Xcel wants to sell coal on market… DOH!
January 10th, 2020
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2014/06/CapX.jpg)
How many years have I been saying that the purpose of this massive transmission build-out is to market coal elsewhere? Decades, folks, it’s been decades… And this latest from Xcel Energy, Notice of Comment period just out today, is demonstration that they plan to keep running those coal plants and selling it. Will the Public Utilities Commission care?
Here’s the newly released Xcel Energy plan, and a comment period:
The plan?
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/image-2.png)
Here’s the Notice:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/image-1-1024x203.png)
What to comment about? From the Commission’s Notice:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/image-3-1024x370.png)
Bulk power transfer was the whole point of the transmission build-out, to be able to sell anything generated at any Point A to any Point B. And then coal generated here could be sold elsewhere, eastward via transmission, while we use generation that isn’t quite so dirty (but that’s dirty in its own way). We’re so clean here in Minnesota… NOT! We’ve been a pass through for Dakotas’ coal for a while, and now, they’re asking permission to keep burning coal here and send that energy eastward.
They built all that transmission, no Commission I’ve seen has ever found a transmission plan they didn’t like and roll over for, and now we’re paying for it. Rate increases anyone? Are you paying attention to what’s pushing those rates up?
Why ever would I say that it’s all about selling coal? Well… there’s a bit of a pattern going here. There was the Chisago project, starting in 1996 and three iterations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, not to mention the WRAO report:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/WRAOmap.jpg)
WRAO laid out many transmission lines and the Arrowhead transmission project, circa 1999, was selected as the be all and end all of transmission after many hearings were held, one hearing in Minnesota and THREE before Wisconsin PSC, the price kept going UP, UP, UP!
But then on September 8, 2001, a meeting with likely intervenors to see if they could be convinced to “approve” of the SW Minnesota 345kV line, remember that, Commissioner Matt Schuerger? I pointed out all that coal lined up in the SW MN 345kV study… and from there on to the SW MN 345kV line, part of ABB plan for coal:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/LigniteVision21Map.jpg)
Don’t ya just love that name? It says it all. Why the ABB Lignite Vision 21 Transmission Study? The opening paragraph, linked above, DOH! says:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/image-4-1024x296.png)
The SW MN 345kV line was the part that’s running east to west on the lower part of that yellow map, from Split Rock sub to Lakefield Junction. Some claimed it was an “It’s for WIND!” line, but that’s a lie, just read that ABB study again. The powerflows showed that it wasn’t to carry energy off of Buffalo Ridge, there was just 213-302 MVA coming off Buffalo Ridge into the over 2,000 MVA capacity line:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/Full-size-powerflow-100-0-1024x744.jpg)
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/Full-size-powerflow-50-50-1024x744.jpg)
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/Ex-35-App-7-Conductor-spec-1024x744.jpg)
How stupid do they think we are? Well, money talked, and that money ruled the day. That SW MN 345kV line and the TRANSLink Settlement Agreement and 2005 Transmission Omnibus Bill from Hell (and changes to Minn. Stat. 117.189) laid the groundwork to bring us $2+ BILLION of CapX 2020:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2014/06/CapX.jpg)
And then the MISO MVP 17 project portfolio, now over $6 BILLION:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/MVP-portfolio-map.jpg)
And then they have the audacity to suggest we need MORE transmission?
Upper Midwest utilities to study transmission grid in light of ambitious carbon reduction goals
So please explain how selling coal generated electricity on the MISO market is consistent with carbon reduction goals?
What a crock…
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2010/02/coal-fire.jpg)
Goodhue County consents to continue to accept refugees
January 8th, 2020
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/Goodhue-County-Board-1024x988.jpg)
THANK YOU, Goodhue County Board.
Yesterday, the Goodhue County Board‘s Committee of the Whole consented to refugee resettlement, continuing its long-standing policy of accepting refugees. This meeting left me feeling that despite the loud, angry, misinformed, in some cases outright lying and inciting, opposition, “the right thing to do” prevailed. I spent two days researching, lobbying, emailing, fbing, twitting (naaah, not much), Legalectricing, and phone calling, many others doing the same, and so many showing up.
This whole mess started with years of anti-Islamic rhetoric (How Minnesota Republican Operatives are sowing distrust of Muslims) and then tRump’s open campaign to end Muslim entry into the U.S.
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2017/02/StatementonPreventingMuslimImmigration-786x1024.jpg)
Then came the Muslim Ban Executive Orders, challenged in court at every turn and almost always the court finds them unconstitutional (how many times do we have to do this… well, we have to do this EVERY time he issues one of these Orders).
Remember
Executive Order 13769 -Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States ???
Then last fall, along comes Executive Order 13888, which requires that a state and local government must give prior consent before any refugees can be resettled in that jurisdiction:
Note Pending legal challenge to tRump’s E.O. 13888.
And don’t forget that tRump cut refugee admissions to just 18,000 for the entire U.S.:
Anyhoo, state by state, county by county, we’re going through this process to consent to refugee resettlement. If there’s no consent, then no refugees can settle here (initially, they can be settled elsewhere, and move here, though if they do move into a non-consenting state, their 90 days of financial aid ends). Goodhue County addressed consent last night, and granted consent, which means that the County will continue its long-standing policy of acceptance of refugees. It was an administrative action, because the County policy is, has been forever, to accept refugees. Accepting refugees, for Goodhue County, doesn’t mean much, as the last refugee resettled here was in 2011, exactly ONE, and in 2010, also exactly ONE. None since. But it’s an important symbolic statement to make in light of EO 13888.
Last night it was a packed room. Here’s the Board:
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/20200107_1603591-1024x768.jpg)
Here are the documents included in the County packet:
1. Refugee Resettlement in Goodhue County
Documents:
Refugee Resettlement Presentation.pdf
Refugee Resettlement Additional Information.pdf
And it’s been an ugly time here in River City, with the Red Wing Tea Party agitating, with an irresponsible “candidate” for MN’s Congressional District 2 (this time around) delivering an inciteful rant about Goodhue County’s consideration of consent, a decision required by E.O. 13888. There’s been a rash of anti-Muslim wildly false and hateful statements, things that are jaw-dropping. When we got to the county building, all the entrances were roped off, saying to go around to the 5th street entrance, and going in, we’re greeted bydeputies galore, a sign in sheet, and metal detector. At the beginning of the meeting, there was an announcement that there was a credible threat, hence security beefed up like I’ve never seen at the County.
In the Red Wing Republican-bEagle:
Goodhue County approves refugee resettlement
A prior post here on Legalectric:
Refugee Resettlement in Goodhue County
THANK YOU, Goodhue County Board.
Stearns County EO1388 Consent tabled to next mtg
January 7th, 2020
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/minnesota-1896-stearns-county-map-stearns-county-published-by-cm-foote-co-historic-map-works-llc.jpg)
Stearns County tabled its E.O. 13888 Consent agenda item until the next meeting, a request for a letter from county consenting to refugee settlement. In Stearns County, there have been 662, 22 in 2019, and 12 in 2018. The County documents are below.
Stearns County Board – Video – Refugee Settlement begins at about 19 minutes in: VIDEO HERE
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/GoodhueCoRefugee.jpg)
Pending legal challenge to tRump’s E.O. 13888
January 6th, 2020
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/trump-gangsigns.jpg)
There’s quite a discussion here in Red Wing about Goodhue County’s upcoming decision whether the County will continue to allow refugee resettlement in the County. This decision is necessary due to Trump’s issuance of Executive Order 13888, which prohibits resettlement of refugees unless the Governor of the state and the head of the local governmental unit have consented in advance to refugee settlement.
That means that for refugees to be able to settle somewhere, there must be an affirmative YES! to allow settlement. Minnesota’s Gov. Walz has given his consent and has welcomed refugees to Minnesota:
Governor Walz to Trump Administration: ‘The Inn is Not Full in Minnesota’
In Minnesota, that means that local governments now also must consent to be able to settle refugees in the area. County by County, here are the numbers for Minnesota counties that admitted any refugees, ones not listed, such as Goodhue County, admitted ZERO. NONE! NADA!
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/GoodhueCoRefugee.jpg)
Goodhue County will be discussing this in a Committee of the Whole meeting tomorrow, here’s my post on that:
Refugee Resettlement in Goodhue County
In the meantime, there a federal case working its way through Maryland Southern District — keep in mind that the tRump administration is not doing well in federal challenges of its immigration Executive Orders, tRump has lost most, if not all of them (so many, it’s hard to keep track!). Here’s the Complaint and Amici filings available online:
12-13-2019_Amicus_BRIEF OF THE STATES OF CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, MARYLAND, CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, MINNESOTA, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, OREGON, PENNSYLVANIA, VIRGINIA, AND WASHINGTON AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION Download
BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION -Motion-for-Leave-to-FileDownload
This is everything I can find, and I need to call PACER to get into my account (new computer, AAAAAAAAAARGH!) and look at the filings in the docket, so there may be more. I can’t find the Administration’s Answer, which should have been filed in December. I’ll be digging for that and more when I can get into the court’s docket file.
Refugee Resettlement in Goodhue County
January 6th, 2020
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/statue-of-liberty-739x1024.jpg)
4 p.m. Tuesday at Goodhue County Board Room, 3rd Floor.
This is Committee of the Whole discussion of continuation of existing Goodhue County policy to allow refugee resettlement, necessitated by tRump’s E.O. 13888 requiring prior consent of local governments.
Intent? How divisive can you get? There have been ZERO refugees resettled in Goodhue County in last 5 years.
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2020/01/GoodhueCoRefugee.jpg)
Trump’sExecutive Order 13888 turned refugee resettlement on its head by prohibiting resettlement of refugees in an area unless both the state and local government have consented prior.
Gov. Walz to Trump Administration: “The inn is not full in Minnesota.”
Tomorrow, Tuesday 1/7,at 4:00 p.m., the Goodhue County Board, as Committee of the Whole, will address refugee resettlement:
1. Refugee Resettlement in Goodhue County
Documents:
The meeting was announced on a facebook group here in Red Wing, and also the Red Wing Tea Party page. I cannot believe the vitriolic, hateful, and just plain ignorant comments being made.
What are people afraid of?
That’s an essay question that’ll take some thoughtful writing, an LTE perhaps, for another day. But in short, it’s about white folks seeing that the world is changing, that privilege as majority isn’t a given, and knowing how the majority has treated minorities, a fear that a reverse Golden Rule karma may be in the future. A similar issue are the cries of Sharia Law by those pushing a “Christian” theocracy, and failure to observe that U.S. is a country of agnostic laws based on the Constitution, particularly the 4th Amendment, by those coming here fleeing religious persecution.