The Great Northern Transmission Routing Permit is now up at the Public Utilities Commission.
Just click on the link, and you’re there! Live!
New Commissioner Matt Schuerger does understand transmission, and has exposed their nonsense of this being a “reliability risk” issue. Will they care?
Libschultz: It’s a continuum, not a precipice?
And MP is hiding their theory under “Trade Secret” evidence that was withdrawn from the record.
Filed under Meetings, MISO, Routing Docket
I love it when this happens — when the truth is so obvious that they can no longer deny it:
This decreased demand is the reason they want us to pay for transmission lines across the U.S. so they can market all this surplus power in locations where prices are higher. DOH!
Electricity Sales Anemic for Seventh Year in a Row – WSJ July 28 2014
Filed under Certificate of Need, MISO, Need, Uncategorized
Today I received notice of some sort of odd filings at FERC by MISO… oh, not that type, THIS type, the Midcontinent Independent Service Operator, f/k/a Midwest Independent Transmission Service Operator, type:
Here is what they’ve filed:
First, these were both “initial” filings, with docket number blank, and it’s Part 1 of 2 and Part 2 of 2, so I think that the docket numbers may be combined, one or the other eliminated, soon.
What they’re doing is eliminating a trust provision in a Coordinated Agreement between MISO and Manitoba Hydro which contained a trust, and that part of the agreement is being eliminated because JP Morgan has pulled out of being the trustee and they can’t find another trustee. ???
What’s that about? I’m presuming there’s a backstory here. Ideas, anyone?
It’s all about need. They’re starting out with a Certificate of Need proceeding, where the applicant has to demonstrate to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission that the project is needed.
To see what’s happened so far on this docket, and to subscribe so you receive notice of filings and can keep up to date, go to the PUC’s Search Docket page, and search for this docket, 12-1163.
What reasons does Minnesota Power give as the need for this line, what type of need, how much? Here’s what their Notice of Intent to File for a Presidential Permit says:
So of the ~1200 MW capacity, 250 MW is for a Power Purchase Agreement and 750 MW is for export. 1/4 is for an identified claimed need, and 3/4 is for marketing bulk power… to where? Minnesota Power doesn’t say…
Here’s their Letter of Intent:
So what’s the plan here? This is the map of options studied at MISO:
As you can see, the idea is to bring the power down from Manitoba Hydro, across northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, over the up and down toward Detroit. That map is taken from the MISO Northern Area Study, as reported to the Committee on February 12, 2013:
And starting from that map of ideas, the result is that it just doesn’t make economic sense:
So what are they going to do? Will they really go forward with only a part of it? Well, the Northern Area Study Report is pretty definite:
And another choice snippet:
Here’s the entire report:
So why is Minnesota Power going forward? For the 75% market opportunity? That’s the driver for this part of the larger project to Michigan:
And here’s what Manitoba Hydro wants:
And as above, it doesn’t make economic sense. So then what? Can they build a line that they can’t justify economically??? Nope. They’ve got to demonstrate they NEED it!
Stay tuned… I’ve got to run to the Ambulance Garage in Baudette!
