Another CCS scam bites the dust

October 10th, 2022

Here’s a real DOH! which could have been avoided, but DOE through several administrations keep throwing good money after bad for carbon capture and storage pipedream:

The ill-fated Petra Nova CCS project: NRG Energy throws in the towel

NRG’s Petra Nova project $$$:

Short version? FAIL! From the article:

Following this FAIL, the understatement of the century, from the article:

Yet CCS is a big part of the latest federal energy efforts. It’s also a huge boondoggle for not just outfits like NRC, but for certain “non-profits” like Great Plains Institute:

https://betterenergy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/GPI_FY2020-2021_990-PUBLIC.pdf

And check out these salaries:

Great Plains Institute helped push coal gasification, for extreme amounts of money…

Great Plains Institute – is Joyce getting their $$ worth?

January 18th, 2007

… but that pales in comparison for the dollars for this recent round of “carbon capture” promotional funding. Unreal…

Once more with feeling — carbon capture is not real, is not workable, is a waste of $$ and effort.

Today, Comments were due (1:30 p.m., whew, just under the wire):

This is regarding the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s Application Filing Requirements. To look at the docket, go HERE – DOCKET SEARCH and search for 5-AFR-100.

It looks like other than DATCP (DATCP Comments) and ATC (American Transmission Company Comments on Proposed Application Filing Requirements for Transmission Line Projects), I’m the only one filing comments.

HOW CAN THIS BE?

Oh, but wait, look at this on the notice:

Here’s the full notice:

This was first noise testing, June 22 – July 1, 2021 following a 3 hour test that did show noise exceedences. Further testing necessary!

Testing, one, two! Check, HEY!

On August 8, 2022, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission issued its “Order Accepting Post-Construction Noise Monitoring Report and Compliance Review.” It’s a jaw-dropper:

And so, 20 days later, we file:

Onward. Xcel Energy has 10 days to respond, well, anyone who wants to has 10 days to respond, and then the Commission will take it up, or not and let it languish and be denied by default.

As we left our Craters of the Moon Nat’l Monument campsite in Idaho in May…

… and headed southeasterly, on the way to the rather new Minidoka Nat’l Historic Site, Alan discovered that there was a Lava Ridge wind project proposed for the area.

Here’s today’s notice from BLM:

Details:

Thursday, August 25, 2022

9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time

Virtual via Zoom – Zoom Registration

Agenda

The first meeting was on July 7, 2022:

View the recorded meeting here

I’ve been working on digging info about Xcel Energy’s proposal in May of a big honkin’ xmsn line from “Lyon County” to Sherco substation, wanted so they can retain transmission interconnection rights.

And today, this, from the MISO “July 26, 2022 Executive Update” appears in the inbox, the dream of MISO and Xcel... errrrr… “Grid North Partners” right?

Here’s the MISO Planning Committee meeting handout for May 20, 2022 meeting:

MTEP21 LRTP SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTS – Addendum Appendix F
Planning Advisory Committee
Summary of Review and Advice to Advisory Committee and Board of Directors
MISO Transmission Expansion Plan (MTEP21) Addendum Appendix F

20220527 PAC Item 02a MTEP21 LRTP Report and Feedback Review PresentationPublished 05/25/2022

20220527 PAC Item 02b BALLOT MTEP21 LRTP Tranche 1 AddendumPublished 05/27/2022

20220527 PAC Item 02b MOTION MTEP21 LRTP Tranche 1 AddendumPublished 05/20/2022

20220527 PAC Item 03 CTA Update PresentationPublished 05/20/2022

20220527 PAC Item 03 Tariff Redlines for Upgrade FilingPublished 05/20/2022

For background, check out MTEP 21 (MTEP = MISO Transmission EXPANSION Plan, no secret the intent):

Good grief…

In the STrib:

Utilities plan to spend $2.2B on new power line projects in Minnesota

From the article:

The largest project approved for Minnesota would be a $970 million, 150-mile power line from the Iron Range to Benton County in the central part of the state. Duluth-based Minnesota Power and Maple Grove-based Great River Energy would team up to build and own that line.

“This project is the next step to support resiliency and reliability in the northern part of the state,” said Josh Skelton, Minnesota Power’s chief operating officer. “It brings more ability to bring on more renewable energy resources.”

MISO also approved a $689 million power line from north of Mankato east into Wisconsin and a $574 million line that would run from Big Stone, S.D., to Alexandria and then jog southeast.

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy would build and own $1.2 billion to $1.5 billion worth of the Upper Midwest projects approved Monday by MISO.

These investments would be separate from the $500 million that Xcel has proposed for a line from Becker to near Marshall in Lyon County, Minn.