CapX 2020 meetings have started

Filed under:News coverage,Upcoming Events — posted by admin on December 10, 2007 @ 8:25 pm

Envison CapX 2020…

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Yup, just keep thinking those thoughts… and you thought bending spoons was an indication of great psychic energy, well, just keep thinking about CapX!

Another round of CapX 2020 meetings have begun around the state, and drat, I missed the first one, up in Moorhead, just couldn’t get out the door in time. But the fun began, and this evening’s meeting in Fergus Falls was typical.

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It was too sparsely attended, though there were more than this photo might indicate. What’s odd is that it was supposed to be a public meeting, a session for public comment, but I didn’t see any tape recorder or any one looking like they were recording, and certainly no court reporter in site. There was a guy taping, but he was a utility guy and I think was told to shut down after the dog & pony comments from Commerce and CapX (and he sure didn’t want one of my handouts, hmmmm, must be my breath!). So how were people’s questions and concerns reported? And so I’m going to have a chat with David Birkholz, Commerce, because it wasn’t real clear what the purpose of the meeting was. And Alan asked him what the scope of the environmental review would be, and he couldn’t really get an answer. He particularly wanted to know whether the environmental review would address that this project would inherently increase coal generation, increase pollution, coal mining, water consumption, and all those nasty things associated with coal generation, and that if we’re really going to look at the environmental impacts of transmission, we have to look at these things, and not just the micro version, not just the impacts of wires and poles. I asked that he explain to the group the concept of system alternatives, and he did a bit, but I have to do some thinking on how that can be more fully addressed, because if they’re not brought up now, there’s no other chance.

On the plus side, Tim Carlsgaard was direct in stating that this is NOT a project for wind. THANK YOU! DUH!!! I got a bit perturbed when the Xcel guy presenting started in on a variation of the “it’s for wind” mantra, that it would provide “a backbone for wind” and that’s nonsense and we all know it. So I asked what wind projects he could name that connected into 345kV lines, and he said he couldn’t think of any, and I asked him if he agreed that most were utilizing a 34.5kV collector system and then connected into 69-115kV lines. He really wasn’t up on it. Then Carlsgaard jumped in and said that this wasn’t a line for wind. Good, honesty like that helps. Commerce’s Adam Solkowski tried a rebound for wind, but failed… he tried to say that there was an example of a wind project connecting to a 345kV line, and I asked him if he was familiar with the SW MN 345kV record, and the powerflows that showed that of the 2085MVA capacity, only 213-302 would connect at the Nobles substation, that it was the only substation off of Buffalo Ridge. Come on, Adam, you were with the Izaak Walton League when they signed that deal on the 345kV line, you should know better.

More later, or earlier, in the a.m.  Lots of articles to post… manana…

Article in Fargo Forum too

Filed under:News coverage,Upcoming Events — posted by admin on @ 4:51 am

Here it is in Fargo paper, a Forum paper, and I expect it will be in Alexandria too…

Minn. looks at electrical line plans 

It’s also showed up on the “Industrial Wind Action Group” blog.

Today’s meetings:

Monday, December 10

12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
Courtyard by Marriot
1080 28th Ave. S.
Moorhead, MN 56560

6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Best Western Bigwood Events Center
921 Western Ave.
Fergus Falls, MN 56537

It’s almost time to hit the road to Fargo!