Will the Mesaba Project never die?
February 21st, 2011
The most bizarre bill has been introduced that seems to be trying to breathe life into the most unreal project that ever existed, and the project that refuses to die, have they no shame?
Here’s the poop:
Senate authors are Tomassoni, Senjem, Michel and Saxhaug
WRITE TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS — TELL THEM TO PUT A STAKE THROUGH ITS SLIMY HEART!
Referred to Senate Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications
House authors are Beard, Dill and Fabian
Referred to House Environment, Energy and …
What on earth are they trying to do
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???
Tom Micheletti in Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office?
February 25th, 2010
So what is Tom Micheletti doing in Senator Amy Klobuchar’s office?
Why is Senator Klobuchar entertaining more stories, fiction like “The Virtues of Coal Gasification in Northern Minnesota?”
Enough of Klobuchar and her pandering to fossils and their fuel – time to vote her OUT!
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…
Sen. Amy gets visit from Micheletti!
April 30th, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. — This morning, at “Coffee and Potica” or Minnesota Morning with Senator Amy Klobuchar, who should be there but Tom Micheletti! Yes, Excelsior Energy’s Tom Micheletti was there. And he was there on the eve of the DEADLINE, the day before the PUC said it would pull the plug on Excelsior Energy’s Mesaba Project.
The legendary Alan Muller, Green Delaware, was in Amy’s office this morning too! He got there, and “the only other person I knew in the room was Tom Micheletti.” Too weird. And here I had to stay home and dogsit. DAMN! I could have used the aerobic exercise of duking it out with Tom again.
Sen. Klobuchar’s energy staffer, Charlie Moore, said he wasn’t in on the conversation between Micheletti and Klobuchar’s chief of staff, Alan said they were huddled together for quite a while. Moore also said that he didn’t know that there was a May 1 deadline. Oh, really? Not good. It’s bad enough that we have to worry about what Micheletti might be saying, but now we’ve also got to be concerned about what he isn’t saying.
And sorry, no photo, yes, I’m MOST disappointed, oh well… but there’s a photo of Sen. Klobuchar with Alan in his Neighbors Against the Burner shirt.
Will it happen? Will they pull the plug? They sure better, they’ve been stalling long enough.
Here’s Excelsior Energy’s filings in their attempt to keep the PUC from FINALLY pulling the plug on the Mesaba Project:
So let’s just let this thing die. Xcel doesn’t want it, the Minnesota municipal utilities don’t want it, the PUC doesn’t want it, and mncoalgasplant.com sure doesn’t want it and neither does Citizens Against the Mesaba Project.