Big Stone II Power Lines

A set-back for environmentalists and clean-energy supporters, two Minnesota administrative law judges lent their support to proposed Big Stone II power lines. The judges will make a recommendation to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which will make a decision on the power lines this fall. Below, you can find the Greater Dakota News Service story, in addition to a link to the Minnesota Public Radio story.

Big Stone Power Plant Expansion Gets Green Light
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/08/15/bigstone/

GREATER DAKOTA NEWS SERVICE
Aug. 17, 2007

Decision Favors Power Lines but Opponents Say “Judges Got it Wrong”

Watertown SD – A coalition of environmental groups is expressing disappointment with the decision of two Minnesota administrative law judges who ruled that power lines should be built in Minnesota to accommodate power transmission from the Big Stone II power plant at Big Stone City, South Dakota. Jim Madsen from Watertown is the chairman of the National Executive Board of the Izaack Walton League of America. He says the judges got it wrong.

“It looks like the judge possibly ignored the fact that the Big Stone plant partners had not proven that the coal expansion was cheaper than alternative possibilities such as wind energy. And the other thing is down the road we know that there’s going to be controls on carbon dioxide emissions. And those controls might be 15 – 20 dollars per ton and you’ve got a plant that’s belching out 5 million tons. I mean, the users are going to have to pay for that.”

Madsen says their biggest concern is the carbon dioxide emissions.

“And to admit the amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and the mercury etc., literally send it into Minnesota, has got to be a big concern for everybody. There are other options, wind energy, and those options have just not been fully explored yet.”

The five groups fighting the transmission lines are Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Fresh Energy, Izaak Walton Leauge of America-Midwest Office, Union of Concerned Scientists and Wind on the Wires. Supporters of the Big Stone II Plant consider the decision a major hurdle in resolving the power line issue. The final decision still rests with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

Madsen agrees improved transmission lines are needed but that cleaner sources of power should be the focus.

“We’ve got all kinds of wind energy in this country and as we develop the techniques and the technologies etc., we’re going to be able to utilize that without using something that, over the years, has just proven to be very dirty for the environment.”