Legalectric

Here we go again…  On January 24th, Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission denied the Petition for Rulemaking filed by Jewell Jinkins Intervenors, where we’re trying to get them off the dime and promulgate some solar siting rules.

Petition for Rulemaking_JJI_Solar_FINAL

Here’s their written order, just out today, with some bizarre statements:

PSC Order_2-6-2019- Denial of Rulemaking Petition

Bizarre statements?  Yup, here’s one, the grand finale:

As Bob Cupit would say that I say, “GIVE ME A BREAK….”

On NPR:

In Wisconsin, Farmers May Soon Be Milking The Profits of Solar Energy Instead of Cows

From the piece, Alan Jewell:

ALAN JEWELL: To an accountant, it’s dirt. To somebody that works with the land and fields, it’s a partnership. And so it’s not an element to buy or sell. It’s an element to respect.

WHITES-KODITSHEK: Residents like Alan Jewell fear that a utility-scale solar project will destroy the natural beauty and farming legacy here. More than a million 15-foot-tall solar panels and their machinery could dot this rolling farm landscape. Jewell says the state has no citing rules specific to solar. He says the county board didn’t fully study the unknowns and rushed to support the project. Jewell says neighbors haven’t been promised large enough setbacks or noise controls from the inverters.

JEWELL: Nobody has taken the time to think this through.

That’s right, there are NO rules:

This has been one of the longest weeks, if I were a driver, I’d be out of hours after tossing my 2nd log book in the bunk!  But hey, that’s why they call it work.  This Order helped make it all worthwhile.

Order –  Denying MGE-WPSC Motion to Protect

MGE and WPSC have been working so hard to keep Jewell Jinkins Intervenors out of this docket, and we end up spending all our time on challenging the onslaught.  Today’s Order follows the PSC denial of their Motion to have us tossed out:

WPSC_MGE Motion for Interlocutory Review_354992

Which followed their previous Objection to our Intervention, which was also tossed out:

Applicant Response to Motion to Intervene

Order_Intervention

At long last, this… ONCE MORE WITH FEELING:

Order –  Denying MGE-WPSC Motion to Protect

It’s hard to pick my favorite part, this is for sure in the Top 10 of all time.  How’s this for a snippet?

Onward.  Today after this Order, I received their Confidentiality Agreements, signed them and shipped to the utilities, and then the Discovery started coming in.  Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots.  Rebuttal is due tomorrow.  Right…

From her Quarles bio:

Madison Gas & Electric and Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, the Applicants in a “Buy/Sell” (BS!) docket (CLICK HERE for 5-BS-228) for part of the Badger Solar project (and Two Creeks solar too) have been resisting at every opportunity, trying to keep Jewell Jinkins Intervenors from Intervening.  It gets more hilarious as we go through this crap.

First from the Applicants:

Applicant Response (Objection) to Motion to Intervene

So our Reply:

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_228_Reply to Applicants’ Response

The Administrative Law Judge granted our Intervention in technicolor:

Order_Intervention-Third

So the Applicants’ looked for other ways to keep us out of the docket, throwing things at the wall to see what sticks:

WPSC_MGE Motion for Interlocutory Review_354992

Motion_Protective Order

So our Reply to both:

Jewell Jinkins_228_Response_Motion For Interlocutory Review

Jewell Jinkins_228_Response_Motion Protective Order

The Applicants just couldn’t stop:

JewellJinkins_228_Response 2 Reply 2 Response 2 Motion Protective Order  Applicants’ Reply in Support of Motion for Protective Order 121918-1

So here’s our Reply to their Response:

   Jewell Jinkins_228_Response 2 Reply 2 Response 2 Motion Protective Order

It was on the PSC agenda yesterday, and they denied the complaint in less than 30 seconds, with no discussion.

Do you think the Applicants will get the hint?  We shall see.  I have my doubts.