Today an Administrative Law Judge ruled against the projects request for two transmittions lines; one from the Big Stone,SD plant to Granite Falls and the other to Willmar.

This is a welcome and Huge setback to the building of a second coal fired plant; just accross the border.

They will still present their proposal to the Public Utilities Commision. It is highly unlike that the PUC will override the reccomendation of the ALJ.

tweed

With the current price of oil how is everyone going to afford gas for the lanterns to provide light in their homes when the electricity is turned off?

Be careful of what you wish for....

Not to be the devils advocate here but what we need are more coal, nuclear and oil refining plants. I know this may start another big global health debate but most of the folks that are against these things complain about high fuel prices and then support legislation like this. You can't have it both ways folks!!

There needs to be a wide variety of energy sources. If it gets to narrow you get what we have with the Oil industry. No competition or alternatives and they can whatever they feel and we have pay. If you want that keep wishing for just what is happening.

Not even close to the same argument. These guys are regulated by the Public Utilities Commission and have set pricing. Oil...well...

True...I forgot they are regulated.

some of these antis i hope know all the new pollution requirements that are to be in place by 2011 at these plants. there are a lot of these plants working very aggressively to get them up to and beyond these standards.

These plants aren't going to absorb the costs either...they'll be passed onto you and me in the electric rates. Just another form of taxation by legislation, unneeded legislation at that.

LmitOUT, who is that in your avatar

Will Ferrell on SNL

But Glenn the bushies relaxed the standards SOOO much even some states are complaining they want them back where they were before the easing of standards,Mostly the big outdoors states!! They want cleaner water,air and in general the environment To keep tourism,hunters and their quarry in pristene surroundings.We cant keep excepting NewYork or east coast standards their outdoors are with exception of a few areas ruined

The plant is in South Dakota and they are welcoming it with open arms because they have a clue as to what it means in jobs and the economy as a whole, unlike this state where they believe that they live in some sort of utopia disconnected from the rest of the world. Wake up people from your dream and join the rest of us in reality.

As far as emissions, the new addition to the Big Stone plant combined with the existing plant will emit less than the current plant alone since upgrades will be performed to the old plant as well. If it doesn't get built everyone will be left with twice the emissions and half the power they could have had if it were built.

The ALJ's RECOMMENDATION, if upheld by the PUC, will shoot the wind turbine industry in the foot since they discarded the possible transmission upgrades from western MN. They may have set back the coal plant with their recommendation, but they also passed a judgment on new transmission lines as a whole which the wind turbines will need to get their inconsistent power to the load.

In Kansas a utility had planned on building a coal plant along with the transmission lines needed to get the electricity from the coal plant to other areas across the state, but they were denied approval so the utility obviously canned the transmission project too. This left the same people who ruled against them with their mouths open because they thought they were going to get some transmission to ship wind power down the same lines. Ooops. Can't have it both ways and they shot themselves in the foot too. It takes two to tango.

Kansas a utility had planned on building a coal plant along with the transmission lines needed to get the electricity from the coal plant to other areas across the state, but they were denied approval so the utility obviously canned the transmission project too.

Justy shows how coal is being rejected not only in Mn. but elsewhere,People are wise to the emissions of coal!
If only nuck power is more widly accepted,I heard on the news latly nucular IS back on the drawing board in the US...GREAT!

Anyone remember back in the 70's when landowners were protesting building transmission lines in western Minnesota? Is this current issue somehow related to that?

sparcebag, as a person working in the power generation business,i see and hear first hand the new stringent regulations these plants will have to be in line with. also kind of a coincidece, on channel 4 last nite don shelby had a piece on wind power energy, he stated nearly ALL those wind turbines are made overseas, most in china, so there goes american jobs, money etc. coal is the most inexpensive form of producing power.