Legalectric

The DRAFT Environmental Impact Statement for the Ottertail-WIlkin CO2 pipeline is out and open for comment.

Yes, this is a relatively “small” project, it’s that little rectangle in the above map, but as the first CO2 pipeline going through permitting in Minnesota, it’s a precedent setter. Issues include the environmental impacts, the risks, the costs, the financing scheme, whether this collection of CO2 from ethanol plants and shipping it to ??? to use??? to store underground??? whether it will make a dent in CO2 production. From my experience with CO2 capture and storage, I think it’s a lot of hoopla for a projects that costs billions and which will make the project owners very wealthy and not do much, if anything, for us. However, that being said, I need to check out the details. You can too — right here:

OtterTail_to_Wilkin_CO2_Pipeline_Project_Draft EIS_all chapters.pdf

Appendix A Final Scoping Decision.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part1.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part2.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part3.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part4.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part5.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part6.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part7.pdf

Appendix B Detailed Route Maps_Part8.pdf

Here’s the ALJ’s denial of World Organization for Landowner Freedom’s Petition for Intervention:

And just filed is W.O.L.F.’s Motion for Reconsideration of Denial of World Organization for Landowner Freedom Intervention – can’t let this slide by:

Got a pissive from American Transmission Company (ATC) — apparently it objects to World Organization for Landowner Freedom’s (WOLF)_Petition-for-Intervention in the Minnesota Power “HVDC Modernization” docket (Public Utilities Commission dockets E015/CN-22-607 and E015/TL-22-611).

Here’s ATC‘s Objection:

And here’s World Organization of Landowner Freedom’s response, filed this afternoon:

Take that, American Transmission Company! I clearly remember how nasty they were during the Arrowhead-Weston projects, years of hearing their arguments that were so twisted. I wish I still had the 12 or more boxes from that project, Minnesota and Wisconsin dockets, stretching from 1999 to 2005.

In Minnesota, the issue was whether the project should be exempt from the Power Plant Siting Act. W.O.L.F. was the only intervenor to take it to the MN Court of Appeals, and we lost, went down in flames.

The Wisconsin hearing (05-CE-113) starting in January 2000, or was it 2001… anyway, learning the technical aspects of transmission was intense, so much so that my brain hurt.

But back to ATC’s Objection to W.O.L.F.’s Intervention… Later this afternoon, Minnesota Power filed stating it had no objection to W.O.L.F.’s Intervention, and no objection to LIUNA’s (union group) late-filed Petition for Intervention, noting they’d been participating all along:

Well, that’s good! Now, onward! Any time now, the Administrative Law Judge Mortenson can decide on Intervention.

Here’s the schedule from the Prehearing Order:

Time to get some Information Requests ready to file!

I know I’ve been preoccupied, struggling to keep up and not doing a very good job of it, but how did I not know that the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant was shut down for the winter and the river has completely frozen over?? Granted this is proof positive that we don’t “NEED” this generation, but what does it mean for the river and those dependent on that open water? Fish, eagles, other wildlife??? Maybe the plant closure is why the 2024 nuclear notice came out late (no calendar)?

That’s from MPR on November 22, 2023 about this shutdown on October 19, 2023, over a month later:

Electrical trouble shuts down Prairie Island reactor

Odd, it took the STrib that long too, November 22, 2023. Guess Xcel belatedly sent out a press release?

Xcel’s Prairie Island nuclear plant will be out of commission until January

So something between generator and substation? Something similar may have happened to Unit 2 last May:

Nuclear reactor at Xcel’s Prairie Island plant remains offline after ‘unusual event’ reported Saturday

Turned out it wasn’t “just” a transformer — there was a problem with the “main feed water pump” that had to be fixed too: “The licensee determined that the fire alarms were caused by the electrical transient which occurred due to the fault on the Unit 2 main transformer” and then:

From NRC reports:

And here’s the Notification:

More info needed. It’s a cold winter Sunday, good for googling.

Here we go, World Organization for Landowner Freedom is BAAAACK!

Here we go!