We had a good time last night at the Clean Energy Coalition (CEC) forum/debate about CapX 2020 down in LaCrosse. It was moi for the good guys, Tim Carlsgaard for CapX and Grant Stevenson for Xcel (both FOR CapX). Two TV stations, one or more newspapers, so they’re paying attention.

Dogs & Ponies:

No CapX 2020 – CEC Nov 20 2008

Xcel – CEC Nov 20 2008 (requested)

In the press:

Meeting to discuss CapX 2020

There’s a vidieo at the bottom of that WXOW but I can’t figure out how to attach it. Ahem… no more Haagen Dasz!

Some questions have come up since on issues raised there.

Purpose of MISO Midwest Market — where ever would I get the idea that the purpose of it is to displace natural gas with coal generation?

ICF MISO Benefits Analysis Study

Well, look at pps. 14 and 83:

RTO operational benefits are largely associated with the improved ability to displace gas generation with coal generation, more efficient use of coal generation, and better use of import potential. These benefits will likely grow over time as:

• Reliance on natural gas generation within the Midwest ISO footprint grows as a result of the ongoing load growth and a general lack of non gas-fired development over the last 20 years. This may increase the scope for potential savings from centralized dispatch in future years.

• Tightening environmental controls and the resulting greater diversity in coal plant fleet variable operating costs will make optimization of coal plant utilization more important in future years.

• Tightening supply margins throughout the Eastern Interconnect over the next three to five years increase the importance of optimizing interchange with neighbors such as PJM, SPP, and others.

• Transmission upgrades which could increase the geographic scope of optimization within the Midwest ISO footprint.

As to whether there’s coal waiting to be built, or as Carlsgaard put it, “There aren’t exactly people lining up waiting to build coal plants,” I suggest a look at the MISO queue, or easier, look at this NoCapX Information Request to MISO, entered as an exhibit in the MN PUC CapX proceeding:

NoCapX IR to MISO 4-8 + attachments

NoCapX 2020 Info Request to MISO Answers 3-8

5. Slide 7 refers to 3,741MW of coal/gas generation in MISO queue.

a. Of that 3,741MW, how much is coal?

Response:
3,441 MW.

b. Identify MW of coal in MISO queue, state by state for MN, SD, ND, IA and WI,
as of the date of your response to this question?

Response:

As of May 5, 2008, the cumulative total, by state, of the filed queue coal projects
that are proposed are:

MN: 726
SD: 600
ND: 1255.8
IA: 1378
WI: 280

That should help explain why i think there’s coal in them their wires… or at least should be anticipated, because it’s there.

There was another question about Tim Carlsgaard’s refernce to Xcel’s repowering of coal plants to natural gas. That’s MERP, Metro Emissions Reduction Project. I can’t get the settlement or the PUC order downloaded right now. But for more info, go to the PUC’s docket search CLICK HERE and then search for Docket 02-633.

So that’s all for now. If Tim sends his presentation, I’ll post it.