I’ve been hearing from a couple of sources lately that the 2024 Omnibus (Ominous) Bill took away local control over energy projects. See Section 3 [216I.03 SITING AUTHORITY] HERE!

NOT TRUE!!! That’s how it’s been since 1973, started as 116C, and in 2005 changed to 216E:

2023 – what it was before 2024 changes – https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2023/cite/216E.05 

1973 – 51 years prior to 2024: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/1973/0/Session+Law/Chapter/591/pdf/#laws.0.3.0

First, the definition of what’s covered:

Then, statement of the siting authority — originally it was the EQB and that was changed in 2005 to the Public Utilities Commission.

Here’s the change of jurisdiction from EQB to Public Utilities Commission:

Note that “questions of need, including size, type, and timing; alternative system configurations, and voltage must not be included in the scope of environmental review conducted under this chapter.” This is why it’s important to participate in the Certificate of Need docket.

Local review IS allowed for “small” projects: 

Where APPLICANT requests of local gov’t and local gov’t agrees, beginning in 2001 — this also is nothing new:

2001 – https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/2023/cite/216E.05 

2024 – https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/216I.08

Adding to hearing about it, just yesterday, I was told, emphatically, several times, that “our” State Senator Steve Drazkowski is saying that the 2024 Energy Omnibus Bill took authority away from local governments. Nope, nope, nope, that didn’t happen!

DID YOU REALLY SAY THAT, STEVE?

IT’S NOT TRUE!!!!

If anyone tries to tell you that the 2024 Energy Omnibus (Ominous) Bill took away local control over energy projects, be sure to correct them — it’s a problem having false information flying around!

I was also told that Drazkowski had authored a bill to “return” jurisdiction to local governments, but I cannot find it, will continue looking.

So… once more with feeling… SINCE 1973 – PUC jurisdiction over energy project is NOT new:

www.revisor.mn.gov/laws/1973/0/Session+Law/Chapter/591/pdf/#laws.0.3.0

Parking this here so I can find it later!! It’s one of those days…

No wonder the top Generals are being fired. They’re objecting to illegal orders of the incompetents in charge.

I know next to nothing about international law, so off to wiki for a start:

The ICC reserves the right of states to prosecute war crimes, and the ICC can only proceed with prosecution of crimes when states do not have willingness or effective and reliable processes to investigate for themselves.

From the footnote:

There’s no way that war crimes are an “official act.” Who has the gumption to arrest and prosecute?

p.s. No wonder tRump hates Jack Smith — he’s an expert in prosecuting war crimes.

Just out, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved Xcel Energy‘s request to increase the Cannon Falls Power Purchase Agreement by 45-70MW. The Commerce ditty after the order explains what Xcel wants and their justification for it. Is it related to the Cannon Falls data center across the way???

Data Center loads? this 45-70MW is comparatively small. To track large loads, this could be useful:

MISO’s Large Load Working Group. From that page:

________________

Next week, Monday April 6th and Tuesday April 7th, there are meetings about the “Iron Range-St. Louis County-Arrowhead” transmission line, or “ISA Transmisison Project,” and an online meeting on Thursday, April 9th.

BE THERE OR BE SQUARE!!!

In the Notice are directions to show up at the online meeting, Thursday, April 9th, and the full Notice is right below:

Read the section on what this meeting is about on pages 3-4 of that Notice.

Comments are due by 4:30 p.m. on April 23rd:

The biggest problem with this line that I see is that ATC, and now MInnesota Power, are wanting to eliminate the 800MVA limitation on the Arrowhead substation, a limitation that’s been in place since 2001. And what’s really weird is that in the HVDC Modernization Project, at the Arrowhead substation and the DC line, CN-22-611 and TL-22-607, ATC wanted to hijack the Minnesota Power project, and Minnesota Power was not having it… yet now it’s OK… a complete turn around. Hmmmm, wonder what happened there?!?!?! What does this new project have to do with that Phase Shifting Transformer at Arrowhead? Well, for sure it’s connected, so putting more electricity into the Arrowhead substation, that’s simple enough.

And then there’s MISO, today saying, not to worry, this is NOT to power the Hermantown Data Center… which then reinforces the notion that it’s for export, bulk power transfer!

Where is the increased power coming from — the DC line? From Manitoba Hydro? From CapX 2020 connecting in — after all, it’s ALL connected! Inquiring minds want to know. Why? There’s a Presidential Permit limiting power coming across the border to 833MW.

And the purpose of the Arrowhead limitation was to prevent bulk power transfer of North Dakota generated coal. What coal plants have shut down??

I’m representing, STILL representing, World Organization of Landowner Freedom, it never ends. We were an intervenor in the Minnesota and Wisconsin dockets for the Arrowhead-Weston transmission project — that was 25+ years ago, with a couple iterations I think the last in 2004. WOLF was not allowed to intervene in the HVDC Modernization Project when that limitation of the Phase Shifting Transformer was at issue!

Way back when, we were at the MN Appellate Court about this substation and Arrowhead transmission project exemption from Minnesota permitting by EQB in 2001-2002 and got nowhere:

So here we go about that Arrowhead substation again, and about the bulk power coming into the substation, in this “Iron Range to St. Louis County to Arrowhead” transmission project.