TANC is tanking, two more cities withdraw
July 14th, 2009
Just heard from Lisa Goza, of Stop TANC, that Modesto and Turlock dropped out, following SMUD’s withdrawal last week. That’s supposedly 70% of the $$$$ for the project — gone! Redding is hanging in there, but the STOP TANC crew is on them and… well… maybe tomorrow morning at the TANC board meeting, they’ll give it up, throw in the towel, and tank TANC. It’s so close…
This group is amazing, so many people spread out over such a great distance, and they’re so wildly diverse, united against this obscene project built on lies — they’ve exposed the TANC project for what it is, and it is falling… this is a case study in how to organize for impact.
Soon… it’s time for the silver stake!
Yolo supervisors reject transmission power lines
By LIZETH CAZARES/Lcazares@dailydemocrat.com
Created: 07/14/2009 03:49:59 PM PDT
Two more players drop out of TANC proposal
Delmarva Power IRP Tomorrow Night!
July 13th, 2009
That’s Idiocy Returning on Parade…
Tomorrow night in Dover, the Public Service Commission is opening the doors and it’s your turn to let them know what you think about Delmarva Power’s energy policy, how they’re getting their electricity, what sort of generation it’s coming from, what they’re doing (not) about conservation and efficiency, and what sort of generation you want them to use, i.e., get wind on line NOW! And tell them we don’t need no stinkin’ transmission!
This is your opportunity. They won’t let parties testify, so it’s your turn to step up to the plate.
Now for some background. All the PSC blurbs call this the 3rd Delmarva Power IRP, but it’s not, it’s their third attempt to get it right, and the last one was so bad that they spent years trying and last November submitted a redo as asked by PSC, then a month later, they send a lame cover letter saying that they want to count that November redo attempt as the one due December 1, 2008.
So the PSC grabs that November 2008 attempt and accepts it. EH???
Right… whatever.
You might remember Delmarva Power’s Todd Goodman’s outrageous behavior at the last IRP meeting in December, 2008. AWARD FOR TODD GOODMAN, DELMARVA POWER.
Well, the Delmarva Power IRP saga continues, and the Workshop, Public Comment session…. whatever it is, it’s tomorrow night.
Tell the PSC that it’s time Delmarva Power get serious about conservation, that we want coal plants shut down, that it’s time to get wind on line, and that we do NOT want the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway transmission line (you know, that line that runs from coal plants SW of Delaware, up through Indian River and to Salem. PJM admits that the Indian River to Salem part of it is not needed, and it’s time to get the WHOLE truth out, that the entire line is not needed. See Mid-Atlantic MAPP line cut short).
COME TO THE PSC’S DELMARVA POWER IRP WORKSHOP… PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION… JUST COME AND TELL THEM WHAT YOU THINK?
ruth.price@state.de.us
Delmarva Power’s IRP is based on an annual increase in demand of 1.9%. Uh-huh… right…
Look what has been happening to electrical use:
Hmmmmmmmmmm, do you see what I seeeeeeeeeeeeee…
Regulated T&D Sales have gone down.
Default T&D Sales have taken a significant dive.
Despite that, what do they project in the IRP? From their IRP Appendix A:
Energy use, measured in MWh, has been dropping significantly for years… but we knew that…
Now what about peak? The Delmarva peak isn’t in their 10-Ks, but here’s PJM:
2008 Peak 136,310MW
Projected Peak 134,430MW
DOWN 1,880MW
DOWN 1.4%
And with 165,200MW of generation and a reserve margin of 28.6% (15% necessary) which even PJM describes as “well in excess,” suffice it to say PJM doesn’t need new power anytime soon.
Read it all here:
And here’s some history – PJM’s revenue decreased 8% in 2008 (p. 9 of 44):
And remember, PEPCO, Delmarva Power’s parent, says that it may not sell shares to finance the MAPP line — so how would they finance it… or would they just admit that it’s not needed and not build it?
Pepco CFO May Postpone Investment to Avoid Share Sale
Pepco fell 3 cents to $13.39 in composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
Bent Tree comment deadline TOMORROW!
July 13th, 2009
Katie Troe, Safe Wind in Freeborn County
Tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. is the deadline for Comments on the Bent Tree Wind Farm Certificate of Need and Siting docket. This is the 200-400MW wind project that Wisconsin Power & Light wants to build in MINNESOTA for credit towards the Wisconsin Renewable Electricity Standard.
QUICK, send your comments to:
Steve.Mihalchick [at] state.mn.us
For the PUC’s sites, go to www.puc.state.mn.us
Then click on the blue “eDocket” button…
… and search for dockets
08-573 for Siting Docket
07-1425 for Certificate of Need
And there’s also Commerce’s Siting page:
Remember, this is the one that, together with one in Clay County, triggered this White Paper:
Here’s another story in the Albert Lea Tribune with a great “I think they need professional help” quote from Katie Troe:
Safe Wind lobbies state over turbines
By Jason Schoonover | Albert Lea Tribune
Wanamingo Wind Forum
July 13th, 2009
Last Thursday, July 9, there was a Wind Energy Forum in Wanamingo, the same Community Center where, about three weeks prior, there was a CapX 2020 scoping meeting. This was sponsored by Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (Rich Huelskamp is part of that now?).
Noteworthy comments:
Dean Runde, Pioneer Prairie, when asked about turbine noise, said: “I’m surrounded by turbines, and I don’t hear a thing. They’re half a mile away and I don’t hear a thing.”
Half a mile? But of course you can’t hear them! Try 800 feet, 500 feet!!!
The author of the Dept. of Health White Paper was on a panel also. Here’s that report:
The woman representing National Wind looked very unhappy. Maybe it was the talk of setbacks, and I’m sure it was the talk of how developers are involving all the neighbors. After all, Goodhue County has been a problem. First, there was the ill-conceived “Kenyon Wind,” and then there was Goodhue Wind. But what I found most enlightening, which I’m sure the National Wind folks wouldn’t like, was a Windustry handout about landowner leases which has a number of things for landowners to watch out for. Here’s one that stands out:
7. Landowner should be careful about agreeing to the following types of provisions:
(a) Confidentiality provisions which prohibit Landowner from disclosing information pertaining to the
terms and conditions of the lease/easement.
Here’s the Windustry handout:
Of concern — I’ve been hearing reports of non-disclosure provisions in Nicollet County, Bent Tree and Goodhue projects, but copies of the actual contracts have not been produced, so we’ll see…
And for some guidance, here’s a draft county ordinance regarding wind turbines that has a more reasonable setback:
Murray County did well in getting turbines set back far enough from roads, but I’d like to see more distance in basic setbacks. Where they set setbacks at 3 or 5 rotor diameters, I’d like to see it at 3 or 5 total tower height (including up to tip of rotor when extended straight up).
Here’s the report from the Beagle:
Residents flood wind energy forum
By: Jen Cullen, The Republican Eagle
RELATED CONTENTLantz evaluates the economic development impacts of wind power.
TANC rally in Redding
July 8th, 2009
I think the crowd was more like 300, full of green T-shirts and they had a successful march on the Cascade Theater. Incredible organizing by all of the many Stop TANC groups involved.
It’s tired out… gotta be on a plane first thing, at “too early o’clock”…
200 attend anti-TANC rally
And about SMUD’s withdrawal from the TANC project (which should TANK the project):
Agency Withdraws From Project
By Craig Macho
Staff Reporter
cmacho@oakdaleleader.com
209-847-3021, ext. 8128Another meeting will be held in Ripon sometime later this month.
According to a press release from TANC, outreach meetings by the agency have been put aside for now.