Legalectric

Today we were heading home from Mayo (again) and just north of Zumbrota’s edge were three eagles having brunch! Couldn’t tell what it was, but it was large, likely a deer. They were really going at it, seemed fresh and very red!! There’s one waiting for them just a few hundred feet down the road in a ditch, so they’ll be there a while at the roadside smorgasbord. As I was getting into a better spot for a photo, one flew up and away, heading to the trees in the background.

Then, after getting a few photos of our garbage burner…

… I went down to the water plant to turn around, and we saw two eagles flying around along the river’s edge, and then across. After turning around, heading back to the burner, there were two more in the trees!

This is one thing I really like about living here in Red Wing! SEVEN eagles seen without really trying. If we’d focused along the river some more, there were more around for sure.

Who cares about the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s eDockets system? We all should care! It’s the best way to keep up with what’s going on in the docket, what others are filing, what issues are being raised, what’s the status, and to track all NOTICES, which will tell you of hearings, comment windows, orders, and pay particular attention to those from PUC, CAH (Court of Administrative Hearings), PUC’s environmental side, and DER (Commerce – the economic side). Also look for comments from individuals and note their concerns.

How to get to eDockets?

GO HERE!!! https://mn.gov/puc/edockets/

Then click on this:

You’ll get to this screen — type in the docket, and use a hyphen as in the example:

Next, for example: At “Docket number” box, just enter the number, i.e., 22-131, and hit search (when there are multiple dockets, a Certificate of Need AND a Transmission Line Routing docket, be sure to check both dockets, one at a time). This works for any docket, like the 800MW RFP docket, E002/CN-23-212, plug in year “23-212” and there you go! Spend some time playing with it to get acquainted, it’ll become second nature soon.

When you get to the docket, as below, click on the far left blue link (it’s a document ID number) in a row to get that filing described in that row. Practice. Do it a few times, and it’ll be quick and easy! If inactive for a while, it will boot you out and you get to start over.

Also, “subscribing” is important to keep up to date on what’s being filed. When there are multiple dockets, be sure to subscribe to them all!

To subscribe, when you get to the docket, look at top of screen, drop down from “eService” and click on Subscriptions:

Follow the directions, and you’re subscribed. You’ll receive notice of filings in the docket, so you’ll always know what’s going on.

When you get emails about the docket, it will have the docket number, and as they come in, pay particular attention to Notices, as there will be dates that are important, meeting/hearing dates, deadlines for comment, etc.

Now, get to it. LOTS of reading, and as you go, you’ll get familiar with it and the process. IT WILL GET EASIER!!

Now for the fun part — FILING IN eDOCKETS! Why file in eDockets? When you file in eDockets, you know what you’ve submitted has been received and is part of the record, and so others can know what your concerns are — it’s SO important to know you’re not alone in this! They’re noted separately in eDockets so it’s easier to find, not buried in a PUC filing of a handful, or hundreds, of comments.

To file, first you have to register. In that first eDockets screen go to upper right corner:

Scroll down to the “Register” link and follow the directions.

Do a test drive after you’ve registered. At “Sign In,” this time sign in, and follow the directions.

As you go through this, note there’s a “HELP” tab at the top, and YES, they are HELPFUL!

WHEN THERE ARE MULTIPLE DOCKETS, BE SURE TO FILE IN BOTH!

Once you take the time to sign up, and get familiar with it, you’ll see how easy it is to keep up with what’s going on, and how easy it is to eFile — and to file last minute!! So easy, I’d be lost but for eDockets and eFiling, you have no idea how awful it was to make paper copies of all filings, and mail them to everyone, whew, it was beyond difficult, and so expensive. Now, it’s a “work from home” easy-peasy process, the best ever change in PUC process, and pretty much everywhere across the country, in administrative proceedings like this, and in most every court system too. Participating, practice, was so much harder so incredibly time consuming before.

If you want to learn how to navigate the PUC’s eDockets system:

MN PUC – How To eDockets

I’m working on an overview of “need” for the “MN Energy CONnection” transmission project, Xcel’s latest effort of shifting costs of preserving “valuable interconnection rights” at the Sherco coal plants’ substation. They’ve come up with a plan to run a radial line, yes, RADIAL, from Lyon County up to Sherco, 160-180 miles, AT A COST OF $1.14 BILLION! It’s a brilliant idea, gotta admit… Xcel is the GOAT at planning, BUT it’s such a scam. I do hope we can change the trajectory, get the focus on Xcel, and not be dumping this on the backs of ratepayers and landowners.

Ahhhhh… Xcel’s MN Energy CONnection… In the midst of extreme weather events, I spent time over the last two weeks, seven meetings over four days, for scoping of the Environmental Impact Statement for this project. Here’s the Notice:

Yesterday in Monticello, MN, it was up to 54 degrees! At each of the seven meetings, at least two people waxed histrionically that climate change was not real. How can this be? Granted, 54 degrees and El Nino is “weather” but we all know of the weather extremes, drought, intense storms, that are obvious signs of climate change. Even insurance companies, due to weather extremes, our home insurance doubled (!), and the company said they were doing that for all Minnesota customers (Minnesota focused because we’re in Minnesota!). In Florida, insurance companies are refusing to offer coverage, California too. That article has this pie chart from insurance industry:

Granted, it’s focused on perception of when your “home” will be affected, and not LIFE, but according to the insurance industry, so many say “no effect” and I’ve heard enough denial of climate change lately to think that the pie chart is credible. Insurance companies make money on their gambles, and if you’re insuring anything, you’re betting against the house.

Sherco 3 IS closing. Xcel wants to build this transmission below, and have ratepayers and landowners pay for it. The purpose of this is to preserve Xcel’s “valuable transmission interconnection rights” at Sherco.

I don’t think so…