NO Grid North Partners – transmission f/k/a CapX 2020

Sen. Kevin Dahle has introduced SF 183, a bill that addresses the problems landowners are encountering with our good friends at Xcel Energy when they attempt to elect the “Buy the Farm” option.  See Minn. Stat. 216E.12, Subd. 4.  Buy the Farm gives landowners the option of requiring condemnation of their entire parcel, which means they can get out from under the transmission line.  Xcel Energy, on the other hand, is doing everything it can to prevent landowners from electing Buy the Farm (click here for prior “Buy the Farm” posts).

SF 183 – Buy the Farm

I’d guess that Rep. David Bly will introduce this on the House side.  Keep your eyes open.

Next step – first email Sen. Kevin Dahle with a BIG thank you!  sen.kevin.dahle@senate.mn

Then send emails and call the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it’s been sent for its first committee hearing — there’s only 8 members so it won’t take long:

SENATE JUDICIARY CONTACT INFO HERE

Then contact your own state Senator and Representative and let them know SF 183 Buy the Farm needs their suppor

Will keep you posted on other Buy the Farm developments.  This bill is a good start to the 2013 session!

Photo from Red Wing Visitor and Convention Bureau – for more, go HERE!

Beginning TOMORROW, the DNR is hosting a series of hearing on rulemaking to amend Rules Relating to Engangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species, Minn. R. 6134.0170, 6134.0200, 6134.0300, and 6134.0400.

DNR Rulemaking Notice

One by one, the rules at issue per the DNR:

Minn. R. 6134.0170 (DOES NOT EXIST?!?!)

Minn. R. 6134.0200

Minn. R. 6134.0300

Minn. R. 6134.0400

The hearings are beginning tomorrow evening in Rochester:

Yes, bald eagles are on this list, at issue in the CapX Brookings and LaCrosse transmission projects, as are loggerhead shrike and trumpeter swans, all at issue in the Goodhue Wind project.  It seems to me that Golden Eagles ought to be acknowledged and added, they’ve been sighted in the area as well, and no take permits are allowed by USFWS.

CLICK HERE for some comments they received recently.

Just got the notice – the oral arguments for the appeals of the CapX 2020 Hampton – La Crosse transmission line are on March 21, 2013.

Notice of Oral Argument – set for March 21, 2013

The panel of judges is:

Judge Louise Dovre Bjorkman
Judge Francis J. Connolly
Judge Larry B. Stauber, Jr.

Here they are… finally — the appellate briefs for the CapX 2020 Hampton-Rochester-La Crosse transmission routing permit.  Yes, I scanned in the briefs.  Wasn’t easy, I had to get a new printer/scanner, very daring — something other than HP — the old one just wasn’t workable and if I kept trying, it would take a couple days to scan these, and instead, I’d probably toss it right out the window.

Starting with the Initial Briefs of Appellants:

Initial Brief – St. Paul’s Lutheran School and Church and Cannon Falls Landowners

Initial Brief – Oronoco Township

And the responses came in Wednesday:

Laymen for Christ – Response to Oronoco Township

PUC – Respondent Brief – addressing Cannon Falls and Oronoco

Xcel – Respondent Brief – addressing Cannon Falls and Oronoco

Soon, the Reply briefs… I’ll post those soon after they’re due!