PPSA Annual Hearing – December 22
November 20th, 2017
Ah, yes, it’s that time of year again… remember this map, way back when, connecting existing coal plants to the proposed CapX 2020 system? (note the Mid-American coal plant built in 2007 over by Council Bluffs isn’t there, it’s at the green lines on the southwest side where transmission starts.)
It’s the Power Plant Siting Act Annual Hearing!
Here’s the full notice:
2017_Docket 17-18_Notice_201711-137509-01
And going back in history:
2006 Report to PUC – Docket 06-1733
2007 Report to PUC – Docket 07-1579
2008 Report to PUC – Docket 08-1426
2009 Report to PUC – Docket 09-1351
2010 Report to PUC – Docket 10-222
2011 Report to PUC – Docket 11-324
2012 Report to PUC – Docket 12-360
2013 Report to PUC – Docket 13-965
2014 Summary Report– Docket 14-887
2015 Summary Report – Docket 15-785
2016 Summary Report — Docket 16-18
Here’s the summary of what I had to say last year, from the report above:
Does this sound familiar?
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting on the rulemaking, 12-1246, which addresses PPSA siting rules, Minn. R. Ch. 7850. To see rulemaking docket, which ostensibly is to address the changes in the 2005 Transmission Omnibus Bill from Hell, go HERE and look up rulemaking docket 12-1246.
I expect this rulemaking to reach the Public Utilities Commission before I drop dead. But I’m starting to wonder. The “12” in “12-1246” means the docket was opened in 2012. This is 2017, almost 2018. Good grief!
Freeborn Wind Orders and a Petition for Intervention filed
September 8th, 2017
Slowly, the siting process for Freeborn Wind is moving. The Commission issued its order referring the application to Office of Administrative Hearings for a contested case, that’s a first for a wind project in Minnesota!
And LauraSue Schlatter, the Administrative Law Judge, has issued the Order for the Prehearing Conference, and a directive to the Applicants to share a proposed schedule, which they have done:
The Erratta Order issued is particularly important because it specifies that the rules that this process will go forward under is Minn. R. Ch. 1405:
Minn. R. Ch. 1405 contains the rules for siting under the Power Plant Siting Act (and wind siting chapter, Minn. Stat. Ch. 216F, is NOT under the PPSA, which is Minn. Stat. Ch. 216E), and not the OAH more general administrative procedure rules, Minn. R. Ch. 1400. Note there’s no mention of Minn. R. Ch. 7854, about which I’ve filed how many Petitions for Rulemaking because these rules are so deficient and inadequate? This is seriously inside baseball — it’s a major change, major admission, and what are the implications? I’ve wanted wind siting to be moved over to the Power Plant Siting Act forever… it was improperly separated out of 116C, without any directive or authorization, when PPSA became Minn. Stat. Ch. 216E. There’s homework to do.
Here we go…