The Dept. of Commerce was instructed by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to include routes for the Dodge County Wind project to include existing transmission corridors. Commerce didn’t haul out a transmission map at the time to say “WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST” and instead chose “routes” that run right through the heart of Dodge Center, and which would, with a 150′ easement, not only tower over residential neighborhood but would displace rows of homes because the easement edge would run right through the houses!

CLICK HERE for Dept. of Commerce Dodge County transmission site.

CLICK HERE for Commerce’s INTERACTIVE WEB MAP

Here’s what it looks like from the sky:

CLICK HERE for City of Dodge Center page on this transmission proposal.

City of Dodge Center is missing the boat in suggesting people wait to let Commerce know how bizarre, unconstructable, and most importantly, how many people would be displaced, how many homes would be bulldozed, to build a 345kV transmission line with 150 foot rights of way through town. The time to send WRITTEN comments to Commerce is NOW, because when the DEIS is released at the end of June (probably, though maybe later), it should say that those routes through town should not be further considered as they just won’t work.

Send comments, with photos showing existing transmission in relation to your home, your neighbors’ homes, to:

suzanne.steinhauer@state.mn.us

The sooner you weigh in the easier it is to alter the outcome. In the case of administrative proceedings, you snooze, you lose.

The City of Dodge Center needs to get on this too, NOW. Why? It’s in the City’s interest to have routes through town and through these neighborhoods stopped, to assure that they don’t go forward in the environmental review. If you’re in Dodge Center and are concerned, contact your City Council representative:

DODGE CENTER COUNCIL MEMBERS CONTACT INFO HERE

Comments must be in writing, phone calls don’t count (though you can get more information that way, by calling Suzanne Steinhauer: (651) 201-2251).

DODGE THIS TRANSMISSION LINE!

On Tuesday, Jewell Jinkins Intervenors had filed a Motion to Supplement the EIS in the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line project.

Neither the applicants nor the PSC were enamored with the idea. Here are their responses, filed yesterday:

In short, they say ALJ has no authority to order a Supplement to the EIS, and that anyway, this route idea is not new, is not substantial. Oh, really? And to suggest that we wait, WAIT, until briefing! Wait until the hearing is OVER, to argue that the EIS is inadequate? Oh, right, that’ll go real far. And of course, then it’s not “new,” is it!

We have a status conferenc on June 13, 2019 at the PSC to deal with whatever is left hanging before the following week’s hearing. We’ll see how that goes.

Comments are due Sunday, April 14, 2019 (11:59!):

Here’s the DEIS in full:

Note the “need” section beginning on p. 49. It’s dependent on MISO — yes, that MISO, the one that blessed the so dramatically overstated “need” for the CapX 2020 build-out… the MISO that claims “need” when its LMP Coutour map is nearly always a bright or dark blue! The MISO that is all about “market” which has nothing to do with “need.” This section takes it back to “Upper Midwest Transmission Development Initiative” (hard to tell their mission, eh? But we know it was all about coal). If they’re going to go back to the history of this big transmission build-out, methinks that, particularly in Wisconsin, they should go back to the Wisconsin Reliability Assessment Organization (WRAO) Report that laid out the wish list of the transmission build-out.

Now, head to p. 80, Section 3.9, entitled “Applicants’ Alternatives to the Proposed Project.” This section presents ONLY the APPLICANTS’ alternatives, they get to determine what is or is not an alternatives, the parameters. Show me where it says in the WI statutes or rules that it only the APPLICANTS’ choice of alternatives to be considered?

Folks, we’ve got a lot of work to do…

This is the “route map” from SOO Green site, used in PR

Announced just now in a major PR push, because Siemens bought it (see below), yet another transmission project, 500+ kV, and it’s supposedly a DC option to be buried underground along rail lines.  Look at the map, provided in the Press Release I guess, because most of the articles use it… check the yellow “SOO Green Available Route” in Minnesota!

Developer proposes a 350-mile underground transmission line to carry wind energy from rural Iowa to Chicago

Now that’s different!

But it’s been a concept looking for a home for quite a while (and check the FERC Orders and dockets below):

spp-miso jpc minutes october 2015

And major PR push? It’s because Siemens just bought the idea:

Siemens Buys Transmission Line to Take Iowa Wind to the Eastern Grid

A July 2018 presentation:

2018_07_26-SOO-Green-HVDC-Link-overview–Trey-Ward

From “Midwest Reliability Organization” at their Fall 2018 meeting, and the map from that presentation:

SOO Green Renewable Rail – A Wind Energy Delivery Project – Joseph DeVito

Yet they used the green map for PR.  Why?  Something else interesting in that presentation is the “Development Team.”

Now look at the yellow “Soo Green Available Route” from MN to IL, and look at the green “Soo Green Primary Route” and guess what is right in the middle between them, why it’s “Cardinal-Hickory Creek” MVP 5 (southern part):

Note that Fredricksen & Byron law firm is involved in both Cardinal-Hickory Creek and SOO Green.

Here are just a few of the articles this week:

Proposed underground power line could bring Iowa wind turbine electricity to Chicago

Renewable energy rail project would run from Mason City to Chicago

Proposed new transmission project would deliver renewables between PJM and MISO

Proposed Area Power Generation to Go to Chicago

Just google, and you’ll find so many more.

MISO wins approval for new rules to link up external transmission

But what do we need more transmission for? We’ve got significant overbuild as it is. One big benefit is that user pays, where with much of the pass-through transmission of CapX 2020 and the MISO MVP 17 project portfolio, the pass-through ratepayers are stuck with a percentage of the full cost of all the projects.

There have been related FERC dockets, most recently the October 12, 2018 Order – Tariff Revision in docket ER-18-1410-000 (also -001):

20181012163051-ER18-1410-000

There’s also an Order on Proposal and Guidance in ER-16-675:

20160329180953-ER16-675-000

To look at the entire FERC docket, GO HERE and search!

It’s something more to monitor.  Here’s the developer’s site:

Soo Green Renewable Rail

Note that Joe DeVito is heading up Fresh Energy these days, also on Board of Wind on the Wires/whatever new name is.

Need more info.  Interesting concept that addresses some of the huge issues, but need, always need, or lack thereof.

Prairie Island Nuclear Plant & Prairie Island Indian Community

Here it is, I believe this is it, the “dream” bill that’s really a nightmare, Xcel Energy’s wish list, increasing “clean” energy generation, but what is regarded as clean, that’s the primary issue for me.  For you?  Check it out:

HF1956-0

OK, now, let’s read it and figure out what they’re up to!

And GO HERE to keep track of bill’s status.

Here are the House Energy Committee members – contact all of them with your concerns!

There’s no Senate companion bill yet, and it’s getting late.