Impact of COVID on energy projects

March 30th, 2020

Last month, both Invenergy and NextEra had issued Notice of Force Majure:

Solar Force Majeure in WI – Coronavirus February 26th, 2020

Then NextEra cancelled its notice, and apparently plans to move forward with the Two Creeks project.

WPS_Cancellation of Next Era Force MajeureDownload

Here’s a recent industry blurb about the impacts, mentioning Badger Hollow solar and the rush to get projects in the ground before the tax credit and subsidies deadline, and trying to get perks in the COVID relief bill:

U.S. wind, solar industries plead for “tweaks” to coronavirus stimulus to keep projects alive

From the article:

Developer Invenergy LLC also issued a force majeure notice on its 300 megawatt (MW) Badger Hollow solar project in Wisconsin, according to a regulatory filing, citing the potential impact of factory shutdowns and travel restrictions on its suppliers and contractors. A spokeswoman for Invenergy declined to comment.

Posted by Carol A. Overland
Filed in Disasters, Energy, Legislative & Policy, Political Sense (non?), Solar
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Tony Evers PSC Chair appointment?!?!?

December 22nd, 2018

Tony Evers, Wisconsin’s soon-to-be Governor, has appointed Rebecca Cameron Valcq as the new head of PSC.
Sounds like at least one docket, the Badger Hollow buy/sell 5-BS-228, is up for a PSC Commissioner recusal when it’s before the Commission!  Why?  Quarles is Rebecca Cameron Valcq’s firm, where she’s big gun in their Energy division.  Quarles just happens to be representing MGE/WPSC, and they were over the top in objecting to Jewell Jinkins Intervenors participation in the MGE/WPSC “buy/sell” docket 5-BS-228, and the Commission blew them out of the water, denied their Motion for Interlocutory Review, with nary a comment”

MGE/WPSC were LOSERS in WI yesterday

Rebecca Cameron Valcq?

From her Quarles bio:

Rebecca Cameron Valcq is a partner in the firm’s Energy, Environment & Natural Resources Practice Group. She is an experienced regulatory attorney and focuses her practice on energy and utility matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Valcq spent 15 years as Regulatory Counsel for We Energies where, among other responsibilities, she represented the company before the Public Service Commission in Wisconsin and advised management on multiple areas of compliance as well as on the impact of pending and newly enacted legislation.

Her experience as in-house counsel for Wisconsin’s largest utility company has uniquely positioned her to manage multiple complex matters while spotting relevant and emerging issues. She understands the business needs of her clients and provides practical advice.

Representative experience:

And from a little birdie in the inbox, the direction that Gov. Evers wants to go:

Public Service Commission key to Tony Evers’ climate agenda

This is reminding me of the appointment of Lauren Azar to the Commission…
Posted by Carol A. Overland
Filed in Energy, Legislative & Policy, Political Sense (non?), Solar, Wind
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Lots of filing in Wisconsin

November 20th, 2018

Apparently Invenergy doesn’t like the idea that we’re intervening in their Wisconsin dockets.  I guess after Freeborn Wind, it’s not hard to understand why.

Intervention in Badger Hollow HUGE 300 MW solar project docket — approved by the Administrative Law Judge (Docket 9697-CE-100):

Jinkins Jewell Wendhausen_Intervention

Order_Interventions_11-1-2018

And then the related dockets, the transmission line and the acquisition docket, appropriately known as the BS docket, our intervention, their objection, and our response.  The transmission docket (Docket 9697-CE-101):

Jewell Jinkins_101_Intervention_FINAL

9697-CE-101 Badger Hollow – Response to Request for Intervention (Objection!)

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_101_Reply to Objection

And the acquisition BS docket (Docket 5-BS-228):

Jewell Jinkins_228_Intervention_CORRECTED

Applicant Response to Motion to Intervene (Objection)

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_228_Reply to Response

Oh, and the Cardinal Hickory Creek 345 kV Transmission Line!  Docket 5-CE-146.

Jewell Jinkins Intervenors_Cardinal-Hickory Creek_Intervention

To look up any of these dockets, go to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission’s Search site, and  plug in the numbers.

Meanwhile, we’re waiting on the Minnesota Commission meeting on Reconsideration for our Rulemaking Petition, and waiting on two orders, project and transmission, for Freeborn Wind.

And around all these filings, I’ve been to band practice, made wild rice and garbanzo salad, and I hear a Ferndale Market turkey calling…

What a long week it’s been!  WHAT?  Tuesday?!?!  No, really?!?!

Posted by Carol A. Overland
Filed in Energy, Land Use, Political Sense (non?), Power Plants - includes Mesaba coal gasification, Solar
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