Here’s why it’s good the Mesaba Project was not built!
June 14th, 2015
Remember the Excelsior Energy Mesaba Project (see Legalectric posts and Citizens Against the Mesaba Project’s “Camp Site”), the boondoggle coal gasification plant that almost was, the project that got every legislative perk possible, got financing and grants based on wishful thinking and that “something else” that we just can’t identify (without which, who would think this was a good idea? That plant that was to be built, according to the special legislation for this project, on a site WITH INFRASTRUCTURE? This site… dig the infrastructure!
Anyway, it wasn’t built here. But a similar plant WAS built in Indiana, the Edwardsport plant owned by Duke Energy. As with the Mesaba Project it was proposed at a reasonable price, legislators were first told $700 million, and then it went upwards of $2.11 billion. For Edwardsport, same story, and that price kept going up, up, up, and in Indiana, it was so extreme that costs recoverable from ratepayers were capped by the Indiana Public Utility Commission at $2.9 BILLION. It was allowed to be built, and it started operating, sort of… Average output has been 41%, when an 80+% capacity factor was promised. Repairs? That’s putting it mildly. Now they’re going to try to get cost recovery for that.
Now, let’s not all forget all the money given by the Joyce Foundation to support this nonsense.
+++++++++++++
Here’s a specific and eloquent comment from Michael Mullet, very involved in opposition to the Edwardsport fiasco:
The IGCC pipedream continues to fizzle
June 16th, 2010
A little birdie has been looking around at Mesaba — but first…
Here’s a report of an obvious problem with IGCC from John Blair, Valley Watch— the pipedream is just that, and the truth that those of us in the midst of coal gasification know too well is finally coming out publicly:
Carbon capture plans failing – IEA
“Much greater effort will be needed to meet future deployment levels,” it said.
Meanwhile, the little birdie… We’ve been in this odd and unenviable place, a big horrible coal gasification plant, the Mesaba Project, promoted by Excelsior Energy, a shell corp with nada for assets, which demanded a Power Purchase Agreement then denied by the PUC, and yet inexplicably granted a siting permit for not just “one” but TWO projects totalling over 1,000MW of IGCC! OH… MY… DOG! So it’s in limbo land, and we’re wondering how on earth this thing stays on life support as it rots away…
The little birdie had this report:
Excelsior Energy was supposed to have filed a new air permit, and the MPCA was supposed to have reviewed the 2006 air permit application “to assure that the protocol was acceptable to federal land managers.” Well, that didn’t happen, the “review” by MPCA OR the filing of the new air permit, which was supposed to have been filed last week.
… and the little birdie while looking around found this in their “Frequently Asked Questions” on their site, then scroll down to “View common transmission misconceptions” to p. 2:
Myth: The Mesaba Project will force wind energy off from the transmission grid.
Hmmmmmmmmm…
And this “Myth” section is a lot like their letter to Commerce regarding EIS Scoping Comments:
Anyway, I’d like to see this blog posting they’re referring to! Misinterpreted? Naaaaaaah, it’s all the interpretations of those presenting and reviewing at the MAPP meeting. Their claims are sorta like the matter of using a site with existing infrastructure:
I wonder what it was that blew their dress up… could it be:
So now it’s deliverable??? SWAG! January 9th, 2007
They caaalll Mesaaaba liiiars… November 25th, 2006
It’s all about this study — READ IT FOR YOURSELF:
Anyway, their air permit application was submitted, and it is a mess. The rules have changed. We’re waiting for the next Air Permit application, which will be… when???
Excelsior Energy has another bad day…
May 29th, 2009
Yes, Tom Micheletti and Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Project had another rough time at the Public Utilities Commission yesterday. The PUC was deciding on Excelsior’s Motions for Reconsideration in “Phase II” of the proceedings:
Excelsior’s Motion to Suspend, for Reconsideration etc etc etc
It was fast, the tone seemed to say that the PUC had had enough of it, and wanted to be done. Deny, deny, deny, the end.
So, now what? I don’t know, because Charlotte Neigh, of Citizens Against the Mesaba Project, had inquired with Richard Hargis, of the DOE, as to the status of the EIS in the siting docket, scheduled to be released in June (yeah, right, as if…). He said:
Ms. Neigh,
I don’t think this affects the issuance of the FEIS.
Richard Hargis
Huh… so now what? Haven’t a clue. My client, mncalgasplant.com, was an intervenor in this case, beginning nearly five years ago. Will this thing end some time in my lifetime? I’m starting to wonder…