{"id":5956,"date":"2015-03-02T13:58:37","date_gmt":"2015-03-02T20:58:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/?p=5956"},"modified":"2015-03-03T10:36:33","modified_gmt":"2015-03-03T17:36:33","slug":"nuclear-what-is-mn-senate-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/?p=5956","title":{"rendered":"NUCLEAR?!?!  What is MN Senate thinking?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2013\/11\/Prairie-Island-nuclear-plant.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9742\" src=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2013\/11\/Prairie-Island-nuclear-plant.jpg\" alt=\"Prairie Island nuclear plant\" width=\"267\" height=\"172\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s &#8220;our&#8221; reactor, the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, here in Red Wing, it&#8217;s within the city limits (which were expanded to include the plant).\u00c2\u00a0 I represented Florence Township from 1995, when Xcel, f\/k\/a NSP, applied to put nuclear waste in Florence Township under the &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.revisor.mn.gov\/statutes\/?id=116C.771\"><strong>alternate site mandate<\/strong><\/a>,&#8221; and that went on, and on, and on, until they finally withdrew their application at the NRC in &#8230; what, 1999?\u00c2\u00a0 2000?\u00c2\u00a0 That&#8217;s one I thought would never end.\u00c2\u00a0 But that&#8217;s the thing about nuclear, it&#8217;s never over.<\/p>\n<p><strong>QUICK &#8212; CONTACT THE LEGISLATORS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS MISSIVE.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There are two bills before the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/committees\/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=3058&amp;ls=89\"><strong>Senate Environment and Energy Committee<\/strong><\/a> <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>TOMORROW<\/strong><\/span>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/SF3061.pdf\">SF306<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0is simply worded, <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">deleting the Minn. Stat. 216.243, Subd. 3b prohibition of new construction of a nuclear plant<\/span><\/strong> and changes it to &#8220;Additional storage of spent nuclear fuel&#8221; and over the previous language that states: &#8220;Any certificate of need for additional storage of spent nuclear fuel for a facility seeking a license extension shall address the impacts of continued operations over the period for which approval is sought.&#8221;\u00c2\u00a0 It&#8217;s authored by <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=15302\">Kiffmeyer<\/a><\/strong>, coauthored by <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=15326\">Dahms<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=10013\"> Anderson<\/a><\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/SF05361.pdf\">SF0536<\/a><\/strong> is even worse, authored by\u00c2\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=10013\">Anderson<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0 <\/strong>only (see also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.revisor.mn.gov\/bills\/text.php?number=HF338&amp;version=0&amp;session=ls89&amp;session_year=2015&amp;session_number=0\"><strong>HF338 <\/strong><\/a>sponsored by <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15409\">O&#8217;Neill <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15408\"> Newberger <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=12262\"> Garofalo <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15401\"> Howe <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15429\"> Baker <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15360\"> McDonald <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=10467\"> Nornes<\/a><\/strong>).\u00c2\u00a0 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/SF05361.pdf\">SF0536<\/a><\/strong> lists only Anderson as an author, and, well, <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">&#8220;Let&#8217;s build a nuclear plant!&#8221;\u00c2\u00a0 <\/span><\/strong>Here&#8217;s the language:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/SF536.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11775\" src=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/SF536.jpg\" alt=\"SF536\" width=\"424\" height=\"83\" \/><\/a>So we have a blanket repeal of the nuclear construction prohibition, and a specific opening for a Certificate of Need for a nuclear generator at the Monticello site.<\/p>\n<p>Authors contact info is linked above, and emails for Senate Energy committee members and the authors are also listed below.<\/p>\n<p>Whether it&#8217;s targeted as a replacement for the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/fukushima-general-electric-knew-its-nuclear-reactor-design-was-unsafe-so-why-isnt-ge-getting-any-heat-for-fukushima\/5361300\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Fukushima Daiichi style GE plant<\/span><\/strong><\/a>, or whether it&#8217;s to add and operate a second reactor, WHY?<\/p>\n<p>First, there&#8217;s no need.\u00c2\u00a0 There is a glut of electricity, as our friend, Xcel&#8217;s Ben Fowkes said, when they could no longer keep up the GROW GROW GROW fiction.\u00c2\u00a0 Here&#8217;s the Seeking Alpha transcript of the <a href=\"http:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/1147511-xcel-energy-management-discusses-q4-2012-results-earnings-call-transcript\">XEL Earnings Call, January 31, 2013.\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/1147511-xcel-energy-management-discusses-q4-2012-results-earnings-call-transcript\">So I think the economies are in decent shape across all our jurisdictions. Doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily mean it translates to high sales growth. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s consistent with our forecast. I mean, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not anticipating that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to see a tremendous rebound in sales, even as the economies start to improve. I mean, I think, that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s our new normal, frankly.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>For last year:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/seekingalpha.com\/article\/2868096-xcel-energys-xel-ceo-ben-fowke-on-q4-2014-results-earnings-call-transcript?part=single\">Finally, NSP-Minnesota sales increased six-tenths of a percent driven by growth in the number of residential and small C&amp;I customers and usage increases in the small C&amp;I class.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>From Xcel&#8217;s IRP (Docket 15-21), p. 45 of 102:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/HistoricForecastPeakDemand_IRPp45.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11782\" src=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/HistoricForecastPeakDemand_IRPp45.jpg\" alt=\"Historic&amp;ForecastPeakDemand_IRPp45\" width=\"425\" height=\"327\" \/><\/a>And here&#8217;s what they had to say about that (note they do NOT go back further than 2011, so we don&#8217;t get to see the 2000-2010 numbers):<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>We forecast a period of relatively flat growth such that our median base peak will increase only 0.4 percent in each year of the planning period&#8230;<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>That chart is NOT consistent with the 2014 SEC 10K filing, which shows a 2014 peak demand of 8,848 MW (info below is linked, see p. 9 at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\"><strong>10-K link<\/strong><\/a>):<\/p>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">Capacity and Demand<\/a><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">Uninterrupted system peak demand for the NSP System\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s electric utility for each of the last three years and the forecast for 2015, assuming normal weather, is listed below.<\/a><\/div>\n<table class=\"mceItemTable\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"12\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"49%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"11%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"1%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"1%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"11%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"1%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"1%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"11%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"1%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"1%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"11%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"1%\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"11\">\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">System Peak Demand (in MW)<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">2012<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">2013<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">2014<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td colspan=\"2\">\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">2015 Forecast<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">NSP System<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">9,475<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">9,524<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">8,848<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">9,301<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\">\u00c2\u00a0<\/a><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>That lower number is consistent with the downward trend of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2014\/12\/2014-NERC-Reliability-Assessment.pdf\">2014 NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment,<\/a> <\/strong>now showing growth rates at lowest levels on record (note that it has <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">NEVER<\/span> been close to the CapX 2020 &#8220;forecast&#8221; of 2.49% annually):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2014\/12\/2014-NERC-Wide-Demand.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2014\/12\/2014-NERC-Wide-Demand.jpg\" alt=\"2014 NERC-Wide Demand\" width=\"425\" height=\"192\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>And here&#8217;s the picture for MISO from the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2014\/12\/2014-NERC-Reliability-Assessment.pdf\">2014 NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment<\/a><\/strong>:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2014\/12\/MISO-Peak-Demand-Reserve-Margins.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2014\/12\/MISO-Peak-Demand-Reserve-Margins.jpg\" alt=\"MISO Peak Demand Reserve Margins\" width=\"425\" height=\"166\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2014\/12\/2014-NERC-Reliability-Assessment.pdf\">2014 NERC Long Term Reliability Assessment<\/a>, p. 38 (or p. 46 of 115 pdf).<\/p>\n<p>Also from the 2014 SEC <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sec.gov\/Archives\/edgar\/data\/72903\/000007290315000011\/xcel1231201410-k.htm\"><strong>10-K link<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n<table class=\"mceItemTable\" width=\"431\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/Demand2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11795\" src=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/Demand2.jpg\" alt=\"Demand2\" width=\"426\" height=\"122\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">So we don&#8217;t &#8220;need&#8221; it, there&#8217;s no talk of a new nuclear plant in their recently filed IRP.\u00c2\u00a0 So why???<\/p>\n<p>And the &#8220;WHY?&#8221; may be clearer when taken into context with last week&#8217;s hearing at House Energy, where the intent, in part, behind legislation there was to make Minnesota an exporter of energy.\u00c2\u00a0 Again, WHY?\u00c2\u00a0 Why make the state an exporter of energy?\u00c2\u00a0 And if we do what would that do for our rates here?\u00c2\u00a0 How does that fit with Xcel&#8217;s well funded plan to institute its <strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">e21 Initiative<\/span><\/strong>, and how does that fit with Xcel&#8217;s desire to use ratepayer money to find other market options?\u00c2\u00a0 The House bill would let natural gas plants be built without a Certificate of Need, whether by an IPP or regulated utility, with the key being that they are selling into the MISO grid, and not for Minnesota native load.<\/p>\n<p>But nuclear is SO expensive!\u00c2\u00a0 First, there&#8217;s an immediate example of nuclear construction cost overruns right here in Minnesota, at the Monticello nuclear plant, where they went way beyond what was approved in the Certificate of Need:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.startribune.com\/business\/266353511.html\">Xcel management blamed for cost overruns at Monticello<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>So what was that about?\u00c2\u00a0 Costs more than doubled, increased by a factor of 2.33!!!\u00c2\u00a0 From the article:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.startribune.com\/business\/266353511.html\"><strong>The project to extend the plant\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life and increase power output ballooned from an estimated $320 million in 2008 to $665 million when it was completed last year. However, the final price tag likely will rise to $748 million, including construction-in-progress financial costs.<\/strong><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>And let&#8217;s look at new construction, the first new nuclear plant in the US in 30 years:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/charlotte\/blog\/energy\/2015\/02\/cb-i-execs-dispute-liability-for-cost-overruns-at.html?page=all\"><strong>C&amp;U disputes Southern Co. claim for $247 million in penalties for cost overruns at Plant Vogtle<\/strong><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The cost punchline on the Vogtle plant?\u00c2\u00a0 Southern, Westinghouse and CB&amp;I are <a href=\"http:\/\/green.blogs.nytimes.com\/2012\/05\/11\/a-higher-price-tag-for-a-nuclear-project\/?_r=0\">already in court over previous cost overruns<\/a> on the project, which is currently expected to cost $14.5 billion.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s that other project:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/charlotte\/print-edition\/2012\/02\/24\/shaw-westinghouse-face-cost-issues-at.html?page=all\">Shaw Power Group, Westinghouse, face cost issues at S.C. project.<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The cost punch line here?\u00c2\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.bizjournals.com\/charlotte\/print-edition\/2012\/02\/24\/shaw-westinghouse-face-cost-issues-at.html?page=all\">The NRC is expected to act soon on the Summer license. Summer is projected to cost about $9 billion.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Building new plants?\u00c2\u00a0 Well, NEI has some info, BUT it&#8217;s outdated, nuclear has not caught up, and this is the most current I can find on the site (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.eia.gov\/forecasts\/capitalcost\/pdf\/updated_capcost.pdf\"><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">HERE&#8217;S THE WHOLE REPORT<\/span><\/strong><\/a>):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/CapitalCosts2013.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-11777\" src=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/CapitalCosts2013.jpg\" alt=\"CapitalCosts2013\" width=\"427\" height=\"547\" \/><\/a>So please explain &#8212; why would anyone want to build a new nuclear plant?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There is no need.<\/li>\n<li>They cost so much that it&#8217;s unreasonable to even consider, and is the definition of imprudent!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Why are Reps. Kiffmeyer and Anderson trying to make this a possibility?\u00c2\u00a0 Is this for real?\u00c2\u00a0 Is it a diversion from some other issue?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><strong>CONTACT INFO FOR LEGISLATORS:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>To contact the Senate Energy and Environment Committee, go to <a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/committees\/committee_bio.php?cmte_id=3058&amp;ls=89\"><strong>COMMITTEE LINK<\/strong><\/a>, because many MN Senators have form access, not direct emails.\u00c2\u00a0 Boo-hiss&#8230;\u00c2\u00a0 Here are the emails listed, but go to link to see the buttons for the Senators with form access only:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"mailto:sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn\">sen.john.hoffman@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.david.osmek@senate.mn\">sen.david.osmek@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn\">sen.michelle.benson@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.david.brown@senate.mn\">sen.david.brown@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.lyle.koenen@senate.mn\">sen.lyle.koenen@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn\">sen.julie.rosen@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.bev.scalze@senate.mn\">sen.bev.scalze@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.matt.schmit@senate.mn\">sen.matt.schmit@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.bill.weber@senate.mn\">sen.bill.weber@senate.mn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Senate authors: <a href=\"mailto:sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn\">sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.gary.dahms@senate.mn\">sen.gary.dahms@senate.mn<\/a>; <a href=\"mailto:sen.bruce.anderson@senate.mn\">sen.bruce.anderson@senate.mn<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/SF3061.pdf\">SF306<\/a><\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0is authored by <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=15302\">Kiffmeyer<\/a><\/strong>, coauthored by <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=15326\">Dahms<\/a><\/strong> and <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=10013\"> Anderson<\/a><\/strong>, click names for links!<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/legalectric.org\/f\/2015\/03\/SF05361.pdf\">SF0536<\/a><\/strong> is authored by\u00c2\u00a0<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.senate.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/member_bio.php?leg_id=10013\">Anderson<\/a> <\/strong>only.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.revisor.mn.gov\/bills\/text.php?number=HF338&amp;version=0&amp;session=ls89&amp;session_year=2015&amp;session_number=0\"><strong>HF338 is <\/strong><\/a>sponsored by <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15409\">O&#8217;Neill <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15408\"> Newberger <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=12262\"> Garofalo <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15401\"> Howe <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15429\"> Baker <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=15360\"> McDonald <\/a><\/strong>; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.house.leg.state.mn.us\/members\/members.asp?leg_id=10467\"> Nornes<\/a><\/strong>, click names for links!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>That&#8217;s &#8220;our&#8221; reactor, the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, here in Red Wing, it&#8217;s within the city limits (which were expanded to include the plant).\u00c2\u00a0 I represented Florence Township from 1995, when Xcel, f\/k\/a NSP, applied to put nuclear waste <span class=\"excerpt-dots\">&hellip;<\/span> <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/?p=5956\"><span class=\"more-msg\">Continue reading &rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5956","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-laws-rules","category-nuts-bolts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5956","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5956"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5956\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5960,"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5956\/revisions\/5960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5956"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5956"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nocapx2020.info\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5956"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}