Legalectric

Yes, here in Red Wing, there’s a train every day...

Making up for lost time during COVID, a train trip and camping on the Oregon coast.

• Empire Builder – Red Wing to Chicago
• Texas Eagle – Chicago to LA
• Coast Starlight – LA to Portland
• Camping- State Parks along the Oregon coast
• Empire Builder – Portland to Red Wing

Soon… but not soon enough!

Hoping to avoid another Climate Change Amtrak trip from hell!

Big solar projects, utility scale projects taking up 2,500-3,500 acres of prime farmland, are an issue here in the midwest. There are legitimate problems, primarily runoff and erosion necessitating drainage mitigation and large ponds; and the problem of fencing around the project funneling wildlife onto the roads and highways.

Anyway, there’s been some attention paid to these issues, in one case by none other than my “friends” at Great Plains Institute, who were part of a federal study on stormwater management:

That’s good, an admission that there are problems with water draining off all these acres of impervious surface.

And this just came through today from the Environmental Quality Board:

The guidance has a link to a way to find “high value” resources:

Most high value resources described in this guidance document can be identified using Minnesota
Conservation Explorer (MCE).

It’s out:

Marketing Analytics “State of the Market” report on PJM

These reports, regarding here, PJM, and also MISO’s report, it’s so useful to get the picture of what’s going on in the electrical world. Of note is the “market” focus, because that’s what PJM and MISO are all about, that’s what they’re for. See also the “NERC Report,” the annual Long Term Reliability Assessment that puts utility provided info together and lays out the reality of our electric energy situation.

Look at the numbers. PJM‘s supply is higher than peak demand, and demand dropped in 2022 from 2021. Note also that they’re factoring in exports. LOOK AT THE NUMBERS!

For those of you interested in real time updates (this is useful to check now and then) look at their Locational Marginal Pricing map:

And while you’re at it, check out MISO’s LMP map:

Watch live on HTV 2

HF2147 (Her) Microgrid research and application funding provided, and money appropriated.
HF2493 (Kraft) Supplemental energy assistance funding provided, annual report required, and money appropriated.
HF2439 (Hollins) Provisions providing for participant’s compensation in Public Utilities Commission proceedings modified, and report required.

HF 2439 – Tomorrow at the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy Committee (hmmm, don’t know how to get rid of that Section 1 & Sec. 2):

And I’ve sent comments in, with luck I won’t get the “Hilty Jilty” and can testify: