Uprate for Prairie Island Nuclear Plant?
May 30th, 2012
(that’s dear departed Kenya doggy in front of the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant back in 2004 or so)
Uprate Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant? I think not…
Today was the deadline for filing comments to Xcel Energy’s Changed Circumstances Petition. Here it is:
And what’s been filed so far:
City of Red Wing (misses the boat, doesn’t address need, only $$$)
Prairie Island Indian Community – BULLS EYE!!! Very well done!
And Alan and I filed joint Comments:
Walker Church… gone!
May 28th, 2012
Photo: Janell Lynch
Back when KFAI was in Walker Church, I spent a lot of time there volunteering at the station in many capacities (and incapacities?), virtually lived there, it was just a few blocks down 16th Avenue from my house. For many years, it was a locational focal point of my life. Walker Church was home to so many organizations over the years, ranging from KFAI, Fresh Air Radio, up in the attic with the bats; a newspaper or two or three; incubator of activist organizations; providing sanctuary to refugees in danger; a meeting place for AA/ACOA in the basement; frequent theater and music events; free community meals; recently a meeting place for Occupy… Walker Church has been the essence of COMMUNITY in Powderhorn, extending to Phillips. With all the hate and hateful things going on now in the name of “Christ” and “Christianity,” now more then ever we need this example of what a church, and what “Christianity” is about — leadership, community, sanctuary, activism, advocacy, acceptance, and more.
Early reports said it was a lightning strike, the STrib reports two men in a yellow truck were seen leaving on the run, taking furtive glances back… no official determination yet as to cause.
Now it’s gone.
May it rise like the phoenix from the ashes… it’s done it before — we need Walker Church.
IndyMmedia – WalkerChurch, hub of Mpls activist community, burns after lightning strike
Photos from St. Paul Pioneer Dispatch
STrib – 5 firefighters hurt battling blaze that destroyed Mpls church
Community Dinner at Walker Church
Monday, May 28 at 5:30 p.m
9:30 a.m. meeting about the barbeque and next steps
Walker Church had already planned on a barbeque for the community tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. and they have stated that it will go on as planned (at the site of the church). Walker Church has been a sanctuary for many and has served the community for over 100 years. Please attend both the meeting and the barbeque (5:30 at 31st & 16th) if you can.
Neeting at 9:30 a.m. to work on the barbeque & future of church: Living Spirit UMC, 45th and Bloomington.
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EMERGENCY MEETING RE WALKER CHURCH FIRE
Xcel’s Annual Meeting
May 22nd, 2012
Xcel’s annual meeting was last week, seems they’re holding it out of town these days. Amarillo, Texas??? Whyever for? From seekingalpha:
This year, NSP-Minnesota is down 3 cents/share, “weather had an adverse effect.” Here’s their “Investors” page with all the poop:
And on the right, check out the Xcel Energy 2011 10-K. Here’s the bad news (from my perspective):
So if this money talk is making you glaze over, check this one:
Missed Syttende Mai!
May 18th, 2012
Yesterday was Syttende Mai, and I missed it — was on the road all day, out to Sioux Falls and back for a funeral, and here it is, May 18… well, it’s my anniversary today, but that was several lifetimes ago, I’d rather celebrate Syttende Mai.
And that triggered a post by a friend dedicated to his Norwegian grandmother that I must steal, well, can’t very well steal the Norwegian anthem, but it’s worth a listen because the words are so important today in the US (other than that blue-eyed part and lame characterization of women’s role):
PUC is starting to correct problems!
May 8th, 2012
Longstanding problems at the Public Utilities Commission, no need to look further than the Power Plant Siting Act Annual Hearing dockets to get the specifics:
And it seems the PUC is now trying to get a handle on it! In a transmission docket, where Xcel requested “alternative review” which is short, 6 months, with only cursory environmental review (see Minn. Stat. 216E.04, subd.2(3)).
The main recommendations of the Staff Briefing Papers are these doozies:
But wait… there’s more!
In light of the way Xcel has been inserting new routes at the tail end of the process, and noting that Commerce has been allowing that despite objections from parties and landowners alike, that paragraph just makes my day! Look at the “Myrick Route” in the CapX Brookings-Hampton route docket, added during the evidentiary hearing after all but the New Prague “blizzard make-up” hearings were held?
That trick was repeated in the CapX Hampton-LaCrosse route docket, where a route was added near Cannon Falls when, as Applicants admit, their Preferred route was not feasible, so at the last minute, the day before the public hearings were to begin, or the day of, depending on which document you’re referencing, they sent notice to landowners that they may be affected, and called them too! This came out at the Cannon Falls hearing, at which point I quickly filed a Motion to extend the deadline to intervene for the people who didn’t get notice until then, oh well, that went over like a lead balloon… Here’s the route they proposed:
So we’ll see what these changes really mean…