Yet another issue that I’d spaced out — this one nuclear, the gift that keeps on giving. There’s a “study” managed by Great Plains (how much $$$$ are they getting for this? Thinking of coal gasification and stomach turns.) that’s ongoing.

COMMENTS DUE SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

“Information submitted through the Request for Information will help guide GPI’s research and analysis and may be incorporated into the final study.” (emphasis added)

From Great Plains:

Provide information for Minnesota’s Nuclear Energy Study

Their “Request for Information” link to respond

Just do it!!

COMMENTS DUE SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

Legislators, what were you thinking?

Today the RW Chamber of Commerce held a “State of the City,” billed as Mayor Gary Iocco and Council Administrator Chris Heineman. At the most recent Council meeting it was billed as Iocco with two council members. ??

The planned part of this shindig was review by Chris Heineman, not exactly stimulating, and after he went through slides, which I’d guess from his comments that he’d done something similar last year, the baton was tossed to Iocco who improvised, and I didn’t get a lot of it down.

Here’s the recording: Nope can’t do it on phone, and can’t do it from the computer either, “Sorry, you are not allowed to upload this file type.” But I do have a recording — need to figure out how to post it.

Posting the recording wasn’t working at all on phone, but here’s what notes I’ve got, and I missed a LOT. Chris just pretty much read the slides, but it was hard to keep up with Iocco:

When I heard Mayor Iocco talking about his trip to North Dakota to tell legislators what it’s like to host a nuclear plant, my ears went up on alert. I quickly filed a Data Practices Act Request, because it sure looked stinky to me!

Particularly given who’s a “citizen” member of the committee Pam Gorman Prochaska, Xcel Energy Services. Excel Services Corporation is making a bid to be a conslutant to this Committee. Excel Services Corporation v. Xcel Energy Services??? What relation?

Here are a couple things that popped out. At the Council meeting, he said he’s been to North Dakota about nuclear three times.

First document, these missives from OCTOBER meeting, planning by Xcel, what to say:

And asking for his expenses to reimburse:

And dinner with the group:

Remember this post about a month ago? That was not long after Iocco had discussed his North Dakota trip at a Council meeting:

RW Mayor promoting nuclear in ND! April 21st, 2026

Per their minutes of the North Dakota committee, here’s what our Mayor said — compare it to the video and rough transcript below:

Well, that’s odd. “Most negative feedback from the community relates to having a power company in general, rather than to the nuclear nature of the facility.” Oh,right… he also had some bizarre things to say about comments by those opposing at the Public Utilities Commission meeting! “And some of the facts and figures from the opposing folks, those are not true facts, those are made up, how many people are dying every day in Red Wing because of the plant there.” Really, it’s on the video, toward the end.

And you’d think they’d have someone from Prairie Island Indian Community to talk about life next to the plant… but NOOOOOOO…. not mentioned by name, only that “the plant” is across the road from “Treasure Island Resort & Casino.” There are homes closer.

HERE’S THE VIDEO, Iocco’s March presentation starts at 11:04. And here’s what he had to say — accuracy is close but not quite 100%:

Once more with feeling — note that Iocco does not even know how many megawatts the Prairie Island nuclear reactors generate.

And Xcel loved it:

This should be interesting. Be there or be square!!!

Click to Register HERE!

At the April 13, 2026 Red Wing City Council meeting, Mayor Iocco said that he’d been to North Dakota to talk with them about what it means to host a nuclear plant.

Iocco gave a short report on his activities since the last meeting, part of which was a trip to North Dakota to speak with their nuclear committee, that they’re wanting to build a nuclear plant, and he was there to tell them about hosting a nuclear plant. ???

Here’s the link, this starts at ~1:39:

https://redwingmn.portal.civicclerk.com/event/3944/media

Look who else is a part of this — are we surprised?

The North Dakota legislature has an “Advanced Nuclear Energy Committee” and here are links.

FYI, TODAY and TOMORROW, they’re in Idaho, INL.

• AGENDA
• VIDEO – 4/21 – it’s live… (check section on E.O.s and “regulatory reform”)
• VIDEO – 4/22 – should be posted tomorrow

Here are meetings with links. Iocco said that this March 24th meeting was the 3rd he’d been to, LISTEN TO WHAT MAYOR IOCCO SAYS, BEGINNING AT 11:04. But first, here’s the meeting minutes version of what he said:

March 24, 2026 – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm CDT

• Agenda
• Meeting Video – Iocco starts at 11:04
• Minutes

December 15, 2025 – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm CST

• Agenda
• Meeting Video
• Minutes

September 3, 2025 – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm CDT

• Agenda
• Meeting Video
• Minutes

Committee Memorandums

• Advanced Nuclear Energy Study – Background Memorandum (PDF)
• Request for Proposal and Proposal Responses – Advanced Nuclear Energy Study (PDF)
• Supplementary Rules of Operation and Procedure of the North Dakota Legislative Management

Is this promotion in the name of the City of Red Wing authorized? Was there a message approved to be delivered?

I sure had questions when I heard this, and so I filed a Data Practices Act Request yesterday: