Badger Hollow Solar in the news!

December 30th, 2018

In today’s paper:

Rural Wisconsin county split on solar energy project that would be among largest in nation

From the article, an important part, because the PSC does not file the “Environmental Assessment” when issuing their “Preliminary Determination” letter!  People have to ASK for the EA, and then, it takes how long to get it?  COMMENTS ARE DUE JANUARY 7 ON ADEQUACY OF EA AND WHETHER EIS IS NEEDED.  Here’s the Preliminary Determination (for both dockets) stating no EIS is necessary, and the Environmental Assessment which even as PSC staff document points out significant impacts:

PSC_PreliminaryDetermination_100

9697-CE-100_101 EA Appendix A v1_0

PSC_PreliminaryDetermination_101

9697-CE-100_101 Environmental Assessment v37_0

A snippet from the article:

Tony Evers, Wisconsin’s soon-to-be Governor, has appointed Rebecca Cameron Valcq as the new head of PSC.
Sounds like at least one docket, the Badger Hollow buy/sell 5-BS-228, is up for a PSC Commissioner recusal when it’s before the Commission!  Why?  Quarles is Rebecca Cameron Valcq’s firm, where she’s big gun in their Energy division.  Quarles just happens to be representing MGE/WPSC, and they were over the top in objecting to Jewell Jinkins Intervenors participation in the MGE/WPSC “buy/sell” docket 5-BS-228, and the Commission blew them out of the water, denied their Motion for Interlocutory Review, with nary a comment”

MGE/WPSC were LOSERS in WI yesterday

Rebecca Cameron Valcq?

From her Quarles bio:

And from a little birdie in the inbox, the direction that Gov. Evers wants to go:

Public Service Commission key to Tony Evers’ climate agenda

This is reminding me of the appointment of Lauren Azar to the Commission…

 

 

Madison Gas & Electric and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, the Applicants in a “Buy/Sell” (BS!) docket (CLICK HERE for 5-BS-228) for part of the Badger Solar project (and Two Creeks solar too) have been resisting at every opportunity, trying to keep Jewell Jinkins Intervenors from Intervening.  It gets more hilarious as we go through this crap.

First from the Applicants:

Applicant Response (Objection) to Motion to Intervene

So our Reply:

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_228_Reply to Applicants’ Response

The Administrative Law Judge granted our Intervention in technicolor:

Order_Intervention-Third

So the Applicants’ looked for other ways to keep us out of the docket, throwing things at the wall to see what sticks:

WPSC_MGE Motion for Interlocutory Review_354992

Motion_Protective Order

So our Reply to both:

Jewell Jinkins_228_Response_Motion For Interlocutory Review

Jewell Jinkins_228_Response_Motion Protective Order

The Applicants just couldn’t stop:

JewellJinkins_228_Response 2 Reply 2 Response 2 Motion Protective Order  Applicants’ Reply in Support of Motion for Protective Order 121918-1

So here’s our Reply to their Response:

   Jewell Jinkins_228_Response 2 Reply 2 Response 2 Motion Protective Order

It was on the PSC agenda yesterday, and they denied the complaint in less than 30 seconds, with no discussion.

Do you think the Applicants will get the hint?  We shall see.  I have my doubts.

Hot off the press… MISO‘s forecast, much like my all-time favorite industry report, the NERC Reliability Assessment!  Because each region sends its forecasts to NERC, odds are that this is the basis for the MISO part of the next NERC Reliability Assessment.  The NERC reports have showed for a long time that reserve margins are way higher than needed, sometimes 2-3 times higher than needed, and that demand is not at all what has been predicted.  DOH!

HERE IT IS — READ IT:

2018 MISO Energy and Peak Demand Forecasting for System Planning302799

Bottom line?  And remember, this is the industry “forecast” which consistently overstates:

Remember CapX 2020 “forecast” of 2.49% used to justify that transmission build-out?  And all that’s happened since, is happening now, like the MISO MVP 17 project portfolio?

Or more correctly, all that HASN’T happened since, like increase in demand?

This has been an historical, systematic misrepresentation, Xcel’s “business plan” is based on these lies.  From Xcel’s IRP (Docket 15-21), p. 45 of 102:

Historic&ForecastPeakDemand_IRPp45That Xcel IRP docket continues, and compare peak demand with their bogus chart… what can we expect?

Remember Excelsior Energy‘s boondoggle Mesaba Project?  Go to the PUC’s search page and search for “05-1993” and “06-668” for the dockets.

A little birdie flew by today, cocked its shiny eye and said…

So following up… Does anyone find it strange that as of August 3, 2018, the registered office of Excelsior Energy and its agent, CEO, and Principal Executive Office Address of Tom Micheletti, is  THE ABOVE STORAGE UNIT at 4630 Quebec Avenue North, New Hope, MN 55428?

Last known address: 708 1st St., #421, Minneapolis, sold 2017 for $749,900(verified in Metsa for Congress report, 3/9/2018 donation)… and then there’s Orono: Tom & Julie’s house is for sale.

Did you know that Excelsior Energy got their regulatory perks extended until 2025?!?!  Really, look at this, Minn. Stat. 216B.1694, Subd. 3(b)(1), a 2017 legislative boondoggle!

(1) site and route permits and water appropriation approvals for an innovative energy project must also be deemed valid for a plant meeting the requirements of paragraph (a) and shall remain valid until the earlier later of (i) four years from the date the final required state or federal preconstruction permit is issued or (ii) June 30, 2019 2025; and

Yes, Excelsior Energy was doing their lobbying in 2017.

Julie Jorgensen has been hustling with Greenmark, our good friends Mark Andrews and Red Wing’s ex-Mayor Dennis EganThree Musketeers? Three Stooges?

Then there’s Excelsior Energy Capital.  What’s that?!?!  Well, a Delaware corp registered in Minnesota in August of 2017, and inquiring minds found out their HQ is a BOAT SLIP at 21950 Minnetonka Boulevard, #210, Excelsior, MN.

Really.  Could google maps be wrong?  It’s not international waters, but assuredly … ummmm… well, bizarre!  Look at their TEAM (can you say photoshopped?).  I can’t find direct connections to our friends at Excelsior Energy, but with an operation like this, it’s got to be there!  Searching…

Remember AWA Goodhue’s office?  And Secretary of State lets them get away with this?

po-box-307-of-mastics-new-era-001