And Cannon Falls today…

Filed under:Uncategorized — posted by admin on May 6, 2010 @ 5:42 pm

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… and tonight…  Here we are in the midst of the CapX 2020 Hampton-Alma Commerce sponsored scoping meeting for the Environmental Impact Statement.

For those of you not here right now, they’re looking for specifics on what should be in the EIS.  The Comment period is open until May 20th, and you can email or mail comments in.

Here’s my form, with criteria copied from the rules to trigger your brain when you’re writing your comments:

Comment Form

Where to send it?  The info’s on the form, and once more with feeling, directly copied from MOES:

The OES will accept written comments on the scope of the EIS until May 20, 2010.   Please include PUC Docket No. TL-09-1448 on your comments. Comments should be mailed, emailed, or faxed to:

Matthew Langan
State Permit Manager
Minnesota Office of Energy Security
85 7th Place East, Suite 500
St. Paul, Minnesota, 55101-2198

Fax: 651-297-7891

matthew.langan@state.mn.us

Comments may also be submitted on the Commission’s energy facility permitting website:
http://www.energyfacilities.puc.state.mn.us

FYI, I gave the wrong email for Matt Langan on my handout, SO, here’s the correct email, please notice, check, and send it to him (IT at the state will be checking, his DNR email was MATT but now that he’s moved to Commerce, he’s MATTHEW!

Right now, Mairi Doerr is speaking right now.  She’s asking about the wind projects, and structures, and that the lines could accommodate carrying tat generation, and so why wouldn’t you know of wind projects and paying attention to that potential?

A: Matt – Our office does evaluate this, individual wind projects, but they aren’t part of this project, the focus is on this transmission project.  Tom – Wind either builds substation or connects to substation, through MISO to manage which come on transmission system.  It’s very complicated, and there’s not one overarching agency that tracks that.   This wasn’t developed for any particular wind development.

Q: Are the 161kV lines going to be used for wind?

A: They weren’t developed for that, were to get it off of 345kV system into the City of Rochester.

Q: Bill Bether representing St. Paul’s Church and School, I know they moved the line for a Buddhist temple and they should move it for us too.  We have 55 students…  Also, there’s a helicopter landing pad right across the highway.

Q: Is it all or nothing or what are segment lines, alternate and preferred.

A: State rules require them to have a preferred and alternate, but once it gets into our review, there really is no “preferred” because we’re measuring each under the same criteria.

Q: Karen Bjorngaard – are there plans to relocate people in that 150 – 300 foot corridor, and if we’re in that corridor, how do we find out if we’re on the route?

A: Applicants submit a route, that’s 1,000 feet, and they need 150 foot right-of-way. 

(sorry – missed some here)

Q: Mairi Doerr again – why can’t you double up on the existing corridor?

A: We do when we can.

Q: Hall Kalass (?) – I’ve done surveying work, and when I’m under the Prairie Island line, the hair on my arms stands up — is that right?  Yes, study it in the EIS.

A: There are many studies and we’ll look at that.

Q: What type of buffer does Xcel look to for an easement.

A: 75 feet is the minimum, based on that safety clearance, electrical clearance.   75′ is a minimum, and there’s no requirement that it be further than that.  (long discussion of EMF)

End of discussion… too much silence…

Pine Island last night, Cannon Falls today!

Filed under:Hampton-Alma-LaCrosse — posted by admin on @ 10:03 am

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Scoping meetings for Capx 2020 transmission line from Hampton-Alma continue…

Again, the point of these meetings is specific:

  1. Suggest specifics that must be reviewed in the Environmental Impact Statement
  2. Suggest alternate routes

Last night we had a well-attended and spirited meeting in Pine Island.  It was a VERY windy day, and Ken was with, doing her “down/stay” thing in the van.  The best part of the day was the RAINBOW CAFE (come on, where’s your website):

rainbowcafe

It’s nothing like Grandma Alma Overland’s favorite Rainbow Cafe on Hennepin (before it became the hipper Rainbow).  We CapX 2020 opponents weren’t the only ones there, it was the whole family!  First Commerce and then Xcel… fordiceblack_polo_bigger FOOD FIGHT!  If you’re in SE Minnesota, put it on your list.  Excellent broiled cod with asparagus and a few french fries for Kenya too!

Midway through the opening spiel I realized that Matt Langan had not been saying a word to all the folks of their opportunity to intervene, so I pressed on that, and he did a good job of explaining and Trish DeBleekere jumped in and volunteered as a contact person to fill people in on what that means.  That helps.

I got a couple of surprises, one was that a former client has it coming right over her house, and second, that a friend who house sits now and then has it coming through that place too!  AAAAAAAGH!  Too many people I know are affected by this.  It’s “old home week,” as bad as the Hiawatha Project!

The meeting ended on a more ethereal note — a multi-part question asking in essence, where’s the state’s coordination of utility plans, resources, purchases, infrastructure investments, highlighting one of the problems — THERE IS NO STATE ENERGY PLAN.

Tomorrow… NO MEETING!  But then there’s always Exceptions to the ALJ’s Recommendation for CapX 2020 Brookings-Hampton transmission.