Legalectric

Seen on I-35 last night, right across from Cabelas

Last week, I saw the above sign on I-35 across from Cabelas.  Today, Sunday, I saw another, just north of the Clarks Grove/251 exit, between the 19 and 20 mile markers.  I’d guess with these two, there’d also be ones along I-90.  There’s another one on Main in Albert Lea, near the lake; and another eastbound on I-90 near Hwy. 46 exit by Austin.  Anyone see other billboards?

Where is Center of the American Experiment getting the money for this disinformation campaign?  You may ask why I say “disinformation campaign.”  Read on…

Check this out, the “report” they keep recycling:

Energy Policy in Minnesota: The High Cost of Failure

Legalectric post from October:

Center of the American Experiment — Conflatulence!

Adding Power Purchase Agreement cost AND overnight cost (cost of developing and constructing) will of course be higher — you can’t have it both ways — pick one or the other!

Who benefits by CAE making arguments that don’t hold up to 30 seconds of research?  CAE does of course, they’re filling their coffers.  But they’re just on this because the funders want this result. The funders?  I don’t presume that it’s as simple an answer as “The Koch Bros.”  The false claims they use tells me it’s more nuanced, because they’re setting people up.  Those who are sucked in to these arguments, who buy into these false claims, will be shot down by regulators and legislators who know the truth of what goes into rates, and who understand that CO2 reduction only happens by reducing burning, DOH! (not by increasing wind, increasing wind only changes the percentages).  They’re sabotaging legitimate issues with wind siting, and they’re ignoring the groundbreaking recent demonstrations that wind projects DO violate the noise related permit conditions and Minnesota’s noise rule (Minn. Ch. 7030).  They’re ignoring that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission HAS ordered the violators to take action (too late, not enough, but a start).  When there are legitimate issues, why would they ignore them and go for fake news?  Why release the bogus CAE report a month after the Bent Tree Phase I report comes out?  Hmmmmmmmm…

REAL NEWS:

Bent Tree_Noise Monitoring Phase I_20179-135856-01

Bent Tree Post-Construction Noise Monitoring Report Phase II Report

Big Blue – PUC Letter to Show Cause

Big Blue 20183-140861-01_Commission Order

REAL NEWS: Freeborn Wind project is first ever wind siting contested case!  For info, go HERE and search for docket “17” (year) “410” (docket number).  Good reading!

These Minnesota Public Utilities Commission actions should be well known to CAE if they’re going to be doing a campaign like this.  CAE should be spreading this info far and wide… but noooooo….

An example — the day before yesterday at the legislature, there they are touting this report again:

American Experiment Testifies in Front of MN House of Representatives Committee on Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy on Wind Energy

Soooo, who benefits?  Who benefits from CAE’s big PR push?  Who benefits from uninformed people jumping on the CAE bandwagon, only to lose their credibility by spewing these CAE bogus arguments?  I think this is a very well crafted disinformation campaign.  Who is paying for it?  Usually the Wizard is Xcel Energy, manipulating behind the scenes, spreading money far and wide to whoever will take it.  Here?  We shall see…  And is any of this related to Senate File 3504/House File 3708 (they are identical) introduced on March 15th and 12th 2018??  Circumventing the PUC to get instant rate recovery for rehab of Prairie Island nuclear plant?  We know how Monticello came in at twice the cost.  How would that go here?  PUC review of that might hamper Xcel.  Can’t have that, can we… and we know CAE loves nuclear.

MNGreenEnergyFails.com

Registrant Contact

Name: Peter Zeller

Organization: Center of the American Experiment

Street: 8421 Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 110

City: Golden Valley

State: MN

Postal Code: 55426

Country: US

Phone: +1.6123383605

Remember when Rep. Tim Walz filed a letter with PUC claiming that Invenergy’s Melville Nickerson in Chicago was his constituent?

20183-141076-01_PUC Comment

Yeah, that earlier one is a hard one to forget:

Invenergy is Rep. Walz’ constituent?

It’s out, the PJM Monitoring Analytics “State of the Market” report.  Check the pages at the very beginning for info about “external subsidies” and proposed subsidization of uneconomic nuclear generation.

Important factoid – peak demand down 4.3%

Here’s the 2017 State of the Market Report:

Volume I
Volume I (2MB PDF) contains the introduction.

Volume II
Volume II (14MB PDF) contains detailed analysis and results.

Check out the real-time PJM Locational Marginal Pricing map:

http://www.pjm.com/library/maps/lmp-map.aspx

We’re making slow but steady progress on the Bent Tree wind project’s noise problems.  Problem?  Yes, now we’ve got the THIRD study showing it’s exceeding noise allowed under MPCA noise rules.

The Complaints about the Bent Tree wind project have been ongoing for seven years.  In 2011, the post construction study showed violations:

20116-63863-01-1_Post-Construction_Part1

20116-63863-02_Post-Construction_Part2

But no one was paying any attention… so finally, after many complaints, the Public Utilities Commission ordered Dept. of Commerce – EERA to do noise studies, and the results:

Bent Tree_Noise Monitoring and Noise Monitoring Report_Phase I_ _20179-135856-01

Bent Tree PostConstNoiseMonitoring Report Phase II Report+2+7+18

Oh, great, there we have it, it’s in violation of the noise permit condition, E III in the permit:

Just a couple weeks ago, Big Blue was at the Commission regarding noise violations, and it didn’t go well, because there must be a hearing before a permit can be suspended or revoked.  OK, fine, I can deal with that!  There was notice of a meeting to address the Bent Tree noise eFiled on Friday, and on Monday, we filed:

Motion_OrderShowCauseHearing_FINAL

And the Commission meeting was today. Here are the Staff Briefing Papers (20182-140514-01).

And Alliant/Wisconsin Power & Light’s response to the Phase 2 noise monitoring (their Reply to my Motion for Order to Show Cause and for Hearing isn’t due for a few more days):

Alliant_Response_NoisePhase2_20182-140419-01-1

Much wrangling at the Commission today. The video will be posted HERE in a week or two.

What did we get?  This is roughly it, but the specifics of the written order may vary, and that’ll take a week or two to be filed.

• Require Wisconsin Power and Light to Show Cause within 60 days of the Commission issuing a Show Cause Order why its Bent Tree Project site permit should not be suspended or revoked for non-compliance with ambient noise permit condition E III.
• Require Wisconsin Power and Light to continue to curtail the Bent Tree Wind Project turbines 362, 132 and 397, as outlined in their February 22, 2018 filing, until authorized by the Commission to terminate curtailment.
• Require EERA to review options for full project site noise monitoring and file preliminary options with the Commission no later than April 30, 2018.
• Require EERA to evaluate the WPL interim curtailment provisions, and file with the Commission a compliance filing by March 31, 2018 on whether the provisions put forth are sufficient to ensure compliance with the MPCA noise standards in light of the violations alleged in the Phase 2 Report.
• Wisconsin Power and Light will meet with Complainants as ordered no later than April 30, 2018 (we’re going back and forth scheduling that now).

An interesting wrap up by Commissioner Tuma, a close but not exact rendition:

“Please focus on what’s going on, not tear apart the study.  Find out what’s wrong.”

There were some odd things in the briefing papers, these two points in particular:

To be clear: COMPLAINTS WERE ABOUT AUDIBLE NOISE FROM THE FIRST COMPLAINT, AND THERE WERE ALSO COMPLAINTS ABOUT INFRASOUND. BUT THIS IS ABSOLUTELY ABOUT AUDIBLE NOISE, AND A REVIEW OF THE COMPLAINTS ON FILE WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT.

Re 1) above — that is framing for causation, and this is an administrative proceeding, causation is not at issue.  Just stop.

Re 2) above — there is no state regulation or level of low frequency noise… Ja, sure, but it ain’t for lack of trying.  I’ve filed two Petitions for Rulemaking to the PUC, both rejected.  I’ve filed another Petition for Rulemaking to the MPCA specifically regarding noise rules, and here’s what MPCA Commissioner Stine said (here’s pdf version Letter_StineMPCA_9-12-2016:

So what does it all mean?  Stay tuned…

Photo of TNT, LLC truck cab taken at the scene

On Thursday, just as we were leaving the hearing for the Freeborn Wind project at the Albert Lea Armory, a large chunk of ice flew off one of the Bent Tree turbines and hit the drivers side of a truck going south on Hwy. 13 towards Albert Lea.  Put a scratch and lite dent in the door, and took a big chunk out of the faring near the gas cap.  That’s a big piece of plastic that costs way, way too much to replace.

A chunk of ice also hit the Langrud’s shop nearby.  Others???

The ice last week was unreal, I’ve never experienced that level of ice coating my vehicle as last Monday, it was raining all the way from Red Wing to Albert Lea, and in places it was an inch thick.  I can just imagine how it was caked on the turbines.

It’s been reported in both the Albert Lea Tribune and KAAL TV 6:

Complaint: Ice From Freeborn Co. Wind Turbine Hit Semi – KAAL

Turbines temporarily shut down after ice … – Albert Lea Tribune

And here is the letter sent by Alliant/Wisconsin Power & Light Company regarding the ice throw:

20182-140446-01_Letter Bent Tree