Legalectric

This is the Shell Rock River, covered with winter hoar frost today, and part of the DNR’s Shell Rock River State Water Trail, where Freeborn Wind wants to string a transmission line over the river!  Click for larger view:

It’s a State Water Trail – click for larger view:

Doesn’t this just look like the greatest place for transmission across the river?!?!  Good grief, what are they thinking?

Apparently Invenergy doesn’t like the idea that we’re intervening in their Wisconsin dockets.  I guess after Freeborn Wind, it’s not hard to understand why.

Intervention in Badger Hollow HUGE 300 MW solar project docket — approved by the Administrative Law Judge (Docket 9697-CE-100):

Jinkins Jewell Wendhausen_Intervention

Order_Interventions_11-1-2018

And then the related dockets, the transmission line and the acquisition docket, appropriately known as the BS docket, our intervention, their objection, and our response.  The transmission docket (Docket 9697-CE-101):

Jewell Jinkins_101_Intervention_FINAL

9697-CE-101 Badger Hollow – Response to Request for Intervention (Objection!)

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_101_Reply to Objection

And the acquisition BS docket (Docket 5-BS-228):

Jewell Jinkins_228_Intervention_CORRECTED

Applicant Response to Motion to Intervene (Objection)

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_228_Reply to Response

Oh, and the Cardinal Hickory Creek 345 kV Transmission Line!  Docket 5-CE-146.

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_Cardinal-Hickory Creek_Intervention

To look up any of these dockets, go to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s Search site, and  plug in the numbers.

Meanwhile, we’re waiting on the Minnesota Commission meeting on Reconsideration for our Rulemaking Petition, and waiting on two orders, project and transmission, for Freeborn Wind.

And around all these filings, I’ve been to band practice, made wild rice and garbanzo salad, and I hear a Ferndale Market turkey calling…

What a long week it’s been!  WHAT?  Tuesday?!?!  No, really?!?!

It was a full house yesterday at the PUC but the result was a bust.  The PUC tossed the Freeborn Wind ALJ Recommendation right out the window, did a 180 from the ALJ’s Recommendation and granted a siting permit and transmission permit for Freeborn Wind. There was a last minute “compromise” presented by Freeborn Wind and Commerce, last minute, meaning the DAY BEFORE, and the PUC Staff Briefing papers had 23 pages of an inexplicable chart of proposed adoption and rejection of Exceptions.

20189-146406-01_PUC_StaffBriefingPapers

Through what gyrations will they get their “order” to align with the record? Out with it — let’s see!!

In the STrib:

Minnesota utility regulators approve Freeborn County wind farm opposed by neighbors

In the Albert Lea Tribune:

Commission unanimously approves Freeborn Wind Farm permits

From the article:

Commissioner Katie Sieben said she also supported the project, noting she received a letter in July 2017 from a constituent saying the issue was “tearing neighbors apart.”
“I would hope that as the applicant has modified, has moved wind turbines, has lessened that division,” she said.

Sieben says Freeborn “has moved wind turbines?”  WHERE EVER WOULD SHE GET THAT IDEA?  The application wasn’t modified, wind turbines haven’t been moved.  This just proves she hasn’t read the record.  How many times did Dan Litchfield testify that they couldn’t move any turbines?

And on KIMT TV:

Freeborn Wind Farm approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission

 

Freeborn Wind at the PUC tomorrow.

Watch on line HERE: Live Webcast

ANOTHER LATE FILING!!!  This last minute flurry is indicative of their desperation!  So I guess it’s a good thing, but hey, I’ve got to get ready for the Wind Rulemaking docket that I’ve been trying to get before the Commission for how many years?  Oh well… one thing at a time…

Freeborn Wind’s “Late Filed — Proposed Special Conditions Related to Noise _20189-146486-01

And our response just filed:

AFCL’s Late Filing2_Reply2Freeborn

Oh yeah, we’re going to have fun at the PUC tomorrow.  Watch on line HERE: Live Webcast

And background, yesterday and day before:

AFCL reply to Freeborn Wind’s Motion to Exclude

Freeborn Wind files Motion to Exclude!!

Whew, quick response to Freeborn Wind’s Motion:

Association of Freeborn County Landowners_FINAL Reply

Here’s their Motion:

20189-146448-02_Motion to Exclude Untimely Filing of Frank Kohlasch

From here, it looks like they’re trying to weasel their way into a 1 dBA “wiggle room” to add onto the state’s 50 dBA limit.  Ummmmmm, no!  No way is that supported by the record, and really, there’s already a 3 dBA “margin of error” built in, supposedly, well, so says Freeborn Wind’s expert Hankard!

Here’s the MPCA letter they’re so up in arms about, but wait, it’s nothing new!!!!

Letter 9/11/2018 Frank Kohlasch MPCA_20189-146351-01

Freeborn, you know all about ambient sound noise modeling, we discussed it for how many hours in the hearing?  Good grief…

Here are the MPCA’s noise standards:

NOISE STANDARDS  Minn. R. 7030.0040