Just filed – Petition for Wind Siting Rulemaking
July 30th, 2018
Yes, I just filed Goodhue Wind Truth’s Petition for Rulemaking #2, or is it #3… Read Attachment B, the “Statement of Need and Reasonableness” (SONAR), for an eye-opening look on why we’re where we’re at.
Got a wide broadcast using the PPSA Annual Hearing service list. Hope that gets the word out.
We’ve been assigned a docket number at PUC: E999/R-18-518.
Dodge County Wind info presentation
July 29th, 2018
Dodge County Concerned Citizens asked me to do an information presentation on NextEra’s Dodge County Wind project, which was recently applied for at the Public Utilities Commission. Here’s my presentation:
Turbine and Transmission Neighbors?
Completeness comments are due August 10, 2018, with reply comments due August 17, 2018.
20187-144854-01_PUC Notice_Completeness Comments_ALL dockets
How to file?
Here’s a form you could use for guidance — yes, its a test, and an essay test at that. Your original words are what count, because you know your community best, what impacts on the ground might be. You can best identify the material issues.
It was interesting that Beth Soholt, is concerned enough to show up on a Saturday morning! She’s the ED of wind industry association Wind on the Wires (f/k/a program of Izaak Walton League Midwest until Bill Grant was appointed Deputy Commissioner – Energy – Dept. of Commerce) But her being there was not much of a surprise, because NextEra’s Julie Voeck is Chair of the WOW Board. And don’t forget that PUC Commissioner Matt Schuerger’s “Energy Systems Consulting Services” was a primary recipient of Waltons/WOW consulting funds. As we say in transmission, “It’s all connected.”
Can’t find a Dodge County Wind, LLC website (it is a Delaware LLC registered with Minnesota Secretary of State), and NextEra has nothing on its website about the LLC, nor about the Dodge County project, that I can find, ALL Press Releases are about MONEY, not a one about “Dodge County.” There is a separate transmission page with “project info” but no project specific info there either.
This project was really difficult to dig through, because there are THREE dockets: Certificate of Need (17-306); Wind Siting (17-307); and Transmission Routing (17-308). WHEW! This would be overwhelming to anyone, and to try to explain what’s proposed, the process (UGH!), and issues, that’s a couple of books… whether fiction or non-fiction remains to be determined.
Post Bulletin – Proposed Dodge County wind farm raises questions
KTTC – Dodge County Concerned Citizens holds informational meeting on proposed wind turbine project
KIMT – Wind project proposed in Dodge County
This project has been brewing for a while, because there’s a Certificate of Need requirement of a Notice Plan before anything is applied for, and then notice goes out as laid out in the Notice Plan.
I’m on the general service list for all projects, pretty much everything, so I have an idea what’s new and exciting at the PUC, but it’s pretty hard to track it all. For this project, the initial “notice” filings for 17-306 (Certificate of Need) & 17-308 (345kV transmission line) were in April, 2017, and the transmission route app and wind site permit app were not filed until 6/29. The wind site permit is most significant in terms of cost and geographic spread, and nothing was filed until June 29, 2018, less than a month ago. The wind site permit filings contain an affidavit of mailing of notice but NO ADDRESSES, and the transmission affidavit of mailing of notice DOES have addresses. Why are no addresses included?
Three dockets, all those filings, at least 1,000 pages, and I confess haven’t read all of it! What jumps out at me is that this is another scattered site project, with a large footprint. It’s a 170MW project, not unusual in that way, but the turbines proposed are 2.5 MW turbines. That’s BIG! The reported hub height is 291 feet, and from ground to tip of blade, 485.5 feet. That’s BIG!
How to look at the dockets:
So now, quick because Completeness Comments are due, it’s time for people to take a look at this project, what’s proposed for the wind project, the big honkin’ transmission line, and whether all this is needed.
Oh, and about that big honkin’ transmission line, here’s a cut and paste from their application:
Characterizing this bundled 345kV line as “generation inter-tie?” Oh, please…
NO ICE! Pine Island City Council meeting last night
July 18th, 2018
I should have gone up in the front row and captured the smirk on the Mayor’s face through almost all of the meeting. Was he nervous and feeling the heat, or was he dismissive of everyone who showed up? Showed up for what? For the Pine Island City Council meeting, the first one after City Council meeting where they voted to approve a resolution of support for Management and Training Corporation’s 640 bed ICE detention facility.
Here’s Alan Muller’s comment:
FULL meeting link — City says their site is broken so they posted it HERE – CITY FB PAGE
Here’s the Post Bulletin on the meeting:
Crowd weighs in on potential Pine Island ICE facility
The ICE request for proposals:
Immigration Detention Services Multiple Areas of Responsibility
No Comments »Posted by Carol A. OverlandAll in a day’s work… AFCL rocks!
July 16th, 2018
WOW! Who knew this many people would turn out, well, after all, it is Association of Freeborn County Landowners, talk about an active, thriving bunch! What an incredible job of organizing, lining up live auction donations, oh, and making pudding shots… ja, I’m an old fart, jello shots bring back memories, but pudding? This group has shown up, and worked together to be heard — each and every one of you has made the difference in this groundbreaking challenge to Freeborn Wind’s application. Keep up the good work! And thank you!!!
And of course, the satellite office:
This morning, pelicans on the lake! How cool is that! This is the view out the office window:
And it took 2+ years, but I think I’ve finally got the camper kitchen figured out. Before last trip added the Camp Chef stove, and this trip, added a table for the stove, and Alan made leg extensions for the prep table, and voila, a workable kitchen! Everything in its place and a place for everything.
p.s. phone signal is great!
Witch hunt? HA! July 13, 2018 indictment – read it!
July 14th, 2018
Is anyone paying any attention to whether tRump is keeping up with payments to those funding his house of cards?
Witch hunt? See the Twit-in-Chief’s most recent “Mainstream Media Accountability Survey,” where he tries to drum up support for his delusional paranoia. Fill out the survey! Let him know what you really think. The insight/incite in this survey is worth the time.
Let’s think about this — 12 Russian intelligence officers are indicted, yet tRump wails and cries about a “Witch Hunt” directed at HIM? Please, explain the connection?
Here’s the indictment revealed yesterday, yes, 12 Russian intelligence officers. REAL NEWS made public.
7-13-2018 Indictment