Freeborn Wind, again and again
July 23rd, 2019
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2015/12/xcel_Logo.jpg)
Invenergy has sold Freeborn Wind, LLC, to Xcel Energy, well, Northern States Power Company – Minnesota. Sooooo, now they’ve asked the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to approve the acquisition.
![](https://legalectric.org/f/2015/08/PUC.jpg)
On or about June 14, the day of closing, Invenergy, the developer/old owner, TERMINATED 34 leases and good neighbor agreements covering over 4,470 acres of land.
What does that mean? Well, the project, and project approval, was based on 17,435 acres of leased land, and 4,470 is over 25% of the leased land. In the contested case, it was questionable whether the project had enough land, and there’s even a notation that Invenergy was working on acquiring more land, and we were told over and over again that there wasn’t enough room to make any adjustments, to move any turbines even a little bit! So now, at 75%, can they even build this?
Meanwhile, Xcel/NSPM has said they’ll be requesting a permit amendment, because they’ll be changing 32 Vesta V116 to Vesta V120, larger turbines, longer blades (needing larger 3 and 5RD setbacks) and longer blades equals more noise. They’ve said they’ll file new noise study, shadow flicker, and site plan.
In short, the project permitted December 19, 2018 and May 10, 2019, is not the same project.
Now this is NOT the same project… there are substantive, material changes… PUC doesn’t seem to care, Commerce doesn’t seem to care…
Association of Freeborn County Landowners is trying to wake up the Commission:
Xcel/NSPM has asked for approval of the acquisition, and the Commission announced a comment period, so here we go:
And read EERA’s Comment — good grief, blinders on the wrong end of the horse:
PUC will take a look at this sometime soon, but likely the NSPM amendment request will come in, IF they file it as planned, before that, as they expected to file in July. We shall see.
The 2019 Energy Ominous Bill
March 9th, 2019
Prairie Island Nuclear Plant & Prairie Island Indian Community
Here it is, I believe this is it, the “dream” bill that’s really a nightmare, Xcel Energy’s wish list, increasing “clean” energy generation, but what is regarded as clean, that’s the primary issue for me. For you? Check it out:
HF1956-0
OK, now, let’s read it and figure out what they’re up to!
And GO HERE to keep track of bill’s status.
House Energy Committee Hearings
Upcoming: Tuesday, March 12, 2019Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division – Posted meeting schedule.
Here are the House Energy Committee members – contact all of them with your concerns!
There’s no Senate companion bill yet, and it’s getting late.
Today’s Wind Rulemaking Comments
August 24th, 2018
In July, Goodhue Wind Truth filed a rulemaking petition at the Public Utilities Commission, to spur a close look at the wind siting rules:
Shortly thereafter, the Commission a Notice and Request for Comments on our Petition:
Well, today they got their comments, all right! Here they are, Goodhue Wind Truth’s, and then in reverse alpha order:
Goodhue Wind Truth_Comments_FINAL
20188-146000-01_Comment_Rosenquist
EDF+Renewables+-+Response+to+Petition+for+Wind+Siting+Rulemaking+18-518
20188-145997-01_Coalition for Rural Property Rights
Docket+18-518+Clean Energy & Economy Minnesota+Comments
Avangrid+Renewables+Rulemaking+Comment
GRE to dump garbage incineration on the public?
July 9th, 2018
Remember when the site of the Elk River garbage burner was a nuclear demonstration plant? I do, because my father worked on parts of the design for that plant, and characterization after it was operational — I played with the geiger counter as a kid, and the rest is history. Technical difficulties at the Elk River Nuclear Station were many. It was shut down and decommissioned in the early 1970s. Today, that site is now a garbage incinerator.
Remember just one year ago, Xcel Energy going to the Public Utilities Commission to terminate their garbage and turkey shit burning Power Purchase Agreements?
GRE now wants to do the same, and is considering, and is likely to, shut down its Elk River garbage burning operation. News from Elk River, the red highlights are mine, and (red comments in parens are mine). If you get confused what’s what, click on link for original article:
Garbage project closure pondered
Great River Energy would like Elk River Resource Recovery Project to become publicly owned
Muller files for Red Wing City Council
June 9th, 2018
click for larger version