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Letter Writing Campaign | Letters To The Editors | Pubilc Evidentiary Hearings and ALJ Comments | Draft EIS CommentsCO2 Exemptions
CAMPers' ACTION NEEDED THIS WEEK!
MINNESOTA CLIMATE CHANGE ADVISORY GROUP (MCCAG) RECOMMENDS EXEMPTING MESABA FROM CO2 EMISSION STANDARDS
DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: Midnight Sunday, April 27, 2008
The MCCAG Report to the Minnesota Legislature is intended to guide legislation to control emissions of carbon dioxide, among other greenhouse gases (GHG). The exemption for Mesaba (and also for Big Stone 2) was one of the most controversial decisions and had a high number of objections by MCCAG members. It is no coincidence that Dick Stone, Excelsior's VP for Development and Engineering, was a member of the Energy Supply Working Group that supported this recommendation to the MCCAG.
Appendix G, relating to Energy Supply Recommendation ES-1, states:
- Goal: To prevent utilities from making long-term investments in high-carbon-generation technology. (CAMP'S TAKE: SENSIBLE GOAL)
- Timing: Two alternative dates: (1) immediate - apply to all baseload projects not already in operation; (2) delayed onset that would exclude baseload facilities currently under consideration in proceedings before the MPUC (Mesaba and Big Stone 2). (CAMP'S TAKE: FIRST ALTERNATIVE SENSIBLE, SECOND ALTERNATIVE FOOLISH)
- Barriers to Consensus: The objections were to the exclusion from the proposed limits of all planned capacity additions that are already at some stage in the regulatory process in Minnesota and that will not meet the threshold. (CAMP'S TAKE: SENSIBLE OBJECTIONS)
CAMP'S POSITION
EXEMPTING MESABA CONFLICTS WITH THE GOAL OF REDUCING MINNESOTA'S GHG EMISSIONS.
FACTS SUPPORTING POSITION AGAINST MESABA EXEMPTION
- Mesaba Units I and II will emit 10.6 million tons/year of CO2.
- Carbon capture equipment will not be installed until mandated by law.
- The Minnesota Geological Survey has recently concluded that there is a very low probability of success in confirming suitable conditions for deep geologic sequestration of CO2 in Minnesota.
- For sequestration, the CO2 most likely would have to be transported by pipeline hundreds of miles to the west.
- Existing technology could capture only 30% of the CO2, and the necessary equipment and pipeline has been estimated at $1 billion.
- About 10% of CO2 injected into the ground escapes.
- The DOE has concluded that: carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) could increase the cost of electricity by as much as 40%; even if the CO2 could be sold for enhanced oil recovery, the revenues would be grossly insufficient to recover the costs of CCS; and without a PUC order incorporating CCS costs within the power purchase agreement, Mesaba would not be economically viable.
- Even if CCS were implemented, Mesaba would still be adding 8 million tons/year to Minnesota's GHG emissions.
TO COMMENT YOU MUST USE THIS LINK: RESPONSE FORM
- Select Sector - Energy Supply
- Select Policy Option - ES-1 Generation performance standard
CLICK THESE LINKS TO READ THE REPORT
Chapter 4 (Energy Supply) - 52 KB pdf
and the
Executive Summary - 176 KB pdf
The entire Report can be found and downloaded in sections at - http://www.mnclimatechange.us/MCCAG.cfm
DEADLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: Midnight Sunday, April 27, 2008
LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN
CAMP encourages you to write to elected officials who have influence over the Mesaba Energy Project.
Click here to access talking points to consider and to submit a letter.
CAMP submitted a Letter to Legislators Regarding Greenhouse Gases - Excelsior Energy/Mesaba Energy Project.
The letter can be found at this link: Letter to Legislators
LETTERS TO THE EDITORS
We strongly encourage people to write Letters to the Editor. It's a great way for our voice to be heard! And its working!
Grand Rapids Herald Review:
news@grandrapidsmn.com
Mesabi Daily News:
mdn@virginiamn.com
Hibbing Daily Tribune:
tribune@hibbingmn.com
Scenic Range News:
Editor@ScenicRangeNewsForum.com
Duluth News Tribune:
letters@duluthnews.com
The Timberjay:
editor@timberjay.com
Minneapolis Star Tribune:
www.startribunecompany.com/143
St. Paul Pioneer Press:
letters@pioneerpress.com
PUBLIC EVIDENTIARY HEARINGS ON SITING AND ROUTING DOCKET AND ALJ COMMENTS
JOINT PERMIT APPLICATION: PLANT SITE / HVTL ROUTE / NATURAL GAS PIPELINE ROUTE
The Mesaba Energy Project has two cases pending before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission: the power purchase agreement (PPA) docket, which is not yet finalized; and the siting and routing docket, where evidentiary hearings are underway and the adequacy of the final Environmental Impact Statement will be considered.
The siting docket goes back to the Applications filed in 2006, regarding the preferred and alternate sites, routes for the HVTLs and the natural gas pipeline, and air and water permits. Some of the environmental concerns overlap with issues addressed in the EIS.
ALJ Steve M. Mihalchick conducted public evidentiary hearings in Taconite and Hoyt Lakes on January 29th and January 30th respectively. Excelsior Energy introduced prefiled testimony and witnesses were available for questioning.
The four volumes of the transcript of the public hearings on the Mesaba siting docket are available at the Grand Rapids Area Library.
Vol. I is from the first day of hearing, at Taconite.
Vol. II is from the evening session at Taconite.
Vol. III is from the day session at Hoyt Lakes.
Vol. IV is from the evening session at Hoyt Lakes.
For those who just want to know what happened at the hearings Vols I and IV contain interesting questions that were put to the witnesses and some revealing answers.
CAMP submitted comments to Administrative Law Judge Steve M. Mihalchick on dockets PUC Docket No. E6472/GS-06-668 and OAH Docket No. 12-2500-17512-2 regarding the Mesaba Energy Project.
Please find the comments at this link.
MESABA'S DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT
Mesaba's draft EIS is critical to whether its permits and siting applications will be approved. It is being conducted jointly by the federal Department of Energy and the Minnesota Department of Commerce.The draft EIS has now been released. Public hearings have been held in Taconite and Hoyt Lakes. Several individuals have submitted comments. You can access the comments by the links provided below.
DRAFT EIS COMMENTS
The comments on the below links were drafted by several volunteers and have been submitted for the MEP draft environmental impact statement. Some of them were presented at the public hearing in Taconite on November 27th.
To prevent slow load times for this page all comments have been posted on two separate pages.
To view Page One comments click here.
To view Page Two comments click here.