017, and I sent it again today, and objected to yet another change in their “rules” (click for larger version):

So the plot thickens — from MISO (click or larger version):

And from moi (click for larger version):

Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words.  I feel Pope Francis’ pain…  Can we trade the Pope for tRump?  Please?

From NPR:

‘He Is Something’: Trump Visits Pope Francis At The Vatican

And dig this, from the NPR report:

“At the end of the audience, the pope gave Trump copies of his writings,” NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome, “including his encyclical on climate change — a topic on which Trump has a very different opinion.”

To the guy who doesn’t read.  If only he would.  Here are a couple of prior posts about The Pope:

Pope Francis hits it over the fence!

Rep. OH Gov. Kasich & Pope on Trump

 

James McIntyre was shot outside an open house for a dam project, “Site C” for the dam.  You know, those open houses they hold to tell the public what they’re going to do before they do it… There was an investigation of the shooting by Canada’s “Independent Investigations Office,” and I’d had an alert and checked now and then, particularly a year after the shooting, but didn’t find the articles on the IIO’s November release of information until yesterday!  Here’s the report from the IIO:

07-16-2015-Dawson-Creek-Firearm-Death-2015-000104

Here are some press write ups:

Police ‘begged’ Site C activist to put down knife before shooting him, witness says

IIO clears RCMP in shooting of James McIntyre

RCMP officers cleared in shooting death of Site C protester in Dawson Creek

Look at the way the press framed this article:

RCMP officer cleared in shooting death of B.C. activist that sparked Anonymous revenge campaign

This shooting of McIntyre hit home for me because of my routine of going to the open houses and hanging out at the door, and I know so well how angry people get when there’s infrastructure proposed in their community, on their land.  They published my LTE about this in the Alaska Highway News:

How could I forget?  Badger Coulee transmission is marching through Wisconsin, and here it is, framing the entrance to Mirror Lake State Park.  UGLY!

And it goes from bad to worse:

See the trail by the I-90 and I-94 signs in the upper left, it’s a dashed line?  That trail is right under the transission line.  The park ranger said ATC/Xcel was good to work with, that they paid them to move the trail, though it still goes right under the line in one place.

The corruption and collusion of tRump — the tip of the iceberg.

REAL NEWS: Senate has requested financial information on tRump from the Department of Treasury, and will get it.

First on CNN: Senate Russia investigators ask Treasury for Trump team financial information

Russia Probe: Senate Requests Documents From Money-Laundering Agency

Treasury’s financial intel unit to turn over financial records to Senate for Trump-Russia probe

The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network:

A Treasury Department unit that specializes in combating money-laundering will share financial records with an expanding Senate probe into possible ties between Russia and President Donald Trump and his associates, according to people familiar with the matter.

That’s appropriate, as it was the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network that nailed Trump for money laundering — here’s the Settlement Order that was accepted by the Delaware Bankruptcy Court — read this to get the details and an idea of the magnitude of the violations:

Settlement: 3/2/2015: In the Matter of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort

This was public information — do explain — WHY WAS THIS NOT AN ISSUE IN THE ELECTION?

FinCEN Fines Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort $10 Million for Significant and Long Standing Anti-Money Laundering Violations

It was not the first time Trump’s casino was nailed for money laundering violations:

1/28/98: FinCEN ANNOUNCES PENALTY AGAINST TRUMP TAJ MAHAL ASSOCIATES

Just for the record, here’s the tRump casino’s Comment on Rulemaking to Treasury:

5/22/2006 – Comment Letters Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Proposed Amendments to Bank Secrecy Act Regulations regarding Casino Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements – 31 CFR Part 103 RIN 1506-AA84 – 71 FR 14129-14132