Legalectric

Greetings from the Windy River Energy Fair up in Little Falls. The fair continues today and tomorrow, with displays and workshops all day long. This is the fifth year, and for the last couple has been held in conjunction with the Morrison County Fair here in Little Falls (FYI, there’s wireless everywhere in Little Falls!). Just two months ago, they had groudbreaking for their wind turbine at the fair grounds, and now it’s up and running.

This year, Kristen Blann, of the Sustainable Farming Association, did much of the organizing, her first year coordinating all the displays and workshops under the Windy River tent on the eastern edge of the county fair. A wind turbine has been set up on the site that looks pretty permanent. Here?s Kristen talking with Jim Etzel, of Hackensack, who runs Earth Is Our Home, focused on composting and recycling. Other exhibitors include the Clean Energy Resource Teams, Minnesota Farmers Union, Minnesota Power (gulp!), and more.

Below are Chuck Knierim and Greg Nolan, we?re chatting over a BIG bucket of blueberries and Marcia’s blueberry muffins. In the background is Chuck?s Wildrose Farm display. He and his wife Karen, from Breezy Point, make and sell the Wildrose Farm organic cotton creations, all either in natural colors or hand dyed with non-toxic low-impact dyes and/or printed with water-based inks.

Greg Nolan is sustainable through and through, in energy and agriculture. He and his wife, Marcia Rapatz, run Snowy Pines Reforestation, in Browerville. He was telling his story of getting his solar system hooked up to the grid, which was not as bad as some I’ve heard. The local rural utility was clueless, but had the good sense to refer him to Great River Energy, and the engineer he dealt with paved the way. The major delay was in getting the meters the utility wanted, and the cost was pretty high — $600! He?s producing almost as much electricity as he uses on his farm and hardwood business, which requires some power. He?s the guilty party who invited Tom Dunnwald and I to present on ?Lobbyists ?R? Us years ago, I think I’d staffed the MREA booth before that, and since then, I’ve tried to get up there every year.

Head on up to Little Falls for the Windy River Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture Fair, tomorrow should be a beautiful day!

The Mesaba (Two Lobbyists & a Wife) coal gasification plant loan guarantees are a corporate boondoggle part of the dreadful energy bill that’s moving forward.

Leaders jump-start energy legislation

The “raft of measures” includes a liferaft for Mesaba, the $800 million in federally guaranteed loans. Toadies ‘R’ Us — Looks like they’re having way too much fun at our expense.

Call and ask them to stop the $800 million in federally guaranteed loans:

> Senator Coleman: (202) 224-5641
> Senator Dayton: (202) 224-3244
> Rep. Gutknecht: 202-225-2472 (energy LA is Eric Keber)
> Rep. Kline: 202-225-2271 (energy LA is Monica Jirik)
> Rep. Ramstad: 202-225-2871 (energy LA is Adam Peterman)
> Rep. McCollum: (202) 225-6631
> Rep. Sabo: (202) 225-4755
> Rep. Kennedy: 202-225-2331 (energy LA is Michael Yost)
> Rep. Peterson: (202) 225-2165
> Rep. Oberstar: 202-225-6211 (energy LA is Kipp Johnson)

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Meanwhile, the Mesaba plant moves forward in the Minnesota regulatory process, the Mesaba EQB application expected in August, “or earlier or later,” that’s the word from the EQB’s Bill Storm, who’s handling that project.

But for some inexplicable reason, Mesaba isn’t applying for the Hoyt Lakes site that was the basis for the legislative approval, it’s instead planning to site just north of Bovey. Ron Gustafson, who lives near the site, is part of a group that has put together a web site explaining the Mesaba proposal, and he forwarded the site:

The Minnesota Coal Gasification Plant

The web site includes the proposed site plans — even the EQB hasn’t posted them because when Excelsior Energy ended their tour of the proposed site, THEY CONFISCATED THE MAPS!!! They’re also on my site in an earlier post.

Here’s something to pay attention to — the legislation for this plant, 2003 Special Session H.F. 9, gave Mesaba unbelievable regulatory circumventions and perks, exempt from Certificate of Need, forced Xcel Power Purchase Agreement so Mesaba didn’t have to worry about selling the power in these times of energy glut, $10 million free money from the Renewable Development Fund, etc, etc, etc… BUT the plant legislation is premised on location on a taconite site. The area around Ron Gustafson is NOT a taconite site.

From Minnesota Coal Gasification:

40.27 (3) that is designated by the commissioner of the iron
40.28 range resources and rehabilitation board as a project that is
40.29 located in the taconite tax relief area on a site that has
40.30 substantial real property with adequate infrastructure to
40.31 support new or expanded development and that has received prior
40.32 financial and other support from the board.

What happend to their other site? This new site sure doesn’t fit the legislative criteria! IS ANYONE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS? That should be sufficient to get the application booted out of the EQB before it even lands.

Other coal gasification plants – this section has some information on the Terre Haute plant that was shut down not long after it started because it couldn’t pay its electric bill!!!!

Yup, coal gasification power plant on the tax payers and rate payers tab… great idea…

Former Rep. on trial in alleged fraud, conspiracy

Former state Rep. Loren Jennings is set to go on trial Tuesday on charges he used his office to funnel money into a company in which he had invested.

The trial will take place in federal court in St. Paul.

Jennings, 54, was indicted in October and charged with four counts of mail fraud, one count of conspiracy and two counts of money laundering.

The DFLer from Harris served in the House of Representatives from 1985 to 2002. That included a stint as chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee, which dealt with utilities.

The charges say Jennings solicited over $650,000 in payments from power companies to Northern Pole, Inc.

Jennings’ attorney said his client denies the charges and looks forward to his day in court.
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And a longer one in the Brainerd Dispatch:
Jennings: Former state lawmaker set to stand trial. (Brainerd-AP)

And another from when he was indicted:
Former state legislator Loren Jennings of Harris indicted on federal charges of mail fraud, money laundering

Another train with wind turbines came through Red Wing on it’s way up to a big wind development in Canada. Ron Barber, of Stewartville, chased the train up to Newport and is sending photos that I’ll post as soon as I get them. In the meantime, here’re a few from Christopher Mueller, of Cass Lake, Minnesota, taken on June 25, 2005, in Mahnomen and between Mahnomen and Brooks:

This one was taken in Mahnomen.
View down the length of the train.
Close-up of Vestas rotor.
Scenic nacelles – ought to be on a calendar!
Blades
Lots of rotors
Blade profile – another wind calendar photo

Thanks to Ron and Chris for catching the train!

Ray Cox finally figured out, or admits, that Mike Bull is NOT working again at the House and is indeed an employee still of Governor Palwenty! Honesty is the best policy! When the Governor’s boy is pinch hitting in your defense, that fact of his employment, plus Mike’s habit of never commenting on issues he works on in the Northfield paper, that makes it suspect, to Ray’s detriment. Indirect defense, like that of Tom Neuville, Doug Jones, and others makes me wonder if Ray can speak for himself. What’s a hoot is that I bet $50 that the next defense of Ray would be from the Governor — lucky for me this is way too predictable!

Ray’s initial post yesterday on his blog said (emphasis added):

Now it says (emphasis added):

Now, when will Ray start asking the questions about special interests that need to be asked? “Why didn’t the Izaak Walton League testify against Mesaba?” (I asked Bill Grant that on Wendy Wilde last week!) “Why did the Izaak Walton League, ME3, MCEA and North American Water Office do the TRANSLink deal and what does it mean?” Will Ray figure out that Wind on the Wires is a grant ($4.5 in 2001 and $8.1 million in 2003), not an “organization,” and question the impact this big chunk of change has on transmission policy? He’s got the citations to do the checking, but will he do his homework? Session’s over, it’s done, it may be too late for this session’s report card…

… and stay tuned for “Partisan Politics v. Putrid Policy,” for those who can’t tell the difference!