Seen on I-35 last night, right across from Cabelas
Last week, I saw the above sign on I-35 across from Cabelas. Today, Sunday, I saw another, just north of the Clarks Grove/251 exit, between the 19 and 20 mile markers. I’d guess with these two, there’d also be ones along I-90. There’s another one on Main in Albert Lea, near the lake; and another eastbound on I-90 near Hwy. 46 exit by Austin. Anyone see other billboards?
Where is Center of the American Experiment getting the money for this disinformation campaign? You may ask why I say “disinformation campaign.” Read on…
Check this out, the “report” they keep recycling:
Legalectric post from October:
Adding Power Purchase Agreement cost AND overnight cost (cost of developing and constructing) will of course be higher — you can’t have it both ways — pick one or the other!
Who benefits by CAE making arguments that don’t hold up to 30 seconds of research? CAE does of course, they’re filling their coffers. But they’re just on this because the funders want this result. The funders? I don’t presume that it’s as simple an answer as “The Koch Bros.” The false claims they use tells me it’s more nuanced, because they’re setting people up. Those who are sucked in to these arguments, who buy into these false claims, will be shot down by regulators and legislators who know the truth of what goes into rates, and who understand that CO2 reduction only happens by reducing burning, DOH! (not by increasing wind, increasing wind only changes the percentages). They’re sabotaging legitimate issues with wind siting, and they’re ignoring the groundbreaking recent demonstrations that wind projects DO violate the noise related permit conditions and Minnesota’s noise rule (Minn. Ch. 7030). They’re ignoring that the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission HAS ordered the violators to take action (too late, not enough, but a start). When there are legitimate issues, why would they ignore them and go for fake news? Why release the bogus CAE report a month after the Bent Tree Phase I report comes out? Hmmmmmmmm…
REAL NEWS:
Bent Tree_Noise Monitoring Phase I_20179-135856-01
Bent Tree Post-Construction Noise Monitoring Report Phase II Report
REAL NEWS: Freeborn Wind project is first ever wind siting contested case! For info, go HERE and search for docket “17” (year) “410” (docket number). Good reading!
These Minnesota Public Utilities Commission actions should be well known to CAE if they’re going to be doing a campaign like this. CAE should be spreading this info far and wide… but noooooo….
An example — the day before yesterday at the legislature, there they are touting this report again:
American Experiment Testifies in Front of MN House of Representatives Committee on Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy on Wind Energy
Soooo, who benefits? Who benefits from CAE’s big PR push? Who benefits from uninformed people jumping on the CAE bandwagon, only to lose their credibility by spewing these CAE bogus arguments? I think this is a very well crafted disinformation campaign. Who is paying for it? Usually the Wizard is Xcel Energy, manipulating behind the scenes, spreading money far and wide to whoever will take it. Here? We shall see… And is any of this related to Senate File 3504/House File 3708 (they are identical) introduced on March 15th and 12th 2018?? Circumventing the PUC to get instant rate recovery for rehab of Prairie Island nuclear plant? We know how Monticello came in at twice the cost. How would that go here? PUC review of that might hamper Xcel. Can’t have that, can we… and we know CAE loves nuclear.
Registrant ContactName: Peter ZellerOrganization: Center of the American ExperimentStreet: 8421 Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 110City: Golden ValleyState: MNPostal Code: 55426Country: USPhone: +1.6123383605
Email:@americanexperiment.org
Ice throw from turbine hits truck cab!
February 24th, 2018
Photo of TNT, LLC truck cab taken at the scene
On Thursday, just as we were leaving the hearing for the Freeborn Wind project at the Albert Lea Armory, a large chunk of ice flew off one of the Bent Tree turbines and hit the drivers side of a truck going south on Hwy. 13 towards Albert Lea. Put a scratch and lite dent in the door, and took a big chunk out of the faring near the gas cap. That’s a big piece of plastic that costs way, way too much to replace.
A chunk of ice also hit the Langrud’s shop nearby. Others???
The ice last week was unreal, I’ve never experienced that level of ice coating my vehicle as last Monday, it was raining all the way from Red Wing to Albert Lea, and in places it was an inch thick. I can just imagine how it was caked on the turbines.
It’s been reported in both the Albert Lea Tribune and KAAL TV 6:
Complaint: Ice From Freeborn Co. Wind Turbine Hit Semi – KAAL
Turbines temporarily shut down after ice … – Albert Lea Tribune
And here is the letter sent by Alliant/Wisconsin Power & Light Company regarding the ice throw:
Freeborn Wind hearing just ended…
February 22nd, 2018
KAAL’s star witness!
It’s over, only two days, well, three, the public hearing was on Tuesday, lots and lots of people attended and spoke up.
This was before the public hearing started, and not long after it started they added two more sections o seating over on our side to my right. It was a god crowd, articulate and well spoken.
The AP article about this project is all over the country.
New rebellion against wind energy stalls or stops projects:
Enough, you get the idea…
Plains & Eastern Clean Line Dead?
January 24th, 2018
From Alison Milsaps and Dave Ulery, Block Plains and Eastern Clean Line:
To recap the events of recent weeks: Plains & Eastern, Clean Line’s regulatory crown jewel and the only of its projects to be fully (if questionably) permitted, is DEAD in Arkansas. Hallelujah. Don’t take our word for it, though. Let’s look at a little evidence:
Hubris: Clean Line’s Michael Skelly and the End of the Plains and Eastern Project…
You know, I love it when this happens.
Under the agreement, Clean Line Energy retains project assets east of Oklahoma, and NextEra Energy Resources owns only the project assets in Oklahoma.
Clean Line Energy added that the transaction will continue the project’s forward momentum and install a new sponsor to a transmission solution to the burgeoning wind sector in Oklahoma and the Southwest Power Pool.
A Clean Line Energy spokesperson on Dec. 22 told TransmissionHub of the deal, “We cannot disclose financial information.”
Clean Line Energy Partners, a Houston-based developer of five major transmission lines for wind-generated electricity, has dropped its interconnection agreement with TVA for one of its most promising projects after the federal utility declined to buy what Clean Line officials said would be cheaper and cleaner power for TVA…
… But after years of study, TVA said the Clean Line project didn’t make economic sense for the nation’s biggest government-owned utility, since TVA already has enough power-generating capacity and is on path to get more than half of its power from carbon-free sources. TVA President Bill Johnson said the intermittent nature of wind power would require TVA to build other backup power generators, including natural gas plants, that would offset the promised savings from the wind-generated power sources alone.
“We’re looking at a power demand in the future that is flat, or declining slightly, so we don’t anticipate needing major additions to power generation for a decade or more,” Johnson said.
“We all are wondering at this point” what is going on, said Julie Morton, of Van Buren. “We are disconnected on the western end now. The TVA was going to take 3,500 of the 4,000 megawatts it was going to generate, but now it is disconnected on that end.
“We are stuck in the middle, unplugged at both ends, and the only way out for us is if Clean Line completely implodes, which I think is happening, and the Department of Energy withdraws from the project.”
and now…
Using powers contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the department moved the project forward over the objections of Arkansas leaders.
Among other things, the law would enable the use of eminent domain to obtain property from unwilling sellers.
But the participation agreement allows the department to back out of the deal if “the Commencement Date has not occurred by December 31, 2018.”
In the letter, delegation members urged Perry to “pause the Project to either study or terminate its participation before the deadline.”
Since it was unveiled, the power line project has generated controversy.
Arkansas lawmakers ask DOE to block Clean Line transmission project
Don’t know what more we could possibly need to show that this project is O. V. E. R. I do wonder if the appellate case was dismissed so there would be no precedent, and then, immediately after it was dismissed, all this happens. Then, if they or someone else wants to try a Section 1222 project, the door remains open????
Look who’s in the news!
January 5th, 2018
Yes, we all know that Mike Bull wrote most of the energy law now in place! But there’s no mention of those many years of work at House Regulated Industries Committee though…
And we all know that there are some big holes and problems with the wind siting statutes, rules, and standards. What will it take to get some of the problems worked through, like some respectful wind siting standards? We’re just starting to see, at long last, after years and years of complaints, some Public Utilities Commission action on wind noise issues.
Bent Tree_Noise Monitoring and Monitoring Report_20179-135856-01
Siting will have to be addressed, because despite sound modeling that says “no problem,” there are indeed problems. Despite shadow flicker modeling that says “no problem,” there are indeed problems.
Preventative siting is long overdue and needs to start NOW! And what about those already affected? “Buy the Farm” for wind? It’s overdue. Action after the fact is not the best of options, prevention is always the key, but for those now attempting to live in untenable circumstances, foisted on them by the nuisance moving into their community, and permitted by the Commission, what are the options?
Wind project in southern Minnesota gets pushback
Hey Mikey, how ’bout helping get to some solutions???