Legalectric

Wind on the Wires Gala…

In Chicago, Bill Clinton calls for national grid to boost renewable energy.

Yes, it’s all connected…There goes Clinton promoting transmission that enables coal.

We all know Bill Clinton has his warts:

But did you know that yesterday Clinton exhibited a major outbreak of warts as a transmission toady for Obama?

And we all know Obama loves transmission and declared seven transmission projects for “accelerated permitting and construction” including two of “my” projects, the PSEG Susquehanna-Roseland line and Xcel’s CapX 2020 Hampton-Rochester-LaCrosse line.  I’ve posted a few times about this:

Obama “fast tracks” transmission?!?!?!

Obama’s Transmission BS in the News

What does Obama’s Xmsn push mean?

Here’s the plan in the Midwest — check out the blue solid lines and dashed lines:

… and it gets worse:

These JCSP lines are in the MTEP 11 Appendices, 765kV lines across the Midwest:

MTEP11 Appendices ABC

But do you know the level of toadyism and sell-out of so called “environmental” groups that made this transmission build-out possible?  Transmission is just one of the legacies of the Izaak Walton League (and its program “Wind on the Wires”), Fresh Energy, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, and North American Water Office.  There’s also coal gasification, burning turkey shit, and rolling for nuclear power in a deal to stick nuclear waste in Florence Township and taking the money for compensation of the Prairie Island Indian Community and shift that into the Renewable Energy Development Fund, Community Based Energy Development (C-BED) legislation that gave House Speaker Steve Sviggum a turbine and substation on his land in the first C-BED project applied for (and thankfully failed).  Gee, thanks for all of this and more from Minnesota’s “environmental” organizations over the years… the 1994 Prairie Island deal, the 2002 Transmission deal, the 2003 Prairie Island deal… it makes me ill.  Who do they think they are to make these deals, who are they representing?  Not the people!  Not the public interest!

Here’s some primary documentation:

Settlement Agreement – ME3(Fresh Energy), Izaak Walton League, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, North American Water Office

$8.1 Million to Wind on Wires – grant from McKnight/Energy Foundation

$4.5 Million to Wind on Wires – grant from McKnight/Energy Foundation

2005 Session Laws Chapter 97 Transmission Omnibus Bill from Hell

“Wind on the Wires” website – remember, this is a subset of Walton’s, they’re on Walton’s payroll until after 2010 election

Bill Grant – Sawmill Presentation – Promotion of Coal Gasification

Presentations at IEDC (Legalectric – posted February 16th, 2007)

IEDC gets carried away (Legalectric – posted February 15th, 2007)

You might think this is old news, but it’s not, it’s got an impact right now, an impact felt by the thousands of landowners whose land is being condemned right now for CapX 2020 transmission routed over their land.  Why?  Well, just after Mark Dayton won the election in 2010, the Waltons and Wind on the Wires did a spin off (note their numbers don’t match), separating the two, that’s just after the election, and just before Gov. Mark Dayton announced the Walton’s Bill Grant would be the new Deputy Commissioner of Dept. of Commerce in charge of Energy Facilities Permitting.

2010 Izaak Walton League of America IRS Form 990

2009 Izaak Walton League of America IRS Form 990

And “Wind on the Wires” IRS 990s:

Wind on the Wires 2009 IRS Form 990 (signed 11-12-10, a week after the election)

Wind on the Wires 2010 IRS Form 990 (signed 11-14-2011)

How could anyone be more unsuitable for a position heading the state Energy Facilities Permitting department at Commerce?

Here’s the article in its entirety for posterity — from Midwest Energy News, brought to us by (buy) RE-AMP!

In Chicago, Bill Clinton calls for national grid to boost renewable energy

Posted on 12/13/2012 by Kari Lydersen

“Look what happened to civilizations that had their day in the sun and then declined,” he said. “Progress is a long road, a lot of rolling big rocks up steep hills.” Read the rest of this entry »

Another coal gasification bites the dust — yes, it took a coon’s age to get this posted, what can I say, the CapX hearings are taking up a lot of time… This was the best news in ages, continuing the theme that IGCC is a bad idea, too risky, too costly. This plant was one that seemed to have a lot of backing, which to me means that IGCC is done. When I’d posted about it, it garnered some wild NRG employee comments on this blog, ones that I hope that those employees’ bosses are aware of! I know NRG is watching, but I think some of their employees need to have their typing fingers taped together and/or not operate a computer while soused!

Here are a few articles with some choice comments:

From the Buffalo News:

Power Authority stops $1.6 billion plans for advanced coal plant at Tonawanda’s Huntley Station

Power Authority officials estimate that it would take an additional $175 million to $200 million per year in subsidies – on top of the significant aid already promised for the project – to bring the price of the electricity produced at the advanced coal plant down to the point where it could compete with other conventional sources of generation.

From newsday.com:

NYPA halts plans for clean-coal plant in Tonawanda

After pursuing various state grants and tax incentives, NYPA determined it is not possible to fully close the gap between what NYPA would have to pay for electricity and competitive market rates.

And from the Post Journal:

NYPA withdraws support for North Tonawanda clean coal project

”The economic, technological and regulatory obstacles are too great to warrant any further efforts at this time,” said Christine Pritchard, a NYPA spokeswoman.

… and…

NYPA officials were also uneasy about the technology. According to the company, there are only two IGCC plants operating nationwide, and 11 IGCC plants were either delayed or cancelled in 2007. In addition, the largest sequestration operation in the world is burying only 1 million tons of carbon dioxide underground annually, a third of what the NRG plant would be required to sequester – and carbon capture and storage technology has never been demonstrated off a clean coal power plant.

… and…

”It is also clear that an explicit and rigorous regulatory process with public support is a prerequisite for sequestration on a large scale. And while some amount of risk is necessary to prove new technology, the financial and environmental risk associated with this large-scale commercial power plant is simply too great,” the report concludes.

… and…

”Simply, at this time, the price gap is too large to overcome” said Pritchard of NYPA.

Tell us something we didn’t already know!!!