Legalectric

Haven’t a clue why I couldn’t find it before, but here it is, and here’s the good news:

Xcel Minnesota peak demand is down… way down…

Xcel’s 2008 10-K filed February 23, 2009

From their 10-k, p. 10:

Capacity and Demand

Uninterrupted system peak demand for the NSP System’s electric utility for each of the last three years and the forecast for 2009, assuming normal weather, is listed below.

System Peak Demand (in MW)
2006         2007         2008         2009 Forecast
9,859        9,427         8,697             9,662

The peak demand for the NSP System typically occurs in the summer. The 2008 system peak demand for the NSP System occurred on July 29, 2008.

So please explain — if peak demand drops 7%, nearly 8%, what’s their basis for thinking it will increase over 1,000MW next year?

He says goodbye to Yucca Mountain, and in with a Federal Transmission bill — what a deal…

Yes, it’s that bad.  Call everyone…

Clean Renewable Energy and Economic Development Act as introduced

Here’s the DRAFT bill:

Senate Transmission Bill

CALL EVERYONE AND SAY “NO!”

One thing it would do that’s wrong-headed: If it’s claimed to be “for renewable” it’s presumed “needed.”  What’s wrong with that?

1) Rebuttable Presumption is a shift of the burden of proof.  On what basis?  DUE PROCESS RED FLAGS!

2) What about a commitment to any percentage of renewable changes whether it is needed or not, what about a percentage changes impacts on environment, property values or EMF or or or or or.  Electrons don’t care, cannot be ID’d as to generation, and impacts on environment and ratepayers remains the same no matter what’s on it.

3) FERC mandates that transmission be open to all comers — it pretends that it’s “for renewables” when FERC says transmission servces whoever is there, ready to interconnect.

4) What about need:

Nothing about “renewable” claim changes whether it is needed, whether there is a better way, whether those MW could be accomplished through conservation, through load shifting.
Nothing about “renewable” claim address whether renewables could be produced close to load, whether taking nonrenewables off near renewable site or in other locations would make room for renewables (maybe demonstrate this by taking a map with generation and xmsn on it, and highlight coal plants existing and in queue and how many MW there — you’ll see that’s where the transmission is planned)

5) Unreasonably favors that 70%, non-renewable, contrary to policy

6) RES – use of electricity is down, we don’t need MORE, instead we need to shift the percentages to a higher percentage of renewables.

(Maybe offer rebuttable presumption for renewable replacing coal generation and interconnecting at that site?  HA!)

Tell them “NO, OVER MY DEAD POLAR BEAR!”

… starting with that dreadful Sen. Amy Klobuchar:

Washington, DC

302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
phone: 202-224-3244
fax: 202-228-2186

Metro Office

1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55415
Main Line: 612-727-5220
Main Fax: 612-727-5223
Toll Free: 1-888-224-9043

Ruger’s doggy brothers and sisters are growing up!

This update just in!

Last week, there was a Prehearing conference for the New Jersey docket in the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission project.  Stop the Lines was there, and several other potential intervenors, to discuss the schedule, which will stretch out likely most of the year, with a decision probably in early 2010.  This project is in the Mid-Atlantic National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor, so if the utility doesn’t get its decision in a year, they could push it up to the Feds.

CLICK HERE FOR PSE&G’S SUSQUEHANNA-ROSELAND PROJECT LINK

Their site is cute — it starts with the bold proclamation:

DO YOU KNOW?

The purpose of the Susquehanna-Roseland

line is to ensure reliability in our

region — not to sell power to New York City.

Uh-huh… right…

Here’s a “Regional Planning” powerpoint from PSE&G from the 2/26/09 Highlands Council meeting:

PJM Regional Tranasmission Planning

And a recording of that meeting with the PJM presentation:

Highlands Council Meeting February 26, 2009

===============================

Power line critics want to state case before BPU

Citizens group wants PSE&G to pay for its experts

By Colleen O’Dea • Daily Record • March 3, 2009

A citizens group that opposes Public Service Electric and Gas Co.’s proposed power line project is seeking to intervene in the company’s application before the state Board of Public Utilities.

The 300-member Stop the Lines group also is asking the BPU to require PSE&G to pay for it to hire experts to refute the company’s contentions in support of its application to build new towers and add 500 kilovolt lines along the 46-mile transmission corridor from the Pennsylvania border through Morris County to Roseland.

“It was absolutely crucial for us to intervene in this process on behalf of citizens along the proposed route of this seemingly unnecessary expansion,” said David Slaperud, a resident of Fredon and trustee of Stop The Lines.

Motion filed

Slaperud said the organization filed a motion to intervene in PSE&G’s application before the BPU last Thursday during a scheduling conference on the $750 million project. He said the Fredon School District and Willow Day Camp in Lake Hopatcong have filed similar motions. The BPU has not acted on any of these yet.

Last Thursday, PSE&G attorneys met with several BPU staffers, and state Deputy Attorney General Kenneth Sheehan in Newark to discuss a schedule for the application.

“Board staff expects the board to issue a pre-hearing order setting forth the procedural schedule and overall nature of the proceedings after its agenda meeting on March 12,” said Doyal Siddel, a BPU spokesman.

PSE&G has filed an application to upgrade the existing power line corridor with towers as high as 195-feet tall and add lines carrying another 500 kilovolts of power to prevent circuit overloads and power outages that could begin in 2012 without the work.

PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission cooperative, has ordered the work be done.

In papers filed last week, Slaperud said it’s important that Stop the Lines become a party to the process because its members “live, work and recreate” along the line and “will be substantially, specifically and directly affected by the outcome of this contested case.”

The papers question the need for the upgrade and the requirement that all ratepayers in New Jersey and the rest of the 13-state region pay for it. Stop the Lines asks that alternatives, including greater conservation, be considered. The group also asserts that the taller towers will destroy scenic vistas, would be unsafe if placed in the existing 150-foot right of way and the lines on them will generate higher electromagnetic fields, which could affect the health of those living nearby.

Pay for experts

Stop the Lines’ filing asks that PSE&G be required to pay for it to hire experts because the “current economic crisis” has made it difficult for the group to hire its own lawyers and because “PSE&G was saved the expense of intervenor experts that would have been assessed had they brought their application to the 15 individual planning boards in communities along the route.”

PSE&G officials were unavailable to comment Monday, but a spokeswoman said last month that the company did not believe it should be forced to pay for expert testimony for the line’s opponents.

Looks like Xcel fried my NoCapX site, eh?  Just like my computer the afternoon before the Chisago hearing started…  Anyway, I can’t get anything to upload, so I’ll do it here and link over there.

NoCapX 2020 had filed a Motion to reopen the hearing when the news came out that utilities were seeing an unprecedented drop in demand… it was denied, BUT, there was this opening:

NoCapX may file an offer of proof if it has newly obtained evidence that calls into question the Applicants’ peak demand forecasting. The offer of proof will be included in the record and forwarded to the Commission in the event that it chooses to review it.

So today I got that filed:

Offer of Proof – NoCapX 2020

Affidavit of Overland

Exhibit A-Wall Street Journal – Surprise Drop in Power Use

Exhibit B – Xcel Investor Annual Summary

Exhibit C – Otter Tail Corporation – SEC 10K

Exhibit D – EIA – Electric Power Monthly, Chap 5

Exhibit E – 2008 NERC Reliability Assessment

And now, on to Exceptions to the ALJ Recommendation